*
You can’t insulate over recessed cans so you end up with a bunch of holes in your thermal envelope. have you considered track lighting of some sort? I’m considering these track lights I saw with small halogen lights for my vaulted ceilings.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
From plumbing failures to environmental near disasters, OHJ staffers dish on our worst and best moments.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
*
You can't insulate over recessed cans so you end up with a bunch of holes in your thermal envelope. have you considered track lighting of some sort? I'm considering these track lights I saw with small halogen lights for my vaulted ceilings.
*
I have a vaulted ceiling with 10 cans in it. The inside pitch is 5/12. Halo makes a can that adjusts to the pitch of the ceiling. Actually, they make two similar cans. One adjusts between 2/12 to 6/12, and the other goes from 2/12 to 12/12. These cans beam the light staight down when adjusted right. My ceiling is fifteen feet high, and I have PAR 30 90 watt bulbs in the cans. Plenty of crisp light to see by. check with your local electrical supply house for Halo recessed fixtures. Stay out of Home Depot!
As far as insulation, these cans come IC, which means insulation can be put right on top of the cans. I have celluose in my attic completely covering the cans. the trims with my cans also have an air-tight gasket that seals off the hole too.
*
I need to figure the number, wattage, and spacing for canister lights in a vaulted ceiling. Room is 16x20, twenty feet floor to ridge, 14.4/12 pitch (or about 50 degrees). All glass at one end (a prow), no other windows, 1x6 natural pine paneling. Ceiling is conventional 2x10 framing. Rule of thumb, practical experience, formulas, recommended reading all appreciated.
Related question. Flush mount canisters will project light at an angle off the opposite side of the ceiling. Do I want this indirect (?) effect? Or is there a source for fixtures that will adjust to vertical in that 50 degree pitch? The adjustable pitch canisters I have seen at Home Depot, etc., adjust only to about 30 degrees.
Thanks to all.
*BN -- I'm not a big fan of ceiling cans, too often they leave a dark ceiling which makes the whole room seem dark. You may want to consider some wall mounted lights which shine up to illuminate the ceiling. The Bright ceiling reflects a lot of light back into the room giving you an overall brighter room with fewer shadows and hot spots.Carlos
*
I'm not a big fan of recessed cans, for the air leakage and coverage problems mentioned. If you use enough of them to light the room well, your total wattage will be astonishing, plus the added cooling load, plus the compromised insulation (IC insulation around the can but doesn't stop air leaks; for that you need "airtight" cans, expensive). I used them in our basement (no insulation concern, though they do compromise sound attenuation) because of the limited headroom, and to adequately light a 12' by 14' room I used 6 fixtures with 120 watt floods -- 720 watts. Dimmed, they are nice for diffuse light, though still inefficient ... on the other hand, we need the extra heat during the winter!
Personally, I prefer wall scones, floor lamps, CFL and warm fluorescent where practical (e.g., lighting soffits) etc. Consider your alternatives.
That said, I buy Halo cans from HD by the case, very inexpensive. The trim rings are pricey though. There are a variety of trim/bulb combos that diffuse or focus light as needed. If you are picky or in doubt, tack up the cans after the rough framing is in and try them out. Invest in high quality dimmers, too, less hum and better reliability.