Hello all!!

[Ecumenist]

I just bought and moved into a bank owned home and as you can guess, we're having to do a lot of work. We're presently working on our bedroom and it has no lights in the celing. We'd like to put in recessed lighting but this bedroom is upstairs in a two storey home and althugh there is an attic space, it shrinks down to a crawlspace over the bedroom. Does anyone know how we can install a can light in each corner?

[Stinky The Clown]

1. There are can lights that install from under the ceiling

You cut the hole, connect wiring to it, and set it into the ceiling. You turn a few screws to extend "ears" that clamp it in place.

You will need to fish a wire to it and connect that between a power source, a switch, and the fixture. Not knowing your house's wiring, I have no idea how to explain any more than that.

Here are some links that may help you:

Fish sticks (I think this will actually be easier for you than a fish tape) You screw together as many sections as you need and reach it over to the other end of where you're going. You can get these at Lowe's or Home Depot or any good hardware store.

http://www.licensedelectrician.com/Store/RT/Fish_Sticks.htm



Fish tape (I find this a pain in the ass ... but I'm not a pro)



http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&productId=100660167&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&ci_sku=100660167&ci_src=14110944&cm_mmc=shopping-_-google-_-D27X-_-100660167

Here's an online tutorial/overview:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5631733_install-can-light-finished-ceiling.html




The most difficult part of this might be getting switched power to the light fixtures. Actually installing the cans is a cake walk.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

2. Stinky is referring to "remodel cans" as opposed to new construction cans.

If you can at least crawl on your belly to get to the location were you want to place the lights it would help to poke a hole from the attic down to mark your spot. The exact location of the lights will be determined by the ceiling joists. You will have to pick a "joist bay" closest to your desired location and center the light between the joists.

You can get a bore/drill bit from the home center (home depot) to match your desired can light size to drill back up from below based on your mark. They are a little pricey at 20 something bucks but it might make life a bit easier.

Since the lights will be located in an attic you will most likely need cans that are designated for "insulation contact" a.k.a "IC rated". You may also want the air tite cans that have the extra gaskets and air tite housings. This is assuming an un-conditioned crawl space above. One of the bigger mistakes I made in my own home was not using IC cans. I have fiberglass batt insulation but I would love to pump in a thick bed of cellulose to my crawl space but now I can't.

I just used HALO lights from Homer Depot for my neighbor's place (see below). The lights are relatively expensive (6? bucks for non-IC) but then they gouge you for the baffles (7 to 25 bucks). Don't skimp on the lights - stick with a brand name like Halo or Juno. Avoid Homer's house brand, Commercial electric. Halo has a nifty system for making the connection to the light. All you do is strip the wire about 3/4 inches and push it in to the color coded receptacle. No twisting and fiddling over head.

These were for my neighbor's place. We had to demo the ceiling as there was no space above. We used new construction non-IC units placed from below:

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

3. You have to bring power

to the cans, recessed lighting. So, throw some ply wood across the the Joyce's and work laying down in the crawl spaces. You may want to rethink a can light in each corner . Find center than space your lights out equal distance. If you can get up into the crawl spaces ,you can have can lights. But you really should stay away from the corners. take a look at a light distribution calculation.

Find center of ceiling ,imagine a big square the center of it being the center of yer ceiling. The four corners of the big square would be perfect.

It;s all done from up above. Grab power, drill down through the the top plate on yer wall ,polk yer wires fer yer switch down the wall from the inside, cut yer hole fer yer junction box, the plastic type with the stub outs to self fasten to the inside of the wall, than run yer wire from light to light, all done from up above.

The other way is a lot of dry wall repair. Get yerself a book. !


Good Luck.