Behind the Light: All About Recessed Lighting
Recessed lighting is a type of lighting installation where the light fixture is concealed within a hollowed-out area in the ceiling or wall. It creates a more subtle and elegant look than traditional overhead-mounted lighting fixtures and can be used to create dramatic lighting effect to any space. Recessed lighting can make a home or property more attractive to potential buyers. Statistically, it adds anywhere from 1% to 5% to the overall value of a property – enough to cover the entire realty agent fee for some.
Parts: Housing, Trim and Bulb
Recessed lighting consists of three main parts; the housing, trim, and bulb.
- The housing is the part that gets installed into the ceiling or wall cavity and provides the base for the bulb and all other components usually made with fire rated materials and insulated. The housing is installed separately or built in on some new, modern LED fixtures.
- The trim is the material that surrounds the housing, holds up the bezel and the cover, and fastens them on the ceiling or wall. The trim is installed separately or built in on some new, modern LED fixtures.
- Finally, you have the bulb as a light source, with LED as the most popular and suitable option.
Many LED lights for recessed lighting available at Duralec from manufacturers like Intrinsix, Luxurio, Topaz, Cree Lighting, Maxlite, Eiko and Keystone were engineered to retrofit existing recessed housings and bulbs and can be easily installed without major remodeling or rewiring.
Choosing the right LED recessed light
Recessed lighting is ideal for providing a soft, subtle light that doesn’t take up too much ceiling space. Recessed lights provide even illumination and can be used to highlight certain areas, such as artwork or furniture. If you have low ceilings, recessed lights can help raise the ceiling height and make the room appear higher and wider. If you want to create an intimate atmosphere in a room, recessed lighting is ideal because it gives off a more diffused light than traditional lights.
Retrofitting with LED Recessed Lights
Duralec offers a range of recessed lighting solutions that are designed to readily replace recessed lighting bulbs without replacing the existing recessed housing and trims.
Replacing Bulbs on Existing Recessed Fixture
Replacing Bulbs and Trim on Existing Recessed Fixture
A recessed LED bulb with built-in trim and a E26 Edison base adapter is the perfect retrofit for a recessed downlight that uses a separate bulb and trim, making it the ideal replacement for your lighting without buying a separate goof ring or trim to fit.
New Construction and Remodeling with LED Recessed Lights
Duralec offers a range of recessed lighting solutions that are designed to be energy-efficient and cost-effective. These solutions include retrofit kits for existing or new housings and ultra-thin low-profile fixtures for light housings. Some of these products are designed to be easy to install and require no additional housing and insulation, some without cutting up a hole in the ceiling. They also offer dimmable versions to help control the light levels in the room. With these recessed lighting solutions, you can get quality illumination without spending a fortune on costly housing fixtures or insulation.
Adding recessed LED lights with housing
If you’re building a new home or remodeling, you can typically expect to pay additional for each housing fixture for recessed light installation as it requires cutting into walls and ceilings, running electrical wires, and patching up the wall or ceiling afterward.
Choosing a recessed light housing
Recessed light housings are usually IC-rated and airtight because they are designed to be installed in direct contact with insulation. The IC rating indicates that the recessed light housing has been tested and approved for use in insulated ceiling applications. An airtight design prevents heated air from entering the enclosure, helping to keep temperatures low and reducing the risk of fire.
Recessed light housing – New Construction
(IC-rated and airtight)
New construction recessed light housings are designed for use in new construction applications, where the housing can be mounted directly into the framing prior to drywall and insulation installation.
Recessed light housing – Remodel
(IC-rated and airtight)
Remodel recessed light housings are fixtures that are used to install recessed lighting in existing ceilings. They are typically made of metal and have a flange or lip that is used to secure the recessed lights in place.
Light recessed housing – New Construction or Remodel
(Non IC-rated)
Light recessed light housings are used to install recessed lighting in new construction and remodeled ceilings that do not need insulation or used with IC-rated LED recessed light fixtures.
New Construction and Remodel Housings
For new construction and remodel housings, we recommend LED recessed lighting with a deep recessed profile and baffle trim. Some popular brands to consider include Maxlite, Cree, Topaz, Eiko and Keystone.
