ceiling fan installation

kabucha · Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:54 am

hello! I haven't posted for a while...but now we need help!

we have a 2001 double wide built by pine grove manuf.

in our dining room we took down the light fixture to hang a ceiling fan. we found that the current light wasn't really held on by anything.. the screws holding in the box (containing all the wires) weren't really screwed in to anything. so needless to say, we didn't hang the fan yet...

upon further investigation, we couldn't find any studs or anything in the vicinity, we even purchase that special bar that you can slide in your ceiling opening...but that didn't hit any support bars, and if we just placed in in the ceiling, we were afraid that the ends would start to poke through the ceiling with the weigh of the fan..

I've read the other posts on fan installations here... but I couldn't really understand/make sense of it..

any ideas?

When I look at our other fans (that were installed when the home was built I assume) they are very sturdy, and curious how those were installed..

Thanks in advance!

Old Spam Can · Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:19 am

typically all of your ceiling joists (studs) are going to be 16" apart sometimes 24" but mostly 16". Use a flexible wire to fish around in both directions. Once you find the joist, extend the cable to a new ceiling box and firmly secure it. Put a decorative cap on the old box. Unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing with the electric, contact an electrician since this is a really small job for them to do.

kabucha · Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:28 am

thanks for the post... i know my husband and father in law were poking around, and they couldn't locate a joist..maybe they'll look again...

and they know electrical, no worries there

thanks

flcruising · Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:35 pm

Keep in mind too that the joists/trusses for the floors and ceilings will be running perpendicular to the length of the home...

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[The (<) above is the hitch end of the home]

kabucha · Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:12 am

well I guess when they were sticking things up in the hole trying to locate the joists, they found some, BUT they don't touch the ceiling.. ? not sure how thats possible..but thats what they found.... i'm curious how the ceiling is being held on.. lol

does that make sense?

flcruising · Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:56 am

They weren't looking in the right place. The bottom chord of the truss is what the ceiling is attached to, they were touching either the top chord or one of the braces.

flcruising · Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:47 pm

Here's an eariler post that may help a little.

viewtopic.php?t=5142&highlight=ceiling+fan+truss

crackur · Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:42 am

I need help guys with a similar situation.

I have an 87 doublewide and I want to put in ceiling fans in all the bedrooms.

Currently, in the back bedroom it has a cheap ceiling fan that is connects to nothing but the hard plastic electric wire casing. This casing has not only the power supply to it but as well running on to the wall outlets apparently my In-law told me. I know with this I will have to get an electrian.

However, my problem is........I have vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, small room connected to it and in our huge great/living room. All other rooms have regular ceiling with that panel looking ceiling they put in the homes.

M Y QUESTION is, he didn't know or suggested that joists or trusses where vaulted instead of across the ceiling.

I believe I do have them in the bedrooms but probably at 24in apart across in which the crossbar support would work for me after a electrician takes care of the re-wire in the new cross bar box.

my question is, when the ceiling is flat like that in these bedrooms, they should be some boards/truss/joist up there to keep the ceiling right? and its just not a hanging ceiling.

JD · Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:38 pm

In an '87, your vaulted ceiling probably has 2x6 rafters. The rooms with a flat ceiling will have trusses, probably 16" o.c. If this home has the original ceiling, you should be able to see either plastic splines (strips that cover staples) or rosettes with screws in them to hold up the ceiling. this is where the trusses would be. Sometimes there are no plastic splines, just joint lines 16" o.c..

If your home has an original factory metal roof, you probably have 1x2 or 2x2 trusses, pretty flimsy. This is why the ceiling fan bar is a good recommendation. They are supported by two trusses. I prefer to make a 19" wide wood base for the ceiling fan and attach the wood base to two trusses. Makes a very solid surface to mount the ceiling fan to.

PS. It is best to start a new post for your questions. You will get a fresh look and maybe more replies.

JD