Ceiling Light Fixtures

Ceiling fixtures are mounted to the ceiling and come in a variety of different types and sizes. The most common types are flush, track, recessed, pendant, and chandelier.

Flush Ceiling Lights

Flush ceiling lights are mounted without any gaps between the fixture and the ceiling itself. This makes flush lighting great for smaller spaces, like closets and bathrooms, because the compact design takes up less space. It's also safer because taller people won't bang their heads against a low-hanging light. Flush fixtures can also help reduce the number of insects that can get into the fixture because there is little or no space for them to slither, crawl, or fly toward the light they're attracted to. Overall, flush ceiling lights help you maintain a clean look for the various areas of your home where you use them.

Pendant Lights

A pendant ceiling light is a good option for lighting particular points in a room. They would work over a kitchen island or a writing desk. With pendant lights, the color, finish, and shape of the fixture are even more important than with some other light types. Because pendant lights hang down from the ceiling, they are going to enter the field of vision of anyone who enters your home. Hanging pendant lights in smaller rooms or in spaces where unobstructed views are important—such as a living room with a large television—can be problematic and is best avoided. Be sure to measure to determine how low pendant lights are going to hang in a room before installation.

Recessed Ceiling Lighting

Recessed lighting is installed above your ceiling, allowing the light to shine down with minimal or no fixture components sticking out of your ceiling. This is another variation on flush lighting. Like with flush lighting, it can help keep lines of sight open in the room and create a well-lit small space without taking up extra room.

Track Lighting

Track lighting is often used in homes and work spaces that need more flexible, directional lighting. This might include homes where the owners enjoy displaying sculptures or cooking and want to be able to point the light to where they need it. Track lighting starts with the mounting of the track itself in one or more segments of the home. For instance, if someone has a hallway where they want to show off the decorative plates hanging on their walls, they would put a track along the length of this hallway. The second step is to install the lights themselves. Then the lights can be moved along the track and rotated to get the perfect spotlight for each item.

Chandeliers

A chandelier is a type of ceiling light fixture that has most often been seen as statement lighting. Their role in many homes and businesses is more decorative than functional. A chandelier provides a small (or large, if you prefer) bouquet of lights. This fixture hangs down from the ceiling in the center of a room to help light the entire space. Chandeliers come in a variety of shapes, finishes, sizes, branch numbers, colors, and materials (from glass to diamonds). Chandeliers tend to add an air of traditional sophistication to office spaces and can be a great way to offer a powerful first impression to new clients.

Regardless of what kind of ceiling light fixture you're looking for, HomElectrical has what you need to keep your space bright and stylish!

The beam angle of an LED Bulb is the angular dimension of the cone of light from the lamp. It encompasses the central part of the beam out to the angle where the intensity is 50 percent of the maximum.

For most household ceiling-fitted applications, a beam angle of 30 or 40 degrees would be sufficient. For outdoor applications, a wider beam angle of 60 to 120 degrees is preferred to cover a larger surface area.

Ceiling fixtures can be installed in various places throughout your home or business. There are few restrictions to where you can install these fixtures, but there are a few things to keep in mind about installation.

Rooms with uncommon shapes — If a room has more than four sides or has various nooks and crannies, you'll want to pay close attention to where you install your ceiling fixture. You want to light as much of the room as necessary, and that may not always happen when you place the fixture in (what seems like) the center of the room. Even if a room is rectangular, if it's abnormally long, you might want to put the fixture in the part of the room that will need it the most, or even consider getting 2 (one on each end) or three (an extra one in the center) separate fixtures. Depending upon the type of fixture (track lighting for example), you may be able to simply install a larger fixture and it may be able to sufficiently light the areas of the room where you will need light the most.

The most appropriate fixture — Consider how small or large a room is and choose the kind of fixture (chandelier, pendant, etc.) that would work best in that room. Be mindful of the furniture that will be placed in the room, the activities that may take place in the room, and how high or low the ceilings are.

The purpose of the structure or space — Getting a fixture for a condo that you're moving out of soon (but want to impress potential buyers with) is different from getting a fixture for the estate you plan to raise multiple generations of your family on. Try to strike a balance between what suits the room visually, your budget, who will be using the room, and how long they'll be using it.

• Learn how to do Light bulb Wattage Conversion
• Learn more about appropriate Commercial Lighting Applications
• Discover the answer to the question What is the Color Rendering Index, or CRI, of a light bulb?