In this post I will tell you exactly what to buy to install recessed lights in your basement. Plus, how you can save $24.19 per light. For my basement, with 30 recessed light fixtures, that's $725.00. Would you like 725 dollars? Of course you would!
Please excuse my crude drawing. I'm trying out my ipad mini to draw diagrams. The 4 components of LED lighting are: housing, switch, trim and bulb.
My eyes are tired and my fingers are sore. Why? Because I've been scouring the inter-webs researching LED lighting for finishing your basement. This is by far my most researched article ever. Good thing, because this stuff is crazy complicated.
First some back story. When I finished my basement a couple of years ago I did not put in LED recessed lighting. The price and features just weren't all there.
But now, in 2016, I strongly recommend LED lighting for your basement. I'll have a separate article on the exact details but the price, features and benefits are all here, it's time. DO NOT buy anything but LED.
What do you need to buy?
Just LED bulbs (what type)?
What about the can enclosures?
What about light switches?
Let's get it on!
Can Enclosures - Recessed Housing
The housing is the metal piece that gets nailed to your floor joists. It holds the wiring junction and the socket connection. I recommend the HALO 6" recessed lighting housing - which runs about $6.78 per can at Home Depot.
Home Depot also features LED lighting "kits" with integrated housing, bulb and trim. I'm not recommending those, more on that in a minute. If you prefer 5", that's good too. I wouldn't go much small than 5".
The can enclosure is not bulb specific. LED, Incandescent, CFL... doesn't matter. Leroy at the Home Depot was very helpful in clarifying this. The integrated kits are about the bulb and the trim - not the can.
The Light Bulb
LED, LED, LED. If you buy incandescent (you know, the kind invented like a hundred years ago by Thomas Edison) then I will not speak to you, I refuse. Do not buy CFL (the swirly kind that looks like an ice cream cone). Do not buy fluorescent (the long tubes) unless you're setting up a workshop.
5 Things You Need to Know About LED bulbs:
- The light color is now very good. You can get "soft white". I hate with a passion those "blue-white" LED bulbs. That's fixed now. Look for "warm" or "soft" white.
- They are now dimmable. Buy bulbs that say "dimmable" LED
- They aren't crazy expensive - I bought some at Costco for $15 a piece, use to be $40. Home Depot sells them for about $21.
- The light is diffused and gradual. The beam used to be narrow and tight, it looked weird, now they're much better.
- They last a long time, they're durable (won't break due to footsteps above you), they use a lot less energy and put off a lot less heat.
The picture above is exactly what I buy - they're great! Couldn't find that price online but here's the same bulb on Amazon, still a better price than HD or Lowes.
LED Dimmer Switches (better Aks somebody !)
Question. Who buys the Almond color? I'd like to know. I always get white. Is this some cultural thing I'm missing?
If you've been reading this blog then you know what I'm about to say.
Wait for it… Wait….
DIMMERS!
Plan to install dimmers switches for most of your rooms. Only place I didn't was the furnace and storage room.
You need to buy LED dimmer switches. NOT a regular incandescent dimmer switch. The LED dimmer switches are engineered for LED dimmable light bulbs.
A regular dimming light switch can dim a dimmable LED bulb… but, there may be problems… Here some of the common ones.
- A non LED dimmer switch can't dim the LED bulb low enough. Maybe only dims it to 20% instead of 5% or 1%
- Drop outs - a regular switch might cause the LED bulb to turn off if you dim it to low.
- Humming noise - I hate that freakin humming noise. It makes me puke. A regular switch might cause the humming noise in the bulb when the light is dimmed.
- Lights won't come on - LED bulbs need a certain load to turn on. If your whole room is LED bulbs the regular dimming switch won't work. An LED rated dimming switch will handle the low load. (Read more on that here if you want.)
Look. You can spend about 2 hours researching if you want or you can take my word for it. LED dimmable switch - that is what you want. Available on Amazon - Dimmable LED Switch. Don't get confused. You want an LED dimmer, not a dimmer with an LED light indicator (two different things)
BOOM goes the Dynamite! The price is right with this regular light switch. It works fine with basement LED lighting.
UPDATE: Just got back from a little field trip to the 'Po. Saw something there that I have to mention.
$.69 cent light switches. As in plain ol' regular switches, for 69 cents.
Don't take my dimmer recommendation as an absolute necessity. If you are scrimpin' every dollar - buy these 69 cent switches.
