Installing track lighting in your bathroom gives you a variety of ways to integrate decorative mounted lights into your layout and design and is a great ceiling and lighting idea. Installing bathroom track lighting is the perfect solution for your bathroom lighting needs. From a straight line to visually interesting patterns on a mounted ceiling track such as L, H, or T shaped tracks, you can install these track lighting configurations to enhance and open up your bathroom space and complete your home lighting decor with track lighting. The nice thing about bathroom track lighting is that you can direct the beams of light in any direction. Installing track lighting in your bathroom is great because it gives you the flexibility to use track lighting for general illumination or if you choose, you can highlight a specific fixture or area in your washroom that you use for a particular task such as shaving or putting on make-up. Installing a track lighting system in your bathroom is not that difficult and can be done in an evening with two people. The parts required include a track, mounting plate, lamps and other ornamental fittings.

"Summary: Installing track lighting for your bathroom allows you to adjust your ceiling lighting fixtures location along the mounted lighting track and direct the beams of light to grooming or showering areas. Using track lighting in your bathroom is a creative way of adding lighting inside your home and is the perfect solution for your bathroom lighting needs. Installing track lighting into your baths design will help to highlight fixtures and areas that you want to stand out in your bathroom which is important for proper illumination and bathroom track lighting allows you to do this with style and control when installing your ceiling light fixtures."

Before you begin installing your track lighting system, you must first decide what your lighting needs are for your bathroom. The size of your lavatory and the position of your fixtures will determine the type, style and placement of incorporating track lighting in your bath. For example, when determining your bathroom lighting solutions, you can’t put track lighting directly above a shower but you can point the track lights to readily illuminate the area. Regardless of your track lighting design, the place that typically needs the most light is the grooming area near the sink and vanity and this should get special consideration when mounting your track lighting.

Image by pattie74

Once you have figured out whether the installation of your track lighting system is functional or merely decorative, you can then settle on the track layout. Use masking tape to layout your design on your bathroom ceiling. Once the layout is established you can replace the masking tape with chalk lines, starting from the electrical box. The important thing you are trying to achieve here is to make sure your bathroom is fully illuminated without any unflattering cast shadows. Having determined how many track heads you require, you need to find the right light fixtures to match the rest of your bathroom décor. Oversized track lights are an overbearing eyesore, while lights that are too small will be ineffective at lighting up the room.

The steps to installing your track lighting system are straight forward too, though it is a lot easier if performed with two people, as one installs and the other holds the track in place. Shut off the electrical power and remove your old fixture(s) if necessary. If your ceiling already has an electrical box you can install a track biding adapter on top of it. If it doesn’t have an electrical box you will have to put one in. If you are installing a totally new track lighting system, you must run cable and install a ceiling box. Make sure to splice the new leads to your old house wires, color to color. Next fold the wires up into the box and screw the mounting plate firmly to the box.

Using your chalk lines as a guide, install the mounting bracket and tracks by first cutting the pieces of your mounted track to proper length and connect them to the adapter. Attach it to the ceiling with toggle bolts but don’t tighten them until all the track has been installed.Then work your way around your bathroom, adding one piece at a time. Locate joists with a stud finder then attach the mounting bracket to the ceiling by driving the screws into as many joists as possible along the direction of the track light path. This can be done by first marking the support holes with a pencil, drill holes on the marks with a 1/2" spade bit and then tap in plastic screw anchors and drive screws into the anchors. If your track design includes a ninety degree turn, you can use a framing square to mark as a guideline. It is important to note here that in order to make sure your mounted track runs parallel to your wall, you and your helper should measure at least two points along the track to the wall to ensure consistency.

Install your track lighting fixtures by pushing the live end connector plug into the track, snap the track into the bracket with a hammer and tighten, attach the canopy cover and insert the plug into a lamp. You can adjust the track lamps location by sliding the track lights along the track and swinging it into position. Restore the power and test to make sure everything is working as it should.

Relevant other categories on bath guru renovation, bath guru design, bath guru remodeling, bath guru trends and bath guru product reviews for the latest info, tip and tricks.

Bathroomguru Review helps you light the way to good bathroom design