Maxlite Residential Retrofit Downlight
Designed as an energy-efficient lighting solution for remodeling or new construction projects MaxLites LED Residential downlights are available for Recessed and Surface downlighting application. The wet location suitable luminaire come as Single CCT as well as CCT Selectable ranging from 2700K to 5000K and deliver uniform color distribution and superior quality lighting. (Source: https://www.maxlite.com/)
Eiko Commercial Downlight PowerSet
CD Commercial Downlights are economical LED options with multiple “set and forget” lumen levels and CCT options in each fixture. Deep recessed light source for lower glare. Provides comfortable diffused light. Flexible steel conduit with 1/2” KO (3/8” Trade Size) snap in connector. Powder coated aluminum reflector and trim. (Source: https://www.eiko.com/)
Light Housings
For Non-IC light housings, we recommend IC-rated LED recessed lighting with a shallow profile and smooth trim. Some popular brands to consider include Cree, Topaz, Eiko and Keystone.
Topaz CCT Selectable, LED Slim Fit Recessed Downlight
Topaz’s Slim Fit Recessed Downlight is 5 CCT selectable. Choose from five color temperatures with one convenient switch, right on the job site. The improved half-inch profile design is approved for IC and non-IC applications. Quick-connects and the remote J-box offer easy installation. Extension cables and frame-in kits allow for versatile applications in new construction and retrofit projects.(Source: https://www.topaz-usa.com/)
Adding recessed LED lights without housing
Adding recessed lighting without housing would still require cutting up holes in the ceiling to mount the LED fixture properly. One may have to hire a handyman with the right tools and experience to measure and install the fixtures properly.
Flat Ceilings
For flat ceilings, we recommend LED recessed lighting with a slim/shallow profile and built-in mounting brackets for direct installation in the ceiling without a housing. Some popular brands to consider include Cree, Topaz, Eiko and Keystone.
Low Ceilings or Tight Spaces
For low ceilings, we recommend LED recessed lighting with a wafer-thin / ultra-low profile design that allows it to be installed as low as 3 inches from the suspended ceiling and includes adjustable mounting brackets, making it easy to install in any ceiling type. Some popular brands to consider include Cree, Topaz and Keystone.
Topaz CCT Selectable, LED Slim Fit Recessed Downlight
Topaz’s Slim Fit Recessed Downlight is 5 CCT selectable. Choose from five color temperatures with one convenient switch, right on the job site. The improved half-inch profile design is approved for IC and non-IC applications. Quick-connects and the remote J-box offer easy installation. Extension cables and frame-in kits allow for versatile applications in new construction and retrofit projects. (Source: https://www.topaz-usa.com/)
Sloped or Vaulted Ceilings
For sloped ceilings, we recommend LED recessed lighting with Gimbal trims that allow light to be directed at any angle. Some popular brands to consider include Topaz and Keystone.
Topaz Gimbal CCT Selectable LED Slim Fit Recessed Downlight
Topaz’s Gimbal, Slim Fit Recessed Downlight is 5 CCT selectable. With an ultra-low profile of less than two inches, this downlight has an impressive 360° rotation and 30° tilt to focus the light where you need it most. Easily installs with spring clips quick connects, to enhance kitchens, living areas, basements, and hallways in both new construction and retrofit applications. (Source: https://www.topaz-usa.com/)
Adding recessed LED lights without cutting holes
The best recessed LED lights without cutting holes are ones that use a surface-mounting design. These lights are mounted directly onto the surface of the ceiling or wall, making them easy to install without cutting up holes.
Flat Ceilings
For flat ceilings, we recommend LED recessed lighting with a slim/shallow profile and built-in mounting brackets for direct installation in the ceiling without making holes. Some popular brands to consider include Cree, Topaz, Eiko and Keystone.
CREE savr™ E-SDR Series
Designed for recessed lighting without the time and cost of labor, the E-SDR Series LED Surface Mount Disk Light delivers up to 835 lumens in 2700K and 3000K, with 90 CRI. It’s perfect for showers and soffits, with 120VAC input and no driver required, and dims to 10% with TRIAC dimmers. (Source: https://www.creelighting.com/)
Power Source: Line Voltage vs Low Voltage
Recessed Lighting has a few key differences that should be taken into consideration when deciding which type of lighting to install.
- Line voltage recessed lighting is typically powered directly from your main power supply and can be used to light large rooms or entire floors of a building.
- Low voltage recessed lighting uses a transformer to reduce the line voltage and steps it down to 12 volts or 24 volts. This makes it ideal for smaller, more enclosed spaces such as closets, or bathrooms where there may not be enough space for bulky fixtures. Additionally, since the reduced voltage reduces the chances of electrical fires, it is a safer option than line voltage lighting. Low voltage recessed lighting is also more energy efficient and can last up to twice as long as line voltage varieties.
