Just had a ceiling overboarded and skimmed and it’s up to me to mark and refit the downlighters.
Not wanting to mess this up and forever look at an uneven line of lights down the ceiling I’m after the best way of marking straight lines. As I see it I’ve got two options:
1) A piece of string
2) Some sort of manly laser thingy

Obviously a piece of string is cheap but does a laser thingy offer something I haven’t thought of (other than the option of getting revenge on the polis helicopter that woke me up at 4:15 this morning 🙂 ) – so which should it be?

I’ll eventually have 8 or 10 ‘lines’ of lights to mark/drill if that makes any difference.

one of them chalky pieces of string that buildery types use to mark straight lines on ceilings/walls. Ask your local builders merchant.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-power-winder-chalk-line-set-30m/43718?kpid=43718&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CjkKEQjwia-dBRC07eeatYGe-78BEiQArZhbgJhMTgKl4ic6D44PxWWcNiX12R6iGBOJGVTNKG7bbFfw_wcB

+1 chalk string.

my sparky used one to mark out the barn downlighters.

I have a laser level – it’s pretty handy for doing stuff like that and making sure stuff is exactly level on walls etc.

But yeah, string is cheaper.

One point, make absolutely sure you know where all the beams/batons are before you start drilling.

You don’t want to get halfway through the job and discover one of your holes has to go 6 inches to the left!

A laser is definitely the easiest way but the end result is no better than a piece of string or chalk line.
I have a Stanley laser that has 2 prongs that push into the wall and hold it in place. Other than the 2 tiny prong marks it leaves no other trace like a chalk line would.
I did at one point have a ryobi laser and I’m not sure how its possible but the beam was not straight. I thought the ceiling had a curvature but when I flipped the laser the cure turned.

beams/batons

This, but batons aren’t an issue, they can easily be moved slightly if needed.

One point, make absolutely sure you know where all the beams/batons are before you start drilling.

In an unprecedented show of forethought from myself I actually drew a picture and measured the locations of the existing lights before they were covered over – I’ve even still got the piece of paper!

I was going to mark the joist positions on the walls also but the plasterer had already done it so I didn’t bother. The next day I discovered that he’d had rubbed out all the marks he’d made on the wall as part of his tidying up….. doh!

I have used a chalk line for all the lights I have fitted, simple and cheap.

Laser would be my choice, now that you can get them pretty cheap I’ve lost my string line since I started using one. 😕

I think B&Q do a cheap Stanley one for less than forty quid. It’s also a cross-line and is dead handy for putting up shelves, tiling etc. You’re probably not looking for something that gives you a pinpoint line across 20m of floor.

Of course, if you’re not looking to spend anything, string and chalk would do, but they can be a pain to do on a ceiling if there’s only one of you.

Haha….. manly toys FTW.

Just got an ex-display Stanley Cubix laser level for £25 🙂

That’ll do. Only problem now is that I’m going to go round the house seeing how crooked everything is!

Stanley Cubix? Didn’t he direct The Shining?

I’m after the best way of marking straight lines

Circular saw through the floor above?