Undercabinet Lighting & Recessed Ceiling Lights
gardenz
16 years ago
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Comments (21)
teapotter
16 years agoUser
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Recessed Lighting - replacing old square recessed lights
Comments (14)davidr - you are correct in that new cans will have a tighter light distribution than the old squares. The reason for the switch is that one of the old squares flickers and spits - so that there is a wiring or fitting problem there. Accordingly I have removed the bulb on that one unit. I thought that if I am going to replace one unit that I might as well replace all of them at the same time or it might not look good. In addition an electrician told me that the old square lights are "dangerous" as they dont have thermal cut-offs and are thus fire hazards.......See MoreUndercabinet lights or recessed lights for task lighting in kitchen ?
Comments (9)"We are taking down an extra large square fluorescent light and replacing it with one two-bulb type flush mounted light and maybe another if need be then also adding a pendant over the sink." It will depend on the size and layout of the kitchen. One flush mount will not work as good as the fluorescent for two reasons. (1) The fluorescent puts out 6.5 times as much light. A 4' fluorescent with 4 tubes (2600 Lumens × 4 = 10400 Lumens) A two bulb flush mount w/60 watt bulbs or equivalent (800 Lumens × 2 = 1600 Lumens) (2) The surface mount fixture's light source comes from exactly 2 points that are very close together. The fluorescent light source has infinite sources of light within that 2' × 4' area which spreads the light out better, causing less noticeable shadows. With the fluorescent, the light reflecting off of all the other surfaces in the kitchen is also bouncing off at a more infinite number of angles, (compared to just from the pinpoint light source of the standard fixture) further contributing to the feeling of even light in the kitchen. . Pendant lighting that is bright enough to really contribute to the overall lighting of a room will also be glaring, since it is down closer to eye level. Pendants are fine for specific task lighting or mood lighting. Under cabinet lighting can also be a bit glaring if it is relied upon for more than half the light needed for a task. Keeping the under cabinet lighting out close to the face of the cabinet helps. Using two surface mounted luminaries on the ceiling will help spread out the light sources and help the light bouncing off of the cabinets light the room more evenly. Whether I would use fixtures with two or three bulbs depends on how big the kitchen is, how much light you are used to, and how intricate your tasks are. 800 Lumens × 6 bulbs is still only 4800 lumens, or less than half of what you currently have. You could try taking out two of the tubes and living with it for a while to help decide how many fixtures you want on the ceiling. . The difference between two 3-bulb fixtures and recessed cans over the outside edge of the countertop should not be enough to worry about as long as you have the under cabinet lighting and the pendants. There is a trade off between the two types of lighting. The recessed lights can be put right where you need them, but the light does not spread out as evenly. The surface mount in the middle of the room can produce more unwanted shadows, but the light spreads out and bounces off everything better to counteract the problem....See MoreDesparate. Lighting kitchen with 12 foot ceiling. Recessed or drop?
Comments (5)I currently have a kitchen with 12' ceilings. I have all recessed LED lights. Because there are no hanging cabinets, you don't need under cabinet lights. The recessed lights are not blocked by the cabinets. I'm sure there is a preferred measurement from the wall. Mine look like they are about 18" from the wall and shine directly on the counter top. My recessed lights are all switched so that each of the four walls operates from a different switch. Most of the time, I only need one wall on, but occasionally I'll have a two walls on. All four walls and it looks like a retail store. They are all on dimmers. I do have a huge center island with an enormous pot rack over it. The pot rack is lit with halogen puck lights. I rarely turn the pot rack lights on. Actually, I'm thinking of getting rid of the pot rack. It's visual clutter and I don't need the storage. It's just my opinion but I find the wires running across the ceiling visually busy....See MoreCove Lighting a Vaulted Ceiling & Recessed Lighting Placement
Comments (5)Yes. The reason I ask is in designing the illumination of a space with different types of light (cove, down, and natural) great care should be taken in harmonizing the ceiling/cove configuration along with the fixtures and bulbs to create a unified whole. Cove lighting illuminates the ceiling and if there is not enough distance from the source of the light to the ceiling, hot spots are created. Contact a local lighting designer/consultant to address your unique situation, there are too many factors involved to be solved over the internet....See Moretetrazzini
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