Tips to refurbishing your apartment with LED recessed lights

Apartments are a convenient approach to housing in most urban areas. It’s systemic and the rents fluctuate depending on utilities. The most preferred form of lighting layout in studio as well as residential apartments is recessed lighting. Most contractors and architects prefer the use of recessed lighting due to their design profile and extensive ability to illuminate any indoor space.

They serve the major aspects of lighting which are illumination and ambiance without making it a hassle and are a one time investment. The installation requires only a few specifications to work with and it’s a sustainable layout for a lifetime.

Tips for installing Recessed lighting in apartments

In apartments the first and foremost step is determining if the ceiling is compatible with recessed lighting. In most apartments the structure is already laid where the recessed light fixtures are ready to install whereas in places where refurbishing is in progress it is essential to note if the ceiling has clearance for recessed light fixtures.

Following are a few tips to follow to make the process easier and efficient:

1. Plan a layout

In old spaces we determine the space and plan a layout accordingly. To begin we check the area of the room and the ceiling height. In most residential apartments the ceiling height is 8-15 ft. recessed lighting is mostly for places with low ceiling height. Once after taking general considerations into account it is essential to create a general layout.

The  measurements help in determining few things:

– Size of the fixture

Recessed lighting is available in different sizes ranging from 2’-6’. For larger ceiling heights 4-6’ fixtures are appropriate while for smaller and other applications 2-3’ fixtures are better.

– Placement of the fixture

The placement of recessed lighting is dependent on the diameter of the fixture. For example, each 2’ fixture will be 2m away from each other and so on. The placement must be equidistant for uniform lighting layout and the light from one fixture must not cancel the light from another fixture.

– Total lumen output

By determining the area of the room and ceiling height it is easier to determine the total lumen output for the room and hence lumen output per foot square. It helps in determining the individual lumen output of each fixture.

2. Installing LED recessed lighting

For refurbishing spaces it is essential to determine if the fixture is compatible with LED lamps. In most older spaces the ceiling already has cut outs for recessed lighting whereas in some spaces the joists need to be located. The specifications differ due to ceilings and for that reason there are different housing types available for different ceilings. The different housings for recessed lighting are either IC rated or NON-IC rated. To read basic installation guidelines, visit this link.

For different ceiling, different housings are:

  • Airtight housing
  • Remodel housing
  • Retrofit housing
  • New construction housing
  • Sloped ceiling housing

As the name suggests these housings allow the installation process to be easy. The housing holds the lamp and other components in place while it sits inside the ceiling. The lamp must be LED as it offers great efficiency and many other benefits which older incandescent or halogen lamps are unable to provide.

The trim is the outermost component of the fixture which is also visible from the ceiling surface and it directs the light out of the fixture and also controls the amount of light. The different trim designs are:

For accent lighting :

  • Gimbal trim
  • Eyeball trim
  • Wall Wash trim

For general lighting:

  • Reflector trim
  • Baffle trim
  • Open trim

For task lighting

  • Pinhole trim

These trims are suitable with LED lamps and are mostly included with the fixture.

Advantages of installing LED lamps

There are huge advantages of refurbishing apartment spaces with LED lamps which are as follows:

– Higher efficiency

LED lamps are highly efficient as they have a very sustainable approach towards energy consumption. These lights consume little power and produce more light. Traditional lamps consume a lot of energy and yet only 10% of the energy is given out as light while the rest of it is wasted in the surroundings as heat energy. They increase the temperature of the surrounding which also directly impacts the functioning of the fixture. Most halogen or incandescent lamps require a start up time where they only light up once the fixture cools down. LEDs on the other hand  have a quick start up time and do not produce any heat.

– More overhead space

Recessed light fixtures are minimalist light fixtures. These fixtures sit inside the ceiling and project the light downwards and outwards in a way that it appears that the light is coming directly from the ceiling. Most spaces have low ceiling areas and in such places LED recessed lights are quite efficient as they create more overhead space and make the room appear spacious.

– Reduced cost of replacement and maintenance

LED lamps have an average span of 50000 hours or above during which they barely ever require replacement or frequent maintenance due to malfunction. This is largely impactful in the long run and helps cut down on the costs of replacements.

– Environment friendly

LED lighting is the most desirable lighting medium as it is environment friendly and is largely known as green lighting technology. It reduces carbon footprint and has a very beneficial impact on the health of people working or living under these lights. They do not contain any harmful chemicals like mercury and are safe to recycle. The light does not produce or interact with UV or infrared radiation. Overall it is favourable due to the fact that this lighting technology has made minor but impactful changes like reducing risks of migraines and headaches in people and encircling the healthy lifestyle of people which is highly essential in today’s world.

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