Replies

1. 
   jimblodgett | Dec 15, 2005 05:11pm | #1

   Lots of lights, lots of switches.  You can always shut them off, but a poorly lit house is uncomfortable for a lot of people.

    

1. 
   blue_eyed_devil | Dec 16, 2005 12:38am | #8

   I agree Jim! You can't put too many lights in for my tired old eyes.

   I'd put about 15 duplexes behind the television area too and twice that behind the computer desk area.

   blue 

2. 
   DanH | Dec 15, 2005 06:25pm | #2

   I've not found anything useful on the web. Presumably the archies have books that discuss this sort of thing, but I've never tried to find one.

   You can find some references for commercial lighting, but nothing that seems reasonable for residences, and nothing that helps you map lumens to watts very well.

   If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people

   happy?

3. 
   MarkMacLeod | Dec 15, 2005 08:26pm | #3

   Lots. And then some more. My most common criticism is that rooms are underlit and with a lack of variety of ligthing options. We try to use a comination of ambient, task, and purely deorative lighting. Everything goes on a dimmer. No central ceiling fixtures as a default.

   There are some good books on Lighting that look at location of pots from room walls etc.

   Additionally, in large rooms, doing some real thinking in advance helps. I know put in floor plugs in afer the room layout has been determined. If the floor is wooden, I make matching covers and recess the plug boxes. This avoids extension cords.

   A few thoughts

   mark

1. 
   Shaken_not_Stirred | Dec 15, 2005 09:25pm | #4

   Lots.  Ok, that is good, but how much is lots.

   I agree that you must ahve enough.  PArticularly in large great rooms.  In those rooms you just don't have many places of table lamps or floor lamps.  And even if you did the high ceilings suck the light up.  So you do need ceiling lighting.

   But how much?

   I have also been in rooms with a can light every four or five feet.  Too me it is distracting and ugly.  Just too much if you don't really need taht many.

   SO how much is a "LOT"?

2. 
   Rebeccah | Dec 15, 2005 10:00pm | #7

   --- No central ceiling fixtures as a default. ---I *like* central ceiling fixtures. Why don't people use them any more? They create a nice, diffuse, ambient light, without the glare and excessive contrast provided by those annoying recessed cans.I'm proof that you just can't please everyone. :)

1. 
   MarkMacLeod | Dec 19, 2005 07:20pm | #10

   I was careful to not say no central ceiling fixtures as a default. They have a role - but it needs to be defined. Think of a dining room without a major fixture. I see their role as primarily decorative. Central ceiling lights do cast ambient light but not great light . . . . too much light right around it, not enough where you need it. My problem is only with central ceiling fixtures that are the ONLY light source in a room apart from lamps. Nasty look in a room to have acentral source of light and a multitude of points of light around the perimeter of a room. I agree that we can disagree. Our new kitchen and adjoining living area has approximately 50 point spots (3.5 inch) with colour matched bevels. The only glare I see is when I look directly up at them. There are 8 different circuits for the lighting and we can control everything by dimmers.Thanksmark

4. 
   Stuart | Dec 15, 2005 09:42pm | #5

   What's the room going to be used for? How big is it, and how high is the ceiling? Will the walls be painted white or will they have dark paneling? If you're doing brain surgery you'll need a lot of light, but if it's the TV room probably not so much.

1. 
   jono1 | Dec 16, 2005 07:01am | #9

   Thanks for the feedback.

   I'm remodeling a basement into a family/rec/tv/computer room.  The white drop celing is just under 8 ft.  Walls are off-white.

   Jon

    

    

5. 
   junkhound | Dec 15, 2005 09:53pm | #6

   You will be unhappy at times with that low of available light. Also, depends on the room.  Here are some specifics on what we found to be comfortable. The 0.8 w/sq ft is for the cheapo builders to get by on.  

   Our "great room" is 768 sq ft, and has 800 W of fluorescent soffit lighting (8 ea of 8 ft F96T12s) plus 2ea 150 W incandesenct table lamps plus 2 ea 30 W fluorescent for table lighting.  Thats lots more than the 0.8 w/sq ft, usually only have 1/4 to 1/2 the fluorescent soffiit lighting on. When cleaning or installing new stereo or computer or TV, etc, all are on. Edit -as seen in attachment, Walnut paneled walls, D fir ceiling, a white room would obviously not meed as much as previous post said.

   Kitchen (310 sq ft) has 500 W of incandesent and 600 W of fluorescent, when a lot of baking going on, they are all needed.  Well in excess of the measly 0.8 wsq ft.

   One shop that is 500 sq ft has 28 ea 4 ft fluorescent bulbs (2 at a time switchable like Jim's advice) and when working on a car or finishing a piece of furniture in there they are all on, plus 2 or 3  24 w fluorescent trouble lights. That's close to 2.3 Watts/sq ft. Use 40 W 4 ft bulbs, none of those wussy 32 watt anemic gizzys. 

   Attachment is soffit lighting, 4 sets of switches for the 8  8 ft bulbs, each set switchable from 5 different locations (low voltage relays) . (Christmas tree lights not included)

    

   
   

   ---

   Edited 12/15/2005 1:55 pm ET by junkhound

6. 
   bigdog | Dec 19, 2005 09:57pm | #11

   See this web page.

   http://www.cltc.ucdavis.edu/

   Some good stuff here.  In the design Guide, Kitchen, Bath, Dining, bedrooms, hallways, etc.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 12/19/2005 5:29 pm ET by bigdog

1. 
   DanH | Dec 19, 2005 10:10pm | #12

   I don't see "design guide" anywhere on the page.
   If ignorance is bliss why aren't more people

   happy?

1. 
   bigdog | Dec 20, 2005 01:28am | #13

   10-4, wrong site, it's; 

   http://www.cltc.ucdavis.edu/

   Then, Title 24 Design Guide, "Residential Lighting Design Guide"

    

    

   Edited 12/19/2005 5:30 pm ET by bigdog

7. 
   daveinnh | Dec 20, 2005 04:30am | #14

   Here's a link to RPI's lighting school that has links to other sources (links squared?):

   http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/

   I know flourescent bulbs supply the most light per watt, but we selected halogen 110v on tracks and cans for most of our everyday lighting.  The workshop does have flourescent though.