Recessed can lights in ceiling with beams

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Bama_Electrical

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Electrician
Have a question around what y’all typically do when putting recessed lights in a living room with tic-tac-toe style beams. I have to get 8 can light centered in 8 of the 9 squares. I have ceiling joists dead center on 5 of the 9 squares.
 
I agree with Bill use a wafer style light and put them wherever you want. If you're using something small like 4" lights then you might have an issue of the light is dead center of the joist because the box won't fit through the hole.
 
I too, would use the 6" LED disc/wafer lights. They will fit directly under a joist and look like regular can lights. This is the perfect job to utilize their design.
 
Little Bill said:
I would use the 6" LED disc/wafer lights. They will fit directly under a joist