Wall Sconces: History and Installation Guide

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Maitland-Smith Lamps and Lighting Wall Sconce, Floral Decor 8112-19

Ever since man discovered fire and its many uses, he has been doing everything to harness it for heat and light provision. With the advent of newer technologies, fire became candles and candles became bulbs, and pretty soon, fire has become mobile. With it came hazards and some unpredictability, though.

So, is there really a way to catch fire and have it safely contained?

Candle sconces were the first to have it contained. Monks in dark monasteries lit their hallways with these. Pretty soon, elaborate structures had darker hallways so more light was needed. Candle wall scones then came in different styles and materials.

Light display is often linked to religious activities. Every place of worship seems to have its own sets of candles or other sources of light. The Jewish menorah, for instance, is placed on the southern side of the temple, with each of the seven branches representing human knowledge. The central lamp is the representation of God.

The predecessors of wall sconces have had different forms, colors and materials. They also often come in pairs so that they can satisfy the needed symmetry in space.

More often than not, wall sconces are circular and they come with brackets for arms. At least this was the case during the 17^th till the 18^th centuries. Those wall sconces come with drip pans on their arms are also used to provide light to mirrors like those in a dressing room.

Oval sconces came at around the late 1700s. The rectangular ones followed during the early part of the 19^th century. It’s amazing to remember the evolution of these sconces. They also came with heat shields and reflectors and they soon accommodated candles that burned longer.

Wrought nails were also used to hang the wall sconces or these lights were simply hung on a wall bracket.

Modern Wall Sconces

These modern lighting fixtures are now made with different sorts of materials. They can be used as an accent art or as ambient lighting. The history of the candle sconce is pretty rich and its modern alternatives are now being used to contribute to the moods and auras in a home.

The wall sconces are flexible when it comes to decorative uses. They are a good source of illumination while they also offer an aesthetic beauty to the walls. They are an effective means of getting attention to areas that are often ignored.

There are now many designs options plus you can already use them with dimmers so that you can adjust the light according to the mood that you want to evoke at a particular moment.

Wall Sconce Installation

Now that you’re ready to install wall sconces in your home, then you have to follow some simple rules.

First, pick the location of your wall sconces. Now make sure that the power to that room is turned off while you’re working on the installation. To be safe, have an electrician take care of this activity for you.

Remember that the ideal height for wall sconces is about 72” off the floor. Mark the spot with a pencil. Pick also your light switch location or at least point that out to your electrician. If there’s already an existing outlet that you can use, then do so.

Draw the locations for the sconces as well as the light switch. Use the drywall to saw cut those portions out. You could cut initially at the draw lines but you will have to trim some more so you can insert cut-in boxes.

The third step is to drill the holes inside the wall. Be sure to locate this as the same stud bay as that of the light box.

Step 4 is to run a 12×2 wire to the second sconce. Use a fishing tape. Run the wires till you reach the last sconce. You can then run the electrical wire from the last sconce to the location of the light switch.

Lastly, run a 12×2 electrical wire from your switch to your electrical outlet, the cut-in boxes, and then insert the boxes to the wall.

You are now ready to mount the sconces.

Tags: McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, wall sconce, wall sconce installation, wall sconces

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 23rd, 2019 at 9:02 am and is filed under Accents, Decorative Elements, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Lighting, Wall Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.