They won't dim, obviously, but they work just fine. LED Dimmer - $17+ bucks. Regular light switch .69 cent. If you have 5 or 6 rooms that's a hundred bucks plus McDonald's money. You can put in LED dimmer switches later.
Recessed Lighting Trim
Once you have the housing, a bulb and a switch you just need one more piece…. The trim. This is almost purely aesthetic.
The trim or baffle is the piece that makes the light look good. It goes on at the very end - after drywall and after painting.
The only functional part of the trim is that it does reflect light in different ways - like a reflective metal trim versus a white matte trim. It's really personal and situational preference.
Save $700 in Basement Lighting Costs !
Now for the cost savings.... A full LED integrated 5" recessed light kit at Home Depot was running at $54.586 as of Dec. 2015. The kit has the housing, the LED bulb and the trim. (no switch).
I almost was going to recommend it but it's very expensive for very little additional value. I searched everywhere online and couldn't find it for less than the Home Depot price.
Soooo instead I recommend buying the components separately.
If you buy the components separately, you can save roughly $25 per light.
- Halo can enclosure - 7.47.
- White baffle trim - 9.99.
- LED light bulb - 15.99.
All of these you can also buy at Home Depot. There is little to no time saved by buying the integrated kit.
30 cans in basement x $25 savings = $700. Instead you can buy that toilet with the heated seat and remote control!
I hope that helps. I strongly recommend the LED light bulbs and dimmable LED light switches. To save about $725 buy the components separately rather than as a kit.
If you're like me and your basement already has regular light bulbs and regular dimmer switches don't despair. Whenever one burns out replace it with an LED bulb. And when you're fed up with any issue the switch may be causing - swap it out with an LED rated switch.
That's what I'm doing, about half of my regular bulbs have burned out or (more likely) broken.
Cheers - Jason
where can I buy individual components?
■Halo can enclosure – 6.78.
■White baffle trim – 9.99.
■LED light bulb – 15.99
Hello Khan - You can buy them at most bix box stores. I also have the exact size and type for basements for sale on my basement Amazon store.
Thanks for supporting the website! - Jason
Jason your Amazon store link is broken. Do you have a new one?
Still broken...
Jason - Nice site. I'm finishing my second basement and stumbled across your site as I was looking for refresher info on the net.
A note on the LED light bulbs you're recommending; If one happens to be a resident of Northern Colorado (as I am) and electric service is from Poudre Valley REA, they give a 50% rebate on each bulb up to 50 bulbs per year per customer!!
That makes these bulbs cost around $9 net if bought in bulk packs.
While it appears that it will still be a few years before they "pay" for themselves, there are other hidden savings when you're finishing your basement that may be possible. For example; you can have a lot more of these on a circuit than you can with incandescent bulbs so that means possibly fewer breakers, less wire, less labor and maybe even no need for a breakout panel (subpanel). Those savings alone may pay for the extra "cost" of the LED bulbs or at the very least make their ROI much shorter.
I have a fairly large basement (2,600 sqft) and my lighting plan calls for about 65 lights (45 recessed and 20 others) so this rebate program is nothing short of awesome.
Now if I could just get a 50% rebate on the wire, recessed cans, and trim. Maybe I could afford a kegerator and a pony of Fat Tire to add to my doomsday prep kit for when the zombie apocalypse hits. Right now the kit is three boxes of wine and a stale bag of Cheetos - no funds for more as I'll soon have drywall contractors to pay!
Cheers.
50% rebate! That is really good. MMMmmmm Fat Tire. Sounds like you're going to have a sick huge basement to play with, send some pictures when you're done. - Jason@ifinishedmybasement.com
I been thinkin lights lately. Started with "Where will my first few 'Work Lights' go?" then all of a sudden I was trying to map out the whole basement lighting plan.
Few questions, would appreciate anyone's advice!
- I defaulted to recessed lights, but, with 10' ceilings and 9' at the soffits should I try for as many surface mounts as possible?? For those with 8'ceilings, have you thought "Man it would be nice to have some surface mount lights"?
- If recessed lights in the 10' areas, what's good spacing? Could always generalize with "Can't have too many lights!" Yeah, well, they're not free, so...
- Should I put recessed (big or small) in the soffits, since some soffits are two, four, or five feet wide? I ask because I want to avoid shadowing on the walls, so does anyone have them in the soffits like one foot from the wall and how does it look??
