How to attach a lampshade to a lamp?

A lampshade is essential for filtering the light from a lamp or for redirecting it. While it is natively attached to the lamp with a number of lamps available on the market , nothing prevents you from purchasing one separately. This implies the need to carry out the attachment yourself . We will show you how.

Take steps to get started

The dimensions of your lampshade and its elements must correspond to the characteristics of your hanging or standing lamp . You will therefore need to know them perfectly before fixing it. Take a ruler and hold it above the lampshade to measure the upper diameter .

You can use either centimeters or inches as your preferred unit. After taking note of this, proceed to measure the bottom diameter . This involves turning the lampshade over before placing the ruler on its bottom opening. If the neck of the lamp is exposed on the lampshade, consider investing in a longer lampshade.

To continue measuring before attaching the lampshade to your ceiling-mounted or floor-mounted light fixture, it is necessary to turn the blind over. This allows the top to be oriented upwards before measuring the side height of the lampshade .

This height will be measured from top to bottom. If this height is 2/3 of the height of the lamp base, there should be no obstacles for attaching your lampshade. Don't forget, however, before you start, to find out the drop height of the support, i.e. the distance between the top of the lampshade and the installer.

Each type of lighting device has its own type of connection

A spider connector must be attached to a harp lamp. The harp will be attached to the base of the lamp and the spider connector above the harp . Use a finial to screw the connector onto the top of the harp. The lampshade will be installed on the removable metal harp of your hanging or table lamp.

If you are looking for smaller table lamps or wall lights with a swivel arm, you should opt for a UNO fitting . It will be attached directly to the lamp socket using an inner ring, which is held in place by the bulb.

For anyone wondering how to attach a lampshade to these fixtures, it should be noted that no tools are required. All they need to do is screw in the bulb before attaching the lampshade. Note that the UNO fitting is also the best choice for bridge arm floor lamps.

On the other hand, if you want to attach the lampshade to night lights, small accent lamps or a hanging chandelier, it would be best to use a clip-on fitting . As its name suggests, this fitting is clipped directly onto the bulb.

It is available in various sizes and shapes to choose from depending on the size and format of your bulb. So, on the market, among your options are:

• Conical clip-on lampshades
• Bell clip lampshades
• Coolies Clip-on Lampshades
• Drum-shaped lampshades
• The cloc clip lampshade

For each base shape of lamp, corresponding lampshade

To ensure that your lampshade is a successful fixture, you will also need to pay attention to whether your lampshade matches the basic shape of the lamp . For example, hang your round light fixture with a hook from the ceiling with a round lampshade.

On the other hand, if your lamp has an angular or square format, you would be better off opting for a square lampshade. Chandelier lamps are an exception. Since they have several curves and angles, they can be suitable for all lampshade formats. There is also nothing to prevent you from using a round lampshade with a square lamp placed on a round table.

Also, in order to successfully attach your lampshade to a lamp, make sure that the width of the lampshade is greater than that of the base plate .

Also remember to consider the mood of your room. A smooth lampshade will suit a modern interior and a pleated lampshade will suit an older style interior such as Victorian or antique.

Procedure for attaching the lampshade depending on the type of lamp:

Whatever your choice of lampshade, the actual fixing will always take place in the same way when it concerns a hanging lamp :

• Remove the socket and plug from the DCL box
• Put the wires into the DCL plug connecting earth in the middle, phase on the terminal and neutral on the N terminal.
• Tighten the plug wire cover onto the cable.
• Clip the plug into the ceiling box before hanging the light fixture on the hook and reinstalling the wire cover.

The operation is much simpler with a table lamp , because after unscrewing the bulb and the intermediate ring, you just have to place the lampshade on the lamp socket before replacing this ring and the bulb. All that remains is to plug in and turn on the lamp to check that it is working.