Help! How to get Halo trims flush and tight

tnosella

Hello there,

I just went thru the exercise of installing 6 H36ICAT 3" IC rated housings in a hallway. Now I realize these boxes are typically used for new installs, but i managed to get up in the attic, drill the holes where i wanted them and still mount them flush to the joists up there.

The problem im having is with the trims. Im using Halo 3009 series 3" trims. They have these 3 metal springy parts that stick out on the side and i guess the idea is you install your bulb then just push these up into the cans.

However, in installing the boxes in the ceiling, the bars are nailed to the joists and the boxes sit somewhere between the joist resting on the drywall. With this configuration though, if i push on the can opening from below, there is some play in the box and i can acutally push it up 1/8-1/4". Now this seems fine since the hanger bars are not super rigid, but when it comes time to push in the trims, this little amount of play doesnt let me get the trim to fit tight against the ceiling.

I hope im explaining myself clearly.. I cannot figure out how to push in the trims to the housing without the box lifting up off the drywall, even just a little bit and preventing me from getting a snug fit.

Any advice or tricks would be greatly appreciated.

Tom

goose134

What has worked in the past with mixed success is this:

Take the trim down and bend the spring inward a bit to force some tension off of them (do it to each one) I mean a little bit too, too much and they won't hold at all. Now when you go to install them push up until you meet the resistance and then TURN and push upwards. Sometimes wiggling left to right has the same effect. Good luck

J. V.

Inside the cans you will find three screws in slotted holes. These are adjustment screws for the can. They are supposed to allow the can to be moved up and down. When you get these fixtures new the screws are tight. Loosen them and adjust the can almost flush with the ceiling. Then tighten them securley. You now have a can that does not move up or down. Install ring.
The fixture bars should be ridged and have little movement. Pushing up or down on the bars defeats the purpose of the bars and adjustments.

You will need a stubby screwdriver to loosen and tighten the adjustment screws inside the can.

tnosella

Hello Goose134 and J.V.,
Thanks very much for your quick answers, i will try both of those techniques.
Goose, i had given that some thought to try previously, glad to hear you has some luck with that, i will give it a try.

J.V., i see that collar that you are speaking of, and i will try to drop them a bit. The challenge i see though is that if that collar lip does not catch the drywall, wont i have the same lifting problem then no matter where the collar sits vertically? I was trying to think of a way whereby i could drop the collar and then put something under the lip of the collar that would catch the drywall so that when i push the trim back up the box doesnt want to lift. The other idea i had was maybe go back up in the attic and put a couple pieces of thin metal strap across the boxes and screwed into the adjacent joists, almost like a seat belt. Mind you, the play is only 1/8 of an inch probably at most, but if those trims sit 1/8 down from the ceiling it looks pretty bad.

Thanks again to both of you.

goose134

The other thing you could try is to push up on the trims, while someone else pushes down on the can. Be careful, this could go south quickly! I'm pretty sure you'll be the one in the attic