How To Install Dramatic Recessed Lighting: Plans and Instructions (page 4 of 4)

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DIY Plans to Install Dramatic Recessed Lighting: Tips When Buying Materials

Buyer’s Guide
Standard recessed light housings and trim are available at home centers. Lighting showrooms will have a better selection of housings and trim, including low-voltage fixtures like the ones in this story.

We used the following housings and trim from Juno Lighting, (800) 367-5866, www.junolighting.com:

Juno No. TC20R 5-in. remodel housing
Juno No. 207C-WH white 5-in. trim
Juno No. TC44 4-in. low-voltage housing
Juno No. TC44R 4-in. low-voltage remodel housing
Juno No. 449-WH white aiming elbow trim

We used a Lutron Maestro No. MALV-600 magnetic low-voltage dimmer for the low-voltage fixtures. Call Lutron at (888) 588-7661 or visit www.lutron.com.

Buying Recessed Lights
A recessed light assembly consists of the housing, trim and lamp. Labels inside the housing list the compatible trim styles and lamps for each. Deviating from the specifications can cause inefficient lighting, and more important, dangerous overheating.

Home centers stock a selection of basic housings and trim that cost from $20 to $40 depending on style. You’ll have to special-order less-common lights like the 4-in. low-voltage fixtures we’re using. Lighting showrooms usually have a wider selection and salespeople who can help you design your lighting and order the fixtures. Manufacturers’ catalogs are another great source of information, including a complete list of housings, trim styles and lamps as well as design tips and technical information.

For open framing, buy standard housings that include mounting brackets. If you’re fishing wires into an existing ceiling, buy remodeling housings. Make sure to buy IC (insulation contact) rated housings if your recessed lights will be covered with insulation. Non-IC housings require a 1/2-in. minimum separation from combustible material and a 3-in. minimum separation from thermal insulation. For extra energy efficiency in insulated ceilings, look for airtight housings.

Low-voltage housings operate on standard 115-volt wiring but have built-in transformers that allow the use of small 12-volt MR-16 lamps. The quality of light and the ability to precisely focus the beam by changing lamp types or trim styles make low-voltage recessed lights especially useful for accent lighting. The trade-off is higher price. Including housing, trim and lamp, the average cost of each fixture is about $100.