!44: Quick Tips For Working With and Installing Recessed Lighting Fixtures

!±8± Quick Tips For Working With and Installing Recessed Lighting Fixtures

Recessed lighting is an excellent addition to any room. Recessed lighting comes in different styles for different uses. There are straight down lighting which is used to highlight specific locations or areas of a room and there are also directional recessed lighting which can be used to illuminate walls or decorative objects.

Before getting started installing your recessed lighting, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind whenever you are working with electricity.

1. Turn off the power at the circuit breaker before begging installation.

2. Use a wire tester to ensure that the power is indeed turned off before proceeding.

3. Always check with your local authorities to ascertain if a permit is needed for the work that you intend to do.

4. It's always a good idea to have your final work checked by a licensed inspector.

The first step in installing any recessed lighting is creating a design plan. Once you have your plan and you know the type of recessed lighting you want to use simply determine the amount of lights and purchase them from your local or an online retailer.

Consult your design plan for the location of each light and use the manufacturers template that comes with the lights to drawl the cut out on the ceiling. Drill a quarter inch hole in the center of the circle and check for any type of obstructions in the ceiling before continuing. If all is clear use a drywall cutter to cut out the opening for your light.

Again it's important to make sure that the power source is turned off before you begin to wire your lights.

Once you're sure that the power source is off, pull the wire into the space where the recessed light will be installed leave approximately 18 to 20 inches of wire to work with.

Wire the first light and tie in the wiring that will lead to the next light that is to be installed.

Secure all wires with wire nuts and continue the process until the last light is connected. Once all lights have been installed the next step is to install the trim plate that will cover the rough opening of the recessed light.

Install the light bulbs and re-energize the circuit at the breaker box.

Recessed lights are easy to install and require practically no maintenance. Adding a dimmer wall switch will add to the lights ability to create just the right mood in any room.