Why does my thing have to be pink? Really?
The universe knows your true self Brandon - do not reject the cosmic fate you've been assigned by the internet. Besides, 90% of the NFL is pink right now, those guys are pretty macho. Or, go to gravatar.com and setup a custom profile - use whatever picture you want. Maybe something black with dark grey. - Jason
B dog - Hope you don't mind me calling you b-dog, that's what I call all guys named Brandon. You bring up a good point. With 10 foot ceilings I would highly recommend throwing in some sconce lighting and switched outlets for table top lighting. Even with standard height basements this is a good design move. 100% recessed looks out of character with the rest of your house.
As to recessed lighting in the soffit, I haven't really seen that done. You'd have to frame it with some room to hold everything so that might be a factor. I see what you about the shadowing. It wasn't too bad for me. I did move my foosball table along the wall under the soffit, then I hung a light from the ceiling of the soffit over the table and plugged it into a light timer.
Just my 2.5 cents.
Jason
Great, I also found your post on how to place recessed lighting and that was helpful as well. When in doubt, ask your wife what she wants then it doesn't matter "what's right."
I think I will space four or five recessed in the trey'ed (?) 10' sections, with big surface mounts for Game Area, Kitchenette/Bar, Office, and Toy Room. Then try to incorporate some sconces like you mentioned. Really liking the LED option too; we recently took on CREE as a customer of our adhesives, and they sent us free trials (great product, need more in our house!)
I went to Houzz.com and searched "basement lighting," found lots of good ideas!
Great info Jason, I'd like to mention that here in Massachusetts the Home Depot has the integrated trim and bulb kit (EcoSmart brand) for about $26-$28 depending on the time of year. I went earlier this year and they were $40 but just went back last week and they were marked as $26 and change, which I assume is due to NSTAR electric (utility) putting a subsidy on them. I really liked your description of the LED dimmer, people see dimmable and just use any dimmer, and while I've had success using standard LED replacement bulbs with them, the trim kits don't like them as much.
Hey Bennett - Thanks for the heads up. This article is on my list to update in Dec. I like to go through once a year and update all of the prices, etc. - Jason
My basement lighting needs are a little unique. 50% of the space is occupied by my model railroad, which has been lit with 4' T8 florescent fixtures. I've had a very high failure rate for the florescent lights and want to switch to LEDs. What would you suggest for even, diffuse lighting that would produce minimal "hot spots"?
Bob - LEDs are great for avoiding heat as they produce very little. They also last a lot longer and are less likely to break. I've yet to replace and LED flood bulb and have had some in my garage for almost 3 years.
Hi, Jason, thanks fro the great post!
I cannot find any Halo 5" can for 6.78, and for those around $11 ones, I see several types for CFL, LED etc. for example, the one for LED is
"Halo 5 in. New Construction T24 LED Recessed Housing Model # H550ICAT", is the one you were talking about?
Thanks!
Hey David - Looks like the price for the 6" has gone up slightly, to $7.47. That's for the 6", which is what I quote in the article, the 5" can is more expensive. I'm guessing because they don't make / sell as many.
There are LED versions of canned lights, that costs a couple bucks more, honestly I'm not sure what you get for that extra money. LED lightbulbs work fine in the standard cans. Here's a comparison page of the 6" LED and 6" regular, looks like you're paying for Energy Star certification.
Jason
I end up buying some H5ICAT, the 5" ones, for the Trim, I think $10 is quite expensive consider a complex housing is only 9 bucks. I happened to find Costco sell LED light with trim, which is good for both 5" and 6". I got several of them to replace the trim on my main floor and plan to use the replaced trim in my basement. The LED is 23W for 1200 lumin (120W), and sell for $15.99, nice price since a LED bulb alone sell for more than that price.
Thanks so much for this post. I've got an older house with only 125A service, so I'm trying to minimize the wattage used by lighting. I wasn't even going to bother with LEDs because I thought the quality was poor, but decided to give it a shot after reading this. They are AMAZING. I got a 4 pack of FEIT electric BR30 13 watt soft-white floods for < $50 at Lowes. They start up in 1/2 a second, and add tons of warm, even light. I've had them in for about a month as I finish up framing - no complaints. I've got 10 of them spaced at ~7' from each other, 3.5' from the walls.
