lighting for tiny 4' x 7' two-story foyer with dormer
Sue Smith
6 years ago
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Sue Smith
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Two-Story Great Room???
Comments (31)The optimal, although pricey, solution to the heating of a two story room is radiant floor heating. Both forced air and radiant systems invariably create air movement which allows warm air to rise. Since the warmest part of the room is at ceiling level, that energy is wasted (unless you're hosting bald NBA players). With radiant floor heating, the heat is evenly distributed all over the floor. It can't rise because there's no way for cold air to get underneath it to replace it as it rises. Consequently, the floor is the warmest part of the room and the ceiling is the coolest. And since your extremities are the first thing to feel a chill (especially as you get older), your room "feels" warmer than the reading on the thermostat. We have a two story living room and radiant heating throughout the house. The previous house I built had a two story great room without radiant and that's why radiant was a must for this house. Incidentally, it saves energy in rooms with ceilings of only 9-10', too. That said, recognize that in most places, you'll still have to install forced air ducting for A/C (and may want to install a furnace to deal with radiant's lag). One final thought on high ceilings. Lighting shouldn't be a problem if done correctly. Our ceiling has cans on dimmers in a box beam ceiling. That plus accent lighting works great (see below). Bob...See Moretrim 2x8 rafter sisters to 2x4?
Comments (6)Thanks for the advice. I will continue to wait for the engineers to be available, and in the meantime check out the oldhouseweb. Yes, they really are 2x4 rafters, not joists (the joists are 2x6). In temperate parts of the country like the Pacific NW where I live, 2x4 rafters were the norm back in the 1920's. The wood was old growth fir, and I've been told it's better quality and stronger than what's available nowadays. But after 87 years the rafters are sagging, so definitely need add'l support of some kind. I looked into a dormer, but it's not economically feasible for me. The structure/layout of the house is such that even a small dormer would require major reinforcement (sistering floor joists, adding a structural ridge beam, and a support post in the middle of the room that would extend down two floors to the foundation). At an estimated cost of $50K (from two contractors), that comes out to about $900 per sq ft unifinished, and I can't justify that ROI (and don't have the $$). Thus my carving out a bathroom from the existing space, which will work, albeit with tight headroom. But it would be bigger than some bathrooms I've experienced in Europe during my college days. Europeans are able to fit bathrooms in the most amazingly small places, out of necessity. It will be interesting to see what the engineers say. Wish I'd consulted them originally instead of listening to the former BF. Oh well, live and learn!...See MoreTwo Story Foyer Lighting Question
Comments (22)In a foyer space like yours the chandelier should end 9 1/2' from the floor. Our recommendation will be pendant lighting. If you are looking for unique art lighting, in Galilee lighting we make unique lighting made of hand blown glass in beautiful styles. We specialize in custom lighting. We invite you to visit our website to view our unique lighting collections. If you would like to receive our catalog by email and get more ideas, contact Sales@GalileeLighting.com or visit www.GalileeLighting.com We offer free design consultation, to design the perfect size of chandelier for your space. Call us at 305-807-8711...See MorePendant height in two story foyer and staircase
Comments (23)for heaven sake, six months after completion this light will just be passed by as you go up and down the stairs! You cant really look at a light fixture as you go up or down stairs because you have to look where you are going, for the most part people will look at this from the ground floor dont get too hung up on the 4 points. I would point out that the can lights will have a cut off where the light reaches and the light fixture will cause major shadows, so the balance of wall sconces will be good....See MoreSue Smith
6 years agoSue Smith
6 years agoSue Smith
6 years agoGalilee Lighting
6 years agoGalilee Lighting
6 years agoPremiere Luminaire
5 years agoHU-248100612
5 years ago
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