| Installing Recessed Lighting |
Installing recessed lighting fixtures isn't too difficult a job for the average do-it-yourselfer. If you're lucky enough in your home to have access to your ceiling -- either with a dropped ceiling, or from the attic above the ceiling -- then it's really a straightforward instillation.
If you don't have access, then the job becomes a little tricker, but still doable with the right tools and fixtures. Today the majority of lighting manufacturers offer what they call "remodeling" recessed lighting fixtures. Also known as "cut-in cans," these fixtures are rated for safe contact with home insulation, and they're safe to install from below, whether you have insulation in that area of your ceiling or not.
Before you run off to the home improvement store, you might want to know the advantages of a good recessed lighting system in your home or office. Recessed lighting can offer a variety of lighting configurations, can project light into corners, along walls, and highlight artwork or showcases, all without cluttering up the space with lamps or more obtrusive track or monorail lighting. These days, there are a large selection and variety of recessed lighting styles and fixtures, available in traditional line voltage or the newer low voltage setups (these use small but very bright halogen bulbs).
Some of the tools you'll need for installing recessed lighting:
Screwdriver (powered or manual)
A power drill (cordless is best)
Wire strippers
Cable clamps
An electronic stud finder
Twist-on type wire connectors
A drywall saw
A drywall circle cutter
Planning your instillation
Installing recessed lighting should only begin after you've thought out the lighting design for the room or space you'll be illuminating. If the recessed units will be the only source of artificial light in the room, you'll want to allow about one fixture for every twenty or twenty-five square of floor space. And when you're out shopping for recessed lighting fixtures, make sure you buy insulation-contact (IC) rated fixtures. Otherwise you could end up with non-rated fixtures that could actually catch fire if they come into contact with insulation. Not good.
Another consideration is the promixity to power, especially for a line-voltage instillation. If there's a ceiling box nearby where you're planning your light fixture, you can just disconnect the wires from the box and attach them to the "cut in" can (these units usually come pre-wired to their own junction boxes). This can usually be accomplished by cutting a circular hole in the ceiling with a drywall circle cutter, then attach the wires to the junction box and slip the can up into the ceiling until the mounting clips click into place.
On the other hand, if there's no electrical outlet nearby, you'll have to consider hiring a good electrician to run a set of wires to the new fixture. If you're installing low-voltage recessed lighting, however, you can almost always do this type of work yourself without getting into trouble.
Installing recessed lighting step-by-step
Step one - turn off the power to the room at the circuit breaker. If you don't have access to the ceiling from above, then use an electronic stud finder to locate the ceiling joists. Then decide where between the joists you want to install your fixtures, and trace an outline of the fixture onto the ceiling with a pencil. Next use a drywall circle cutter to saw an opening in the ceiling, being careful not to cut through any existing wiring hidden in the ceiling.
Step two - Once you have the holes in place, go ahead and insert the electrical wiring into the recessed fixture's built-in junction box and secure them with a cable clamp. Then strip the ends of the wires as needed, and connect them to the fixture wires using twist-on wire connectors. The standard color coding applies here - white to white, black to black, and the or bare wire is the ground. Once the wires are connected securely, fold them into the fixture box and attach the cover.
Step three - now you're going to install the housing over the fixture. Most housing use a bayonet mount, so you'll want to rotate the housing into place over the fixture until the mounting tabs have attached to the ceiling, and the fixture is snug and secure.
Step four - the final step is to install the trip and inner baffle. Now that the clips on the housing are firmly attached, go ahead and attach the inner baffle and any trim included with the fixture as instructed by the manufacturer. Then install the bulb, restore power to the room from the circuit breaker, and you've installed a recessed lighting fixture that will provide quality accent or task lighting for many years to come.
Further Recessed Lighting Information
Kitchen Track Lighting
Kitchen track lighting can be a very flexible and affordable option for illuminating your kitchen
Halogen Track Lighting
Take a look at the advantages of halogen track lighting when shopping for new lighting fixtures for your home.
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