Recessed lighting is the quickest way to brighten up your home. However, it is crucial that it is done properly to avoid uncomfortable lighting.
Recessed Lighting
What is Recessed Lighting?
Recessed lighting is light fixtures installed into an opening of a ceiling. They can illuminate a whole room, spotlight certain elements or illuminate a wall. Recessed lighting comes in a variety of trims, which is the decorative part visible to the eye from the inside of the house. The housing is the electrical part of recessed lighting that is above your ceiling line. The cost of recessed lighting varies on many factors. The range could be anywhere from $20- $200 per light, not including light bulbs or dimmers. There are many things to consider when choosing recessed lighting.
What Size Aperture?
Aperture size is the size of the opening where the light is given off. It was standard for aperture size for recessed lighting in homes to be 6-inches. However, now it is popular to use 3 to 4 inches aperture. The size you should pick really depends on your needs. If you just want to spotlight a feature of a space, a smaller aperture would be appropriate. But if you want to light up an entire room, a small aperture would not meet your needs.
How to Pick Housing and Trim?
Housing and Trims come in many different types. Placing multiple trims in one space is a very important task. A rule of thumb is to take the height of your ceiling and divide it by two. This calculation will tell you a good estimate of how much space between each trim. You also don’t want to put recessed lights too close to the wall because it could cause shadows in corners as well as visually lowering the ceiling.
Remodel Housing
Remodel housing is for homes with an existing ceiling. This means a hole would be cut in the drywall and the housing is held in place with clips.
New Construction Housing
New construction housing means the ceiling line has not been put together yet.
Insulation Contact Housing
Insulation contact means the fixture is safely in contact with the attic insulation.
Non-insulation Contact Housing
Non-insulation contact should be used when no insulation is present.
Adjustable Trim
Adjustable trim, also known as gimbal trim, allows the resident to have control in aiming where the light goes.
Wet-rated Trim
If the recessed light will be outside or in a shower, you will need a wet-rated trim.
Baffle Trim
Baffle trims have wide grooves to minimize glare.
Wall Wash Trim
Wall wash trims should be used when you want to highlight part of the wall.
Reflector Trim
Reflector trims are good for illuminating rooms with high ceilings because they maximize light production.
What Kind of Light Bulb?
Many homeowners are conflicted when deciding what kind of light bulbs. It is difficult to give a cookie-cutter approach to this question. Let’s take a look at some bulbs.
LED Recessed Lighting
LED recessed lighting may be pricer to purchase, however they will use less energy and maintenance over time. They also have a long life, up to 5 and half years.
Halogen and Incandescent Bulbs
Halogen and incandescent bulbs generate luminous light but give off heat.
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Compact fluorescent bulbs don’t give off as much head but contain mercury.
Orlando Recessed Lighting Installation
Recessed lighting are easier than ever to have in your home. However, for recessed lighting installation, it is best to hire an electrician to guarantee lighting codes are being met and it is done properly. Palmer Electric are recessed lighting experts in Central Florida since 1951. We provide top quality Lighting Fixtures Installation with free estimates for both lighting fixtures & ceiling fan installations. Visit our contact page or call us for a free quote to rely on the professionals.
