Why Use Recessed Lighting
Recessed lighting offers a clean, streamlined look. It can increase the amount of light in a room, highlight artwork or other special features, and open up spaces so they look and feel bigger. Recessed lighting, if done correctly, wil increase the livability and value of your home or office.
When to Use Recessed Lighting
Though recessed fixtures are most easily installed between ceiling joists of new building or major renovation projects, there are recessed fixtures are designed specifically for retrofit applications, they install through holes made to accommodate wiring.The fixtures you choose must be rated for use near insulation (IC rated) whenever ceiling insulation is present.
Where to Place Recessed Lighting Fixtures
The common rule is that 4-inch fixtures should generally be placed at least 4 feet apart 5-inch fixtures about 5 feet apart and 6-inch fixtures about 6 feet apart. Kitchens and bathrooms will need more fixtures. You want to make sure that you have adequate amount of light. Dimmers are a great idea to control the light level and mood in a room.
Center recessed lighting fixtures in front of the objects you wish to light – a painting, bookshelf, or drapery panels, for example – and about 12 to 18 inches in front of that object. The light should generally highlight the object at about 30 deg.
Recessed lights used for reading or task lighting should be carefully placed overhead so your head and shoulders will not block needed light.
When lighting a three-dimensional object such as a fireplace, sculpture, or flower arrangement with recessed lighting, it is more effective to light it from two or three different angles.
Use wall-wash or directional recessed lighting fixtures around the perimeter of a small room to help “push” the walls out and make the space feel larger, or aim them at a collection of artwork or photographs to call attention to the display.
Install recessed lighting fixtures (puck lights) in the bottom of your kitchen cabinets. The light will wash your counter top with focused light.
Recessed lights have 2 parts. The housing and the trim. The housing is the part that you never see, it is recessd into the ceiling. The trim is the piece that is installed into the housing and fits flush with the ceiling.
Many different trims are available: all white, white with black baffle, chrome, brushed nickel, adjustable, etc. Make sure you have an idea what type of trims you would like before installing the housings as each housing has only certain types of trims that are compatible.
Make sure that the existing circuit is not overloaded.
Dimmers are generally rated for 600 watts, 1000 watt dimmers are available. Make sure to get a dimmer rated for low voltage if installing low voltage recessed lights, you must also know whether the transformer is magnetic or electronic.
If you would like any more information or would like to schedule a free estimate to look at installing recessed lighting visit our website at: http://www.pacificstarelectric.ca or call us at 604-463-6695
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