Sweet! Mine are still going strong. The only thing for me is that I didn't put in the LED dimmers - wish I had. I'll get around to replacing them some day. - Jason
Heh Jason,
Recommendations of places to buy concrete stain. I'm assuming that if the basement project has yet to be started you would stain the concrete first to avoid paint and acid spray???
Cheers
Hey Dave - Can't say that I have specific recommendation. I bought mine from Home Depot, but as I said, I kind of screwed mine up. I used to work at a paint store when I was a teenager, I guess I'd recommend going to one near you. The guys there tend to know a lot more about the application of their products and could really help you more than the HD guys. Who are great btw, just not experts, in most cases. - Jason
I have a small basement. Foamed, Sheetrock and some nice natural light. Installed outlets and now currently struggling with some ceiling lighting. Purchased those LED kits but don't like the glow or how in your face the light is. My ceilings are low, some plumbing will be exposed, steam heat pipes and want an end product I am not sure is realistic. Drop ceiling will make it feel so much lower. Discouraged and frustrated!
Jessie - Have you thought about having no ceiling? It looks pretty good, and let's you put in all types of lighting. Check out these examples.
Don't get discouraged, in my experience these challenges usually end up giving you something really unique and fun!
Cheers - Jason
hi, Jason!
thanks for the great tips! i'm loving your site!
Question about LED dimmers (and dimmers in general): Can they be used in a 3-way-switch operation? We want our basement family room lights to be controlled at the top and bottom of the steps, and I hadn't entertained a dimmer until reading you post, and now I really want a dimmer -- just makes sense!
Thanks,
Jill
Hi Jill - Yes. What you want to install are 3-way LED dimmers. Here's a link to one in Amazon for example, notice the second bullet down. That's what you want.
Glad you like the site, good luck with your basement renovation! - Jason
Hi Jason,
Why you do not recommend LED lighting “kits” with integrated housing?
Here in Canada 5" trim is around 12$ CAD + 17$CAD for 12W BR30, so it comes to 29$CAD.
From another side 4" CR4 LED Recessed Light with Integrated Trim is 34$ and there is Hydro-Quebec 10$ mail-in rebate for LED lights. So, at the end it comes to 24$ instead of 29$. 6" Cree HD sells for the same 34$.
5" HALO housing is 12$ here
Hi Eugene - The only reason I don't recommend them is the price. So if you've found an integrated kit that's cheaper than the components on their own, go for it! - Jason
Hey, great site! I've bookmarked it. I'm having an issue and I wonder if anyone has found a solution? I just put up 6" Halo cans and got some LED's from Costco (now 18.99). They're fairly heavy, when I raised the inside of can to accommodate the long bulb, and screwed the LED into it, the weight makes it sit a little crooked. I was thinking about not using a baffle, which would maybe remedy this but any other suggestions? Thanks
What up Mark - I had that happen on a few lights, the metal sheet that basically holds the socket in place just need to be bent back in the opposite direction of then lead. Take the bulb out, see if you can push the metal on one side of the socket all the way in the other direction. This should straighten it out just enough. Aesthetically, I wouldn't recommend going with without the baffle. In fact it may help make any remaining "lean" less obvious. Good luck! - Jason
hi,
Whats your take on these led recessed light fixtures:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A2ASPTG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A2ASPTG&linkCode=as2&tag=eikohtrablogf-20
from what i believe, no houseing is required for these.. just make a hole and push it in, they come with thier own driver box..
I am looking to install led recessed lights.. and although these would save me a TON of money, i am still a little doubtful..
Hello. Cool, very interesting, I haven't seen these recessed LED lights before. Here are my thoughts. I would NOT recommend them for a basement ceiling. 1. They're new - so be prepared to bleed a little, the first version always has some gotchas. 2. Beam angle - 45 degrees is pretty narrow. You will need a lot of these to get a good flowing coverage of light. This means a lot of wiring. 3. I don't see a ground wire on these or any wiring housing - in my state (VA) they won't pass inspection without these.
They seem to be more for commercial space or displays?
Jason
Thanks so much for your response.
1 & 2 does not concern me as much, the link i sent was just an example..the manufacturer has tons of over shapes / sizes / wattage and with or with out the tilt feature..
I saw another brand on amazon that had excellent reviews where ppl were using then in thier houses for ceiling light.. However i never did think about the grounding part (your point #3).
