Tips for installing recessed lighting
While more homes are now being designed to accommodate more natural light, you may find that daylight and lamps are not enough to make it easy to read or work in some rooms.
Layering light sources can improve your ability to see and your mood. Recessed lighting can be one important element of your lighting plan. Recessed lighting can be an included feature or an option in new homes, but for owners of existing homes it can be a big project to install recessed lights in rooms that lack them.
We asked Jason Arce, an architectural designer with Anthony Wilder Design/ Build in Cabin John, Md. and Chuck Khiel, a senior vice president with Fred Home Improvement in Bethesda, for their advice on installing recessed lighting in an existing home.
Each responded via email.
Q: Can you add recessed lighting to any ceiling in any room? Or are there some circumstances where you shouldn’t?
Arce: In general, recessed lights are sufficiently simple and minimal in design to place just about anywhere without bringing a lot of attention to them. In areas that require more lighting, such as laundry rooms, walk-in closets and storage spaces, you may consider going with a surface mounted light for better light vs. two to four recessed cans.
Khiel: Not always. In most residential homes, I would say yes. Condos are a very different animal. The ceilings could be solid concrete, in which case the answer is no.
Q: How do you decide how many lights you need and where to place them? Is there a rule of thumb? Any specific tips about placement?
Arce: Yes, quantity and
placement can certainly become a problem. You want to avoid placing too many recessed lights and making your home feel like a warehouse. More does not necessarily mean better. The general rule of thumb is to match the size of your lighting can to your space. They typically come in 4-inch, 5-inch and 6inch diameters. If you have a 4-inch recessed light fixture, place the lights at least four feet apart and so on. Of course, this rule can be broken. In areas that
require better lighting, such as a kitchen, feel free to shorten the spacing. You can add more space between lights in areas that don’t require as much light,
such as a bedroom.
Khiel: Most recessed lights are LED. The “rule of thumb” is that a 6-inch LED recessed light will produce a ring of light on the floor that is about eight feet in diameter. Simply overlap the circles to figure out how many you would need for a room.
Q: What are common mistakes people make when installing recessed lighting?
Arce: A common mistake we see are clients thinking that the larger the light fixture, the better the light output will be. Again, LED bulbs have come a long way and have changed this mentality. As noted, more recessed lighting is not always better.
Khiel: The common mistakes that we see are not installing enough recessed lights to adequately light the room and using the wrong switch to operate the lights. If LED recessed lights are installed, the switch needs to be an LED-rated switch.