Whenever the time comes to update your living room, dining room, or bedroom, you usually think of the typical to-do list: add new paint, replace the flooring, and add more contemporary furniture and décor. While all of those floor and wall-related elements are necessary to bring a room up-to-date, what’s on your ceiling also plays a large role too. Lighting and even fans can help set the tone of the room, and if you have an old fan, it’ll drag down your new modern look. While there are multiple options when it comes to the size and shape of a fan, flush mount fans are growing in popularity. You might be thinking, “That’s great, but what is a flush mount fan, and why would I want one?”
That’s a great question! A flush mount fan is a fan that’s anchored directly to the ceiling so that the base is “flush” against the ceiling. Since the base is attached to the ceiling and the blades are only a few inches below it, it’s also called a “ceiling hugger fan” (your fun fact for the day!). Now onto your next question. Here are four reasons for installing flush mount fans in the rooms of your home.
Reason #1: There’s No Need for a Down Rod
Most older style fans have a metal rod called a “down rod,” which is between the mount or base of the fan and the hub (the center of the fan blades). This allows the fan to be closer to the floor, which is ideal for extremely large rooms with high ceilings. However, in an older home, the ceilings usually aren’t higher than 8 feet, and the rooms are not usually extremely spacious.
Because of that, a flush mount fan down rod isn’t necessary, which means one less complicated step in the installation process.
Reason #2: They’re Less Likely to Cause Accidents
If you live in a home where the ceilings are 8 feet high, you should either choose a flush mount ceiling fan or fan with a short down rod, as tall people may be at risk of bumping their heads on a moving fan (ouch!). If you have a fan that has a 24 inch down rod (which means that the blades are 2 feet down from the ceiling and 6 feet up from the floor). If you have a fan with a light, that means it’s even lower to the ground. Even if the fan doesn’t have a light, that means that anyone who is 6 feet tall or taller would be at risk for bumping into the fan blades when walking through a room.
As you can imagine, that’s not a good scenario, and installing a flush mount fan avoids that scenario altogether. Even if you get a flush mount ceiling fan with a light, there will still be at least 7 feet between the light and the floor.
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Reason #3: They Add A Sleek Look to a Contemporary Design Style
If you’re updating an older home to give it a more contemporary feel, a flush-mount ceiling fan can make a huge difference. If you take down the wallpaper, rip up the carpeting, and add new curtains, but keep the original ceiling fan from 1995, the room won’t have a cohesive look. Having a consistent design style is key in any interior design project, and the fan is often an afterthought.
While select styles of standard-type fans may have a modern look, almost all flush mounts have a modern look to them and also have the upside of eliminating the installation of the down rod (which means making your home tall-person friendly)! This particular fan has a stainless steel look and is a stunning addition to the room without weighing it down with dark colors or bulky blades.
Reason #4: Most Flush Mount Fans Have a Remote Option
Since flush mount fans are increasing in popularity, a majority of them have the option to install a wall switch or wireless remote. Many older-style fans have two pull chains: one for the light and one for the fan. Modern flush mount fans eliminate the unsightly chains, and also the danger of standing on a chair to change the speed of the moving blades or to turn off the light. Having a wall switch is ideal so that the fan and light are easily controlled through the touch of a button and is a kid-friendly way to control the blades.
While there are always pros and cons to any type of home appliance, a flush mount ceiling fan is a great option when considering style, installation, safety, and accessibility. (And at the end of the day, checking all of those things off of the list is a pretty good feeling!)
