can light layout tips

[greenjourneyman]

Does anyone have any rules of thumb for residential can light layouts. I've heard 3 feet from walls and no more than 6 feet apart. The ceiling is 8 foot, 24 by 14 foot social area by fire place. There is 4 sconces in room also. Any suggestions would be great thank you!

 

[Dennis Alwon]

It depends on what you are doing but that is not a bad rule of thumb. I try for about 5' apart and 30-36" off the wall. If you are wanting to light pictures on the wall then I would go about 24" off the wall.

 

[greenjourneyman]

Thank you sir

 

[kwired]

Distance between cans should not exceed the distance from the light to the surface to be lighted, is the general rule I have always used. But it depends on what you want for light, if you want high light levels you must put them closer together, and of course further apart will decrease light levels.

Kitchen counter with 8 foot ceiling means there is 5 feet between the counter and the light source. Go no more than 5 feet between cans, but aim for around 4 feet for better lighting. Sometimes you have to deal with equal spacing limitations and framing members that can not be easily moved and settle on something not quite what you prefer.

 

[GoldDigger]

It depends on what you are doing but that is not a bad rule of thumb. I try for about 5' apart and 30-36" off the wall. If you are wanting to light pictures on the wall then I would go about 24" off the wall.

A good guideline, but you also need to consider what kind of bulb will be in the can light. If you put in a PAR type bulb, you can get them in different beam spread angles. For 5' vertical to counter and 5' spacing, you want to use bulbs with a beam angle of more than 45 degrees to provide some overlap.
If you use type A or a bare spiral CFL, you can make some spread adjustments by moving the socket up and down in the can.
If you install the commercial style reflective cans with tubular FL, use the spacing recommendations that come with the luminaire.

 

[ActionDave]

Here is the method I used when I remodelled my house. Grab a couple cases of cans and start laying them out on the floor. Move them around, step back, adjust, add cans, take away cans, move cans, go get more cans if you think you need them, repeat. Step back and look at the room; repeat as much as needed until a feeling of calm rests on you. Transfer the locations up to the ceiling. The light knows where it wants to be, you just have to listen.

 

[GoldDigger]

Here is the method I used when I remodelled my house. Grab a couple cases of cans and start laying them out on the floor. Move them around, step back, adjust, add cans, take away cans, move cans, go get more cans if you think you need them, repeat. Step back and look at the room; repeat as much as needed until a feeling of calm rests on you. Transfer the locations up to the ceiling. The light knows where it wants to be, you just have to listen.

Do you find that the same method works for steeply sloped high ceilings too, or is it only practical for level ceilings?

 

[ActionDave]

The light knows where it wants to be, you just have to listen. This part is crucial.

And to be perfectly serious I have used said method with home owners on large custom homes with all types of ceilings. But then you get into your up lights, down lights, task lights, what do you want to do you see yourself doing here?, and such. It was one of the parts of resi work that I enjoyed.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Here is the method I used when I remodelled my house. Grab a couple cases of cans and start laying them out on the floor. Move them around, step back, adjust, add cans, take away cans, move cans, go get more cans if you think you need them, repeat. Step back and look at the room; repeat as much as needed until a feeling of calm rests on you. Transfer the locations up to the ceiling. The light knows where it wants to be, you just have to listen.

You are indeed wise. I just always waved my hand in front of the home owners face and said "these are not the lights you are looking for.":lol:

 

[Ponchik]

I always design the lighting depending on the layout of the furniture. If the customer will change the furniture around then the lighting gets designed so it illuminates the room evenly. Generally, it is 30-36" from the walls then 48"-60" apart.

As far as the picture or frame lighting, generally you measure from the center of the frame to the ceiling then divide it by half, that is the location of the lighting on the ceiling.

 

[RLyons]

Nobody mentioned joist locations? Every kitchen I've done the joists dictate size and location almost as much as appliances...or am I just being anal about center???

 

[Speshulk]

I always design the lighting depending on the layout of the furniture. If the customer will change the furniture around then the lighting gets designed so it illuminates the room evenly. Generally, it is 30-36" from the walls then 48"-60" apart. QUOTE]

If you're trying to light the room evenly, then the distance from the lights on the outer edge of the room to the wall should be half the distance between the lights. So starting 30 - 36" from the walls would space the lights 60 - 72" apart.

 

[ActionDave]

Nobody mentioned joist locations? Every kitchen I've done the joists dictate size and location almost as much as appliances...or am I just being anal about center???

I don't know an electrician that does not own a sawzall. If anybody complains blame the plumber.

 

[kwired]

Nobody mentioned joist locations? Every kitchen I've done the joists dictate size and location almost as much as appliances...or am I just being anal about center???

I thought I did in post #4 with this: "and framing members that can not be easily moved"

I don't know an electrician that does not own a sawzall. If anybody complains blame the plumber.

I'm pretty sure you know, but if the ceiling joist is also the lower chord of a truss rafter, you don't just cut them or even drill through them, they must be carefully redesigned as their structural strength is compromised by changes.

Not saying they can not be modified but it is often easier and less costly to make the lighting work without changes to the trusses.

And for those that are real anal about being off by an inch or two - most of the time nobody ever notices. Multiple items in a row will be more noticeable but a single item off centered a couple inches in a span of over 4-6 feet is not very noticeable, and is even less noticeable the longer the span.