project cost of recessed lighting

[lqda4]

I have just bought 18 sets (Halo 5", housing and trims) at HD. This is for my kitchen, family room and a section of the basement. Total 18 sets + a couple Lutron Dimmers (already have 2 uninstalled) + 18 dimmeable CFLs was about $520.

Labor cost for installation of 16 lights (bought 18 in 3 boxes of 6 each, will return 2 later) plus some more electrical work in kitchen will be $1800. Hopefully all will be installed next weekend.

[khuntrevor]

Originally Posted by MattPete

I can't help you with costs, but I recently had to redo some of the lights in my house because they were not up to code (we bought the house in January of 2010). Some of this was because some of the lights were installed 25 years ago when the codes were different. Some of it was due to the cheap remodel of one of the bathrooms the previous owner did two years ago.

So, what do you need to know to avoid my problems?

All lights that are going to be installed in a ceiling that opens into an attic must be (1) insulation rated, and (2) air tight. The combination is sometimes known as ICAT. If the lights are not insulation rated, then they can not be in contact with any insulation. This means that the insulation in the attic needs to be pulled back around the light. If the lights are not airtight, you basically have large holes in your ceiling that open into the attic.

Our upstairs baked in the sumer (partially) because the air conditioner was pulling hot attic air down through the light fixtures (the old ones, Lightoliers, were insulation rated [ic], but not airtight, whereas the 2-year-old lights were neither IC or AT). Replacing the lights (and sealing the old IC lights) made a tremendous and immediately noticeable difference. In the winter, they caused a chimney effect that made the upstairs overly warm (all of the warm air was pulled up there and out the ceiling). When I went into the attic to investigate last summer, you could see that the formerly white insulation (that was placed against the non-IC lights!) was black, as it had acted like a cigarette filter, filtering out all of the dust as the air left the upstairs in winter (or was pulled down from the attic in the summer).

If you are not installing lights in a top floor ceiling (for example, on the first floor of a two-story house), then the lights do not need to be ICAT. LIkewise, since you won't have access from above (like you would in an attic), you'll need to use remodelers, which can be installed from below.

As for light brands, here is my experience:


Halo -- nice engineering, very easy to install, but I found that BR40 bulbs do not recess fully when using the 6-inch airtight trim and hang down by one inch. I had to resort to using Br30 to reduce the glare.

Lightolier -- better made, look nicer, but not as well engineered as Halo (IMO). Harder to install. More upscale than Halo.

Stay way from Consumer Electric (Home Depot brand). Pure junk.

Stick with a reputable brand, such as Halo, Juno, or Lightolier (owned by Phillips).

Depending on the brand, the cans aren't that expensive ($10 for Halo, $30 for Lightolier), but the trim (the visible part that you see, including any baffles or cones) can run from $10-$150, depending on the quality. And do not try to save a few bucks -- anything cheaper than Halo is worthless junk.

Examples (6 inch) from Halo are the H7ICAT (fixture/can only -- does not include trim) and from Lightolier the 1100aicm. If you are doing it yourself, the only drywall work would be cutting the holes -- if you are accurate, the edge of the cans will fit snug with the hole and the trim will cover the edges.

interesting read, thanks. I have this project on my list, as I want to make a 7 foot ceiling roomier by eliminating the light that is mounted on the ceiling.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by khuntrevor

interesting read, thanks. I have this project on my list, as I want to make a 7 foot ceiling roomier by eliminating the light that is mounted on the ceiling.

You have a 7' ceiling? I thought the minimal height (code) for a ceiling is 7.5'?

[khuntrevor]

was built in 1946.