Safe paint for recessed lighting trim?
I have five recessed cans as the main lighting for the kitchen. They are lamped with 75w short-necked PAR haolgens. Over time, the white coating inside has yellowed. Is there a safe paint to use under these circumstances? Joe
Replies
It is possible that the "yellowing" is cooking residue that has been drawn up into the light housing because they leak air up into the space above them.
check the label for max. wattage of lamp. Halogens burn hot, though. I'd consider a CFL replacement. Most light fixtures are powder coated painted. Are you suggesting to repaint the interior of the fixture? Probably not a good idea. Again, look for a cooler lamp such as CFL ... choose wisely to get the color and performance. I bought some that take a few minutes to warm up ... not good for quick use of the space (e.g. a closet), but may not be an issue for you.
Wash and then spray paint matte black. Matte black gives a much preferred light, and as a previous poster commented, go to a cfl. Making sure it can be dimmed, as not all cfl's can.
Appliance paint should work (spray cans at appliance parts place). Or engine paint (spray cans at car parts place). Check the labels for temp range, though -- I'm guessing you want stuff good to at least 250F.
Thanks to all for the advice. I didn't know anything had been posted. This new forum does not seem to notify of posts, so I thought no-one had answered.
Cheers!
Joe
For the kitchen, you want to put out the maximum light in all directions.
Take out the white trim and replace it with reflective trim... it looks like a mirrored cone. It makes a difference.