This now makes a whole lot of difference.. so glad i found your site..
again, thanks for your response..
I may just try a few to start with to see how they really are..
Great website, helpful article. One small correction, Benjamin Franklin didn't invent the light bulb. He did invent many things. But he died about 225 years ago and was one of our founding fathers. Thomas Edison is often credited with inventing the light bulb, and you can say that without 99% of people blinking. To be fair, he didn't invent the light bulb either, but did invent the first practical light bulb that could actually be usable. It's like the mp3 player, Apple didn't invent it, but was the first to create a commercially viable product, an Ipod.
Jeez Josh - I'm off by a few hundred years and you're on it like a fly on honey. I blame the fact that that I was thinking about saving Benjamins by using this tip. Anywoo - I've corrected this error and I will now return to the void of historical accuracy from whence I came.
I am working to finish my basement this winter. My basement is annoyingly low (especially where the duct work and gas pipe is), but I definitely want a ceiling (drywall), and putting in recessed lights as one of the first steps. (Walls are already drywalled.)
Anyhow, what I'm trying to figure out is how to best layout the lights. Trouble is almost half of the useable basement has duct work. The room is roughly 12' by 24', but the duct work actually makes only about 7' of that available to place lights (all to one side). Not sure the best way to lay out the cans to provide adequate lighting. I was thinking about putting in 6 total, or perhaps 8 total. (Ceilings are only about 7'4" high....more like 7' after I get the ceiling in).
Any advice? Oh and by the way, CREE Soft White LED bulbs (60W equivalent) are now only about $5 at Home Depot. Commecial Electric 6" cans are $6, and the baffles are $8. So, price per light is $19. Much better than the $40 LED kits!
Hello Ryan - Low ceiling and lots duct work = a serious lighting challenge. Here's my advice. Where there's not duct work and room in the ceiling install recessed lighting. Where there is duct work use wall lighting, sconce lights. When you go to wire boxes for the sconce lights wire all of them or groups of them to a switch (preferably with an LED dimmer). Also, wire a few extra plugs to be hooked to a switch. This way you can still light up your basement just as if you had all recessed lights.
I've seen this work out wonderfully before, almost to the point that I wish I had shorter ceilings. Good luck!
Jason
ps. Thanks for the updates on the LED bulb pricing, even more reason to buy the individual components.
Thanks for the advice, Jason. Wall sconces are perfect idea. And, actually, can be cheaper than cans!
And, of course, since I posted, the bulbs I mentioned have gone UP in price by $2 at Home depot, so they are now $7 not $5...but still cheaper than they were several months ago.
Hi Jason, I am finishing my basement and am wondering what advice you have for laying out lighting zones? I have a long room that will be broken up into a fee functional spaces (TV/couches, pool table, play area, etc). Would you have light that are on one switch? Separate zones? Something else? Also looking for spacing advice on 8ft ceiling. I am going to spray it flat black.
Thanks
Smart phone without proof reading makes "few" come out as "fee".
Hi Matt - I advise both! Have a zone per room with a switch for each zone. Then have one "zone" that covers the entire basement. Try to have that zone switch at the entrance(s) to the basement. So for example - my basement has 3 zones (3 room areas) but then I have one "zone" that has a light or two in each room. I cover this in more detail in my course but hopefully this get's you started.
This way - you can turn on 3 or 4 lights with one switch when you walk into your basement - enough to walk around - get to the other zones. Sometimes we just use that one switch.
Spacing - rough rule of thumb - I like about about a 3 foot radius around each light. Lights close to a wall - try avoid being closer than a 1.5 feet. A lot of your layout will depend on where you HVAC line runs and other elements like where you plan to have a TV or a piece of art, etc.
Hope that helps you get started.
Jason
Thank you very much for the reply. I think l will re-layout my design ad you suggested and see how it looks.
Hello,
Wondering if you could help me out. I'm finishing my basement which has 7 foot ceiling. I debating on lighting. I've installed 5 inch cans. Debating about bulb with trim vs the retrofit ones. Bulb gives me 110 degree lighting vs 85 with the retrofits. What you you think about using 65w vs 100w. Also should I be considered about the CRI rating of the bulb.
Thanks
Hey Tony - I 100% recommend the wider lighting, go with the 110, use the regular recessed light trim. I recommend 65w equivalent LED bulbs.
