How to Add Bathroom Lighting Sconces

Bathroom lighting sconces can add ambiance to a bathroom and change the mood of your lighting entirely. If you have a basic knowledge of electricity, they’re also very easy to install.

Step 1 - Location

Sconces should be 72 inches off the floor. Keep this in mind when selecting the locations for your bathroom lighting sconces. You should install at least 2 lights, spaced either side of the bathroom mirror. Also, remember to find the right location for the light switch. Ideally, it should be placed next to other switches already in the bathroom.

Step 2 - Cutting and Drilling

Start by turning off the circuit breaker to the area where you’ll be working. Draw around the electrical box at the point where you want to install your bathroom lighting sconces and your switch. Cut out the holes with a drywall saw. When this is done, you’ll need to use the drill and paddle bit to drill holes into the top stud inside the wall. Make sure you have the same stud bay as the light’s box. You’ll need to do this for each of the sconces and for the switch.

Step 3 - Wire

Start with the sconce that is farthest from the switch and run 12 by 2 electrical wire through to the next sconce. From there, you’ll need to run another wire through to where the light switch for your bathroom sconce lighting will be eventually located. Next, run a third piece of wire to the electrical outlet from which you’ll be drawing power for the lights.

Thread the wire through the holes in the back of the electrical boxes and push the boxes into the holes you’ve already made. Tighten the wing anchors on the boxes with a screwdriver until the boxes are flush to the wall.

Step 4 - Sconces and Switches

Now, you’ll need to install the mounting brackets for the bathroom lighting sconces to the electrical boxes. When you’ve done this, connect the wires to the sconces by running black to hot, white to neutral and green to the ground. With this done, hang the sconces on the wall, making sure they’re straight before fastening.

Next, it's time to put in the light switch. The wire that goes to the electrical outlet will be attached to the constant hot side. The wire to the sconce will be on the switched side. Remember that the copper screw is for the hot wire, the silver screw for the neutral and the green screw for the ground. Attach both ground wires to the ground screw and screw the cover onto the light switch.

Step 5 - Electrical Outlet

Your final connections will be to the electrical outlet, using the same color connectors as before. These will be black to copper screw, neutral to silver screw and ground to green screw.

Turn on the circuit breaker, put bulbs in the bathroom lighting sconces using the wattage recommended by the manufacturer and turn on to test how effective they are at adding light to the bathroom.