How to Choose Best Monorail Lighting?

Monorail lights are configurable cutting edge lighting solutions which allow a variety of custom styling opportunities to the user. You can form monorail by hand into a wide range of configurations that suit a plethora of residential and commercial light settings. You can install monorail lighting in straight runs, field-bent, or arrange them to follow your housing’s architectural details.

If your house has arched or sloped ceiling, or has paneling which cannot house lighting, monorail or monorail track lighting can be the perfect lighting solution because these lights hang from suspension rods.

These lights are also a preferred choice for a particularly high ceiling to bring lighting fixtures closer to your living area. The monorail lighting fixtures have a slim profile and the rail is so small that it can blend in more perfectly than a standard track lighting system.

So, how you can decide if you’re buying the perfect monorail lighting system for your housing or official need? Here are some considerations:

1. Identifying Layout and Length Monorails are a low-voltage rail with two-conductor, available in single or two-circuit configurations in multiple lengths. You can cut the rail in the custom or field lengths, and join the sections together using connectors providing longer runs. Monorail can be bent manually by hands to a minimum 12 inches radius. You can also create straight or geometric shapes using connectors.

For determining the length you need for monorail follow these steps:

• Make a scale drawing (for example ¼ inch = 1 foot).
• Then, use a piece of string for tracing the layout.
• Now, measure the string’s length
• Use this figure for calculating the length of the rail.


2. Determining Suspension Now, you have to determine how much drop you need below the ceiling from where the monorail is to be suspended. You can suspend the monorail at various heights using rigid or flexible standoffs. You will need to support the rail through suspensions at least at every 42 inches, and more frequently on the tight curves.

Rail has to be bent by hand in a way that it maintains its shape prior to being suspended because suspension features can suspend the track but cannot hold it in a particular shape. You can also use power supplies for providing support to the rail.

3. Power Requirement

As monorail lighting systems are low-voltage, you will require transformers for stepping down the voltage to 24 volts or 12 volts. In case, the total of the wattages of all the lamps (connected to the monorail) is lower than the transformer’s wattage, you will require only one transformer, and if it exceeds the transformer’s wattage, you will need a second transformer and separate the runs of monorail powered by each transformer. You can do this physically or using a non-conductive connector.

4. Choosing the Light Source

You can connect low voltage pendants or low voltage heads to the monorail by using the adapters. There are some lighting fixtures that include lamps and are 12 volt. So, if you are using a 24V transformer, it is necessary to buy 24 volt lamps separately.

With these tips, you are all prepared to purchase the right monorail lighting and replace that conventional unattractive indoor track lighting system. These flexible and dynamic lighting solutions accommodate both beautiful decorative pendants and accent lighting spot heads. You can easily hand-bend the rails and shape them in a variety of linear and curvilinear configurations to add decorative appeal to your home and workspace. These ceiling-mounted lighting solutions are all you need to woo your guests.