For CRI rating you want to stay with Warm White or Bright White - no cooler than that - I think that translates to staying under 3000.
Good luck finishing your basement! - Jason
Sorry, you really should have thought about that before. Dont expect anyone to help you pay for your wedding.You should scale back the ceremony costs and then youll have a little something for a cake & punch reception.
Has anyone noticed a buzzing sound from these light bulbs when they are dimmed? I have heard that is a complaint about some light bulbs like these.
Hi Derek -
Yes, I have that problem as well. Buzzing, humming or flickering with your LED bulbs is usually caused by an incompatible dimmer switch. LED bulbs require a LED compatible dimmer switch. They will still "work" with an older style dimmer switch, they'll even still dim, but SOME bulb type may buzz or flicker.
To solve the problem you need to replace the switch. Here's LED compatible switch that I've used that has worked great with any LED bulb that I've bought. The Lutron Diva 153.
Hi Jason, good information. Thank you. I am curious to know if the LED lights that you used protrude beyond the can is it flush with the ceiling or inside the can a little. The idea of the bulb sticking out beyond the ceiling might bother me.
Thank you,
Roman
Hi Roman - Oh man, that would bother me too. It doesn't stick out, the LED bulb is actually slightly recessed. Hope that helps. - Jason
Holy Smokes! I don't get it. I really thought I wanted to get six inch pots for the basement and now I am really messed up. I should do things the way i did when I was younger. "Just do it!" Not over analyze! So here is my story. I walked into Home Depot ready to get a box of 6" cans. The lighting guy says " hey no one uses 6 " pots anymore get the 4"" . Others in the store (electrical contractor) told me the same thing. What the heck! My wife and I go to a lighting store to shop for some new fixtures for the main floor. I ask the lighting salesperson and she told me. Don't do it! Use 4" cans the 6" will look archaic. I asked her about aperture she said use 4". She told me that real estate agents are telling their clients to change their existing 6" pots to 4" pots. Easier to sell the home. That really sounds ridiculous to me. Any ways that is my problem and it is crippling my progress in the basement.
Seems that we may MAY have a fashion shift happening. After reading your email I did some digging on Houzz and a few other fashion forward websites. SOME people are saying 6" is too big but others are not. It truely is around 50/50. Perhaps the right answer for you is 5" cans? One of the issues with 4" cans appears to be finding LED bulbs that fit well. For me, for basements, I would still choose a 6" can, for now. I hope that helps - it is a tough decision - a frankly not easy to change later. - Jason
Jason,
The LED dimmer switch that you have specified on Amazon is only rated to 150W. I wanted to put 6 LED recessed lights on a single dimmer switch (in my family room). I do not believe that the dimmer switch will be able to handle this. Do you know of any LED dimmer switches that could handle that much?
I was looking at this yesterday at Home Depot. Their cans with included baffles are right at $10.50 each. Halo plus baffle was about $14. They have Cree soft white 65 watt equivalents for a little less than $8.
Liked the tip regarding LED dimmers.
Replying to my own post - I do not know if the $8 Cree LED bulbs are dimmable.
how many feet apart should LED canisters be placed? does the distance differ if i choose 6" or 5" canisters? i need to know how many to purchase; my basement is 27' x 41'. love you website - i have no problem understanding what you are talking about!
How hard is it to have this lighting installed if the basement is already finished and does Home Depot have contractors that do this?
Hi Carla - Home Depot does offer contractor services, in my experience they are hit or miss. Yes, you can absolutely install lighting in a basement after it's already finished - you'll just have quite a bit of drywall to patch up. Good luck! - Jason
Hi! We are currently building and I'm nickel and diming everything! I do plan to go with LED, though. My question is...do I really need a trim kit? I want my cedar ceilings to be flat, not big white blobs everywhere ;) thanks!
Hi Mary - No, you definitely don't have to have trim. I think a nice clean look with cedar ceilings is a great idea. My own advice would be to make sure you tell your drywall crew (or yourself) that you will not be using trim - so that they take extra care in finishing the top edges. Good luck! - Jason
I have a drop ceiling that is pretty tight against the floor joists. Can I still use the recessed can lights for this arrangement? I would seem that I couldn't because I wouldn't be able to remove the tiles once the can was installed. HELP
Hey Jeff - You can still use recessed, there are special kits for installing them into drop ceiling tiles. Looks for those online and see if that works for you. Sorry I don't have an exact answer - the drop ceiling topic is a bit beyond my expertise. - Jason
Jason.. you're articles are on point and extremely helpful. What are your thoughts on the new LED Panels that you can put in place of current fluorescent fixtures? Any specific products out there you recommend? I've got my sights on the Home Depot Lithonia Model 2GTL4 LED Troffer. Any experience with these and could you see using a combo of the panels and cans in a drop ceiling basement?
Hey Ryan -
First off, I've never personally used these, so take my advice here with a grain of salt.
From a functional standpoint I think these are fine and will definitely be better than a fluorescent.
Now, from a style standpoint, I think these only make sense in a storage or work room and even then I'd question why you would bother with these versus just using regular can LED lighting? For the regular finished rooms of a basement I think these look kinda weird, they don't match the rest of the house.
Hope that helps. - Jason
Hey Jason
To get dimming functionality, just any housing along with LED dimmable lights and LED dimmer switch will do or are there special housings that are also needed for it.
Thanks, Mittal
Hi Mittal - Any housing is ok. The two things you need are dimmable light bulb and a dimmable light switch.
Looking at 6" can light housing there are shallow and deep variations. What pros/cons are there of both? I would imagine the light spread is smaller with a deep can because the light is further back. Is that the case? Thanks!
Hi Eddie - You are so right. Deep can enclosure do restrict light spread. However, I've only seen one depth of light enclosure at Home Depot, online, etc. Could you send me a link to this "deep can"? Thanks - Jason
Shallow - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-6-in-Aluminum-Recessed-Lighting-New-Construction-Shallow-IC-Air-Tite-Housing-H27ICAT/202024770
Deep - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-6-in-Aluminum-Recessed-Lighting-New-Construction-IC-Housing-H7ICT/100068963
Great site and content. This stuff is too complicated for avg. people.
Looking to add recessed lights to remodel my basement.
Do I have to worry about the type of housing for remodel vs. new construction?
IC and non-IC?
I like the look of 5" trim. Are these generally more expensive and what is recommended distance for these?
Thanks
Hi Neel - The IC vs non-IC question is all about insulation. If your basement ceiling has insulation that will be "in contact" with the lights then you need "IC" rated fixtures. If not, then you're good to go with "non-IC" lights.
5" trim is not general more or less expensive than a 6" or 4" inch trim - but it really depends on the brand.
The distance between lights is personal preference and also depends on the layout of your room - I personaly went with about 4 to 5 ft. But... I really design my lighting around the room and tried not to only us pot lights.
I have more info on lighting in my book and videos. Good luck! - Jason
Jason, Excellent information!!! I just finished installing cans in the drop ceiling of my finished family room. I now want to replace the fluorescent 4' tube fixtures in the open ceiling laundry room and my open ceiling workshop. Do I install cans or the blue plastic boxes? (Yes, everything will be LED.)
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You've convinced me to use recessed lighting and dimmers throughout my basement. The question is, how many recessed lights per room? I've got a bedroom that is 14.5x10, a living area that is 28x19, and another bedroom that is 18.5x14.5. I also have a bathroom and a storage area. In the smaller bedroom, should I do 4 or should I do 2? I don't want to overwhelm with lights if 4 is too many, but I want to make sure the rooms are nice and bright.
Obviously I'm newer at this but excited to give it a whirl. Just need a little guidance!
Jason your website is,outstanding. What are your thoughts on the Envirolite Easy Up recessed LED fixtures? They don't require a can - they simply snap into the ceiling with spring loaded clips. Home Depot carries them.
I'm remodeling a basement room of approximately 25' by 16'. It currently contains 24 of the T12 4' bulbs (housed in 6 - 4 bulb fixtures), and this lights the room well once I turn on some separate spots (that I am going to leave as they are). My question is this: how do I convert the 2600 lumen output per T12 (2600 x 24 = 62,400 lumens total) to come up with the proper number of cans to buy? If my search is accurate, and this is simply a linear conversion, I'll need 78 cans at 800 lumens each (78 x 800 = 62,400)!!! That's like a can every 2 feet of ceiling space! What am I missing here? Thanks for helping me solve this!
Any update for 2019 and the use of slim canless LED kits? I've heard nothing but good things about them. Seeing that they can be daisy chained together, at about $22 each, this seems like the best solution now a days.