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I've got recessed LED fixtures in the dining room. (Juno IC22 housings.) They were installed after the old plaster ceiling had been removed, so they're fastened to the joists with telescoping bar hangers.

Now that I'm installing a plank ceiling, I've found that in order to account for how far out of level the joists are, the finished height of the planks in the area of the fixtures is such that the adjustability of the fixture trim won't quite go low enough.

Here is a photo of one. It only needs to go about 1/2" lower. (That's the approaching planks coming in from the left.)

fixture at maximum extension

If the torsion spring clips can be replaced with some that are slightly longer, that would do it. The ones that came with it are four inches on either end of the spring.

existing spring clip

I'm looking for some that are at least 4-1/2" on each leg of the spring. The only ones I've found available online are either labelled as 4" or don't have any dimensions specified.

Do these clips come in different sizes? Alternatively, is there another way to get the trim of the fixture about 1/2" lower.

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My call would be to dismount the rough in and lower it to the sistered joists so the lights are installed to code. The metal housing should be at least close to the finished ceiling level, not 2" above it.

Perhaps the can inside the frame can be lowered instead of the whole thing if that would be difficult at this point, then the original wires would work.

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  • I didn't do full sistered joists. I just put in spacer blocks for the plank-mounting tracks to attach to. I'll see how much effort it will be to add more blocks and lower the entire housing. It looks like the can can be lowered by a bit less than an inch. That'll be enough to get the trim ring flush with the ceiling, but that won't leave any slack to pull it down for maintenance and replacement. (That's the next guy's problem, but I don't want that kind of karma following me around. :-) )
    – Doug Deden
    Apr 21, 2019 at 16:57
  • Typically the next guy replaces what was done anyways so it's usually nothing to be concerned with, especially if you lower them and they are to code....
    – Jack
    Apr 21, 2019 at 20:35
  • I was thinking more about when the next guy needs to replace the bulbs. (They're LED, so it shouldn't be any time soon.But still...) In any case, I was able to get the inner cans to go down two inches, so everything is looking good.
    – Doug Deden
    Apr 21, 2019 at 20:42
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As DIY springwinding goes, that's a pretty easy one to start with - you can get a pack of 100 12" long spring-steel wires (straight, not a coil - it will be easier to start from there) and put the central coil and end bends into them. Bend around a smooth metal rod, and you'll have to bend somewhat past where you want them to end up, due to spring-back.

Then again, you could pry (or unscrew, but I'm guessing it's pry without being able to see that) the mounts out of the joists and lower them before remounting.

I'm not seeing extra-long torsion spring clips when I search for them; that does not mean they don't exist, but it doesn't mean they do, either.

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  • The fixtures are nailed in, so prying them out won't be fun. And they're already at the bottom of the joists, so I'd have to extend the joists. I'm gonna try to find some spring-steel wires and bend my own. (I can get them from Alibaba, with a 10,000-piece minimum. :-) )
    – Doug Deden
    Apr 21, 2019 at 16:59
  • Shopping is off-topic, but they are a standard product, 100 pieces at a whack in the common sizes, from any metalwork/machine supply house, for under $10 (shipping may well be extra.)
    – Ecnerwal
    Apr 21, 2019 at 17:17

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