The first step in designing your Monorail system is to determine what it is you are trying to light. You'll need to decide where pendants or elements should be installed to put light where you want it.

The second step is to draw in your Monorail run. Remember, Monorail can be shaped by hand to follow architectural details or to create an organic shape. Your Monorail run must be placed so it runs directly beneath the junction box with the surface transformer or power feed canopy and intersects the locations of all the fixtures. Determine how many pieces of rail you'll need. Add a pair of end caps to each end of the run for an elegant finishing touch.

Next, add up the wattage of the lamps you'll be using on the system: this will help you select a transformer. A remote transformer with a power feed canopy provides the cleanest look, but the remote transformer must be installed in an accessible, remote location. A surface transformer simply mounts to a junction box.

Finally, determine how far from the ceiling you want the system to drop. Power feed canopies place the rail two inches from the ceiling; surface transformers drop it from two to five inches, depending on the type of transformer. If this drop is shorter than you require, you'll need to add a power extender to your canopy or surface transformer. The maximum standard drop for Monorail is eight feet.

There are select standoffs that will match the drop of your power feed to support the system. Adjustable standoffs provide a clean, elegant look. Choose rigid standoffs for curvy runs, or runs with multiple glass pendants. You'll need one standoff for every three feet of Monorail. The power feed counts as a support, so begin adding standoffs three feet from the power feed.

Note: Power extenders and standoffs are field-cuttable, so it's easy to achieve a custom drop length.