Can I install track lighting that sits apart from the junction box?

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I'd like to install track lighting, but I'd like to mount it on a beam that runs about 2-3 feet away from the junction box in the ceiling (rather than mounting directly over the junction box).

Does this setup exist? Are there pictures where people have done that?

And do Houzz follks have suggestions for a not-ugly wire shroud that runs from the junction box to the track?

( I should add that there is no access above the ceiling. There is metal roof directly above, no crawl space. And the ceiling wood cannot be removed.)

Featured Answer

A

3 years ago

last modified: 3 years ago

I would suggest wire mold running from the junction box to the new surface mounted junction box on the beam. You will need to cover the old junction box with an appropriate cover with some kind of knock out and the appropriate wire connector to pull the wire though the knockout and into the wire mold. Paint the wire mold and cover to match the ceiling so they blend in. I did a quick search for brown wire mold and this paintable product form Home Depot popped up. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Legrand-Wiremold-500-Series-10-ft-Metal-Surface-Raceway-Channel-in-Ivory-V500/100207385 They also come in brown, black, white, beige, etc. You will need a surface mounted junction box on the beam to accommodate the new wiring unless you can find a track light with some kind of built-in junction box. I’m unfamiliar with track lighting but I’m pretty sure that they would all need a junction box unless there is a cord that can be plugged into a receptacle. So the new junction box is going to be raised off the surface of the beam and you will have to select one intended for surface mounting. Most of those are metal, so maybe you can paint the outside to match the wood beam as well, although you still may not like the way it’s raised off the surface. While you’re doing this project, try to air seal the old junction box to keep warm moist air from getting into your ceiling assembly and rotting your roof from the inside out. There are ways to do this which I will not get into right now.

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Comments (8)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
Can you take a pic from further back please it is hard to even imagine the space .
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spammeplease13
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Thanks for the comments thus far. Here is a pic further back (pic is a bit distorted, but you get the idea of the ceiling & table layout).

The current pendant fixture hangs about 2-3 feet from the apex of those beams, and the table is more or less centered under the apex of the beams. So, that is where I was hoping to mount the track lighting.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Decide on the layout you want for your track lighting and suspend and power the track using metal stems that extend from your electrical box to the light track.

You only need one power supply per track. The other stems or cables are just used to suspend the track in the space.

Check Juno or Halo for product. You're not going to find this at a big box store like HD or Lowes.
rwiegand
3 years ago
fish the wiring through above the ceiling boards so that it is hidden.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
Cable lighting is the answer .
BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
3 years ago
People run wires across ceilings, yes ...

'80 version ... just run the wire secured with staples, go along natural seams/features to make it less noticable ...

Who's looking approach ... run along the side of the beam, not the face (less applicable across the ceiling itself ... you'll need to pick a less conspicuous color) ... running in the joint between two boards may be less blatently obvious ...

Incorporation ... the wire is hidden by the hanging method, in this case the swagged chain:
PRO
RL Relocation LLC
3 years ago
what is the goal? get lighting over the table? or just add general room light? Also I would not hang it from the beam