A morning to prep for ceiling track

Getting started on new track lighting--see my previous post for my hopes for this project. Given my capabilities, this is a multi-day project. I've been pre-threading two of those plastic screw-in anchors a day. They are a bear to do, but once done I like working with them. The honking big mollies that came with the track I'll take to the Re-Store.

Since the ceiling fixture power box is over the bed, I make my first trip down to the garage-that-has-everything and select a six foot chunk of 3/4 in. plywood to lay across the bed to stand on, and wipe it down. Is this necessary? It's darned heavy. But it's also pretty weird to stand directly on a Tempur-pedic matress.

I strap on my elbow brace and unpack the track, a mini project in itself--those thick cardboard tubes are just about bomb-proof, with caps heavy-stapled in. Screw driver and pliers and whew! A half hour later it's done and I'm ready for coffee.

I remember my last wiggly (not firmly fastened) electrical box in a ceiling and how hard it was to snap the track into the clip after it was in place on the electrical box. That's what the instructions say to do. How could I could I do the job if I snap the track in the clip first? This is going to involve one additional person, a ladder and a step ladder, swinging the track and holding it one way and then the other for attaching the clip/strap, marking, drilling, setting anchors and connecting wires, but it just might be the ticket. I just have to convince Bill that it's going to be a piece of cake.

There's the whole paragraph about measuring and deciding how close to the wall to go, and painting where the old fixture was--let's just skip it, and talk about the next day, which will be the big pay-off, I hope.

Low wattage: It's not about the money

For me, saving electricity can't be about my personal savings, because the $500.00 on Juno track lighting and a couple of hallway fixtures (Thanks, Mom, for the Christmas present) won't get paid back in energy savings any time soon.

No, what's in it for me is ending the household tussle over leaving the lights on when going elsewhere. Ah, family harmony!

And better lighting, which it absolutely is. I want to copy the success of the study, which I paid a handyman to install. I now direct three can lights (sorry, "step cylinders") to where I want light, using a mix of lamps and beam width. Even with one nice Par 20 halogen in the mix, it's 61 watts. This compares with the ceiling button fixture I took down, which used two incandescents for 120 watts of blah-nowhere-anywhere lighting.

My $500 is for three rooms and a hall, each getting a new lease on life. That's the max I'll spend--I'm going to do the installation myself. So add to the money the cost in pain and stiffness. You do realize that electrical work is darned physical for the arthritic. But I figure aches will be forgotten when I am enjoying new and generous illumination.

OK, I won't gloss over that entirely. To keep to my theme of "ten easy steps" vs. my reality, I'll chronicle the installation in the next segment. Wish me luck.