How do I straighten my pendant cords? And level on a raked ceiling?

10 years ago

Have just added 3 funky foton pendants from ikea in our kitchen and the cables are all wonky. Any tips for straightening? Also they are installed on a raked ceiling and currently not level. How can I easily get them level? Adjustment is from the top...

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PRO

Ironwood Builders

10 years ago

The straightening part comes first. Pinch the cord between thumb and forefinger and pul firmly but gently from the top down...repeat until the wonky is acceptable or gone. Leveling takes time and patience. It helps to have a partner eyeball things as you adjust...that and a laser level. We set the laser on a ladder and block it to the correct height, then adjust until the lights all just touch the laser line....recently did 5 over a peninsula this way.

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Comments (10)

kuva
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks I'll give that a go! Not sure if hubby is going to want to take them down for straightening but I'll try this method in situ... Don't have a laser level but do have a very long level so hopefully that should work somehow. Annoying that you have to pull from the top instead of bottom to straighten!
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pcmom1
10 years ago
How about wrapping some heavy copper wire (or other metal) the cords? Sort of make it a decorative accent.
PRO
Ironwood Builders
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Don't bother taking them down to straighten! Gravity sucks! If your level is long enough, or you have a really straight board, you can block the board to level and rest the lights on it, then take up the slack. Works OK with just a couple of lights!
kuva
Original Author
10 years ago
Still haven't had time to fix them yet! Busy sorting all the other mess in our house but ant wait to get to it :) thanks for the suggestions...
PRO
Julie Smart Koob, REALTOR
10 years ago
When we redid our kitchen, I stretched out my cords and draped them over the curtains rods in my bedroom for a couple of months. Basically the weight did the straightening for me!
Val Parmenter
5 years ago
Use a hairdryer the cord
fayefit
4 years ago
Have you actually used a hairdryer successfully on the plastic see-through kind of cords that come on some pendant lights?
fayefit
4 years ago
Also, try placing it on an ironing board with a thin towel over it. Start on a lower temperature and increase as needed. Pull the cord taut with your third hand, lol, and run the iron over the cord until it straightens. This works!
Anne Banks
2 years ago
I used a magic bag to straighten mine. If you are not sure what that is, it is a bag filled with rice that you heat in the microwave to put on sore muscles. I heated it up and then wrapped it around the cord and slowly travelled down the entire cord. It worked!