Back to Basics: Recessed Lighting
Customizing your living space is no easy task. There are often key aspects of home decor that we let slip through the cracks. One of the most imperative attributes of a home is the lighting. It plays a crucial role in both style and functionality.
Recessed lighting, also known as can lights, can offer directional and uneven grid illumination. In some instances, recessed lighting can create the illusion of a bigger space.
In this blog, you will learn the basics of recessed lighting and when they are important.
When is Recessed Lighting Appropriate?
Depending on your living space, recessed lights are appropriate for multiple reasons. These reasons include various lighting purposes, energy efficiency, decor and retrofitting your light.
Lighting Purposes
Can lights bring versatility to your home by providing different lighting purposes.
- General Lighting: You can benefit from general lighting by adding recessed lighting to certain areas of the ceiling to illuminate an entire room.
- Task Lighting: Having recessed lighting can also illuminate specific areas when you adjust the direction and beam of the light. Using recessed cans directs light downward in specific spots.
- Accent Lighting: Recessed lights can add accent lighting to architectural features by directing soft light around specific areas.
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Energy Efficiency
LED recessed lights serve as an energy-efficient option for task and accent lighting. LED options use less energy than other bulbs and offer better light quality. LEDs have longer lifespans which prevents the need to replace them so often.
Decor
Recessed can light fixtures add to your building’s aesthetic. Since the lights recess into the ceiling, the fixture does not intrude. Most can lights have a sleek look that complements many design styles. Choose from a wide variety of can sizes, color finishes, trims, and color temperatures to fit any desired look.
Retrofit Recessed Lighting
If you have an old light fixture that you want to change, you can change to retrofit recessed lighting. These lights can slip into the existing ceiling space through the holes to accommodate wiring – which is most appropriate for older buildings. We recommend retrofitting fluorescent recessed cans and bulbs into LEDs to maximize savings over time.
Recessed Lighting Placement
Try not to focus the entirety of your recessed lighting in one area. A good rule of thumb to follow is for every inch length of the fixture, create the same distance (in feet) between that fixture and the next. For example, a 5-inch fixture should have 5 feet between that and the next.
Aim your recessed lighting fixtures in front of pieces in your home that you'd like to draw extra attention to. Much like the lighting in museums, recessed lighting can spotlight parts of your home that are most interesting.
When lighting three-dimensional art pieces, like sculptures or furniture, the best practice is to light it from two or three different angles.
Installed recessed lighting fixtures in the bottom of your cabinets will wash your countertops with streamlined light.
Recessed Lighting Sizing
4-, 5-, and 6-inch fixtures are most common in residential spaces. The higher the fixture is, the higher the ceiling should be. Please keep in mind that adjustable recessed lighting, covering the walls with recessed wall washers, and reflectors can help to create the look of a larger space.
Browse HomElectrical to find different types of recessed lights.
Recessed Lighting Bulbs
- Light Emitting Diode (LED) the most energy efficient of the bulb options with arguably the longest lifespan. LEDs do not generate a lot of heat, meaning more lighting with less waste. Due to increasing popular demand, manufacturers are making it easier and easier to replace any light with a comparable and more efficient LED.
- Compact Fluorescent Lamps also known as CFL these lamps are also popular options but do require ballasts to regulate current. The disadvantage of using CFLs is that these bulbs release energy as heat which makes them hot to the touch and inefficient. LEDs emit less heat allowing the generated heat to work towards producing the light.
- Incandescent- Incandescent bulbs are one of the most cost effective of the bulb options and are ideal for use with wall washers and reflectors. While they are an option, incandescent bulbs are ultimately inferior to LEDs. Compared to LED lights, incandescent bulbs are fragile, prone to overheating, and do not last long. They are also the least energy efficient option and have issues with overheating as well.
- Halogen offer a pristine white light, perfect for modernizing spaces. Although more efficient than incandescent bulbs, halogens still perform worse than LEDs and suffer from fewer color temperature options.
Don't Forget
Please be sure to analyze the construction of your home before purchasing any lighting fixtures. We strongly recommend getting advice from an experienced electrician prior to installation.
Conclusion
Hopefully you were able to learn the basics of recessed lighting and the importance of them. Browse the HomElectrical website to find perfect LED recessed can lights today!
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Recessed lighting can help add decorative and functional lighting to your home. See how your lighting can help improve or modernize your décor!
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SATCO Lighting offers a variety of durable, energy-efficient lighting solutions for residential and commercial projects, with new items introduced daily. Their high-quality offerings include LED fixtures and specialty commercial lighting, to meet diverse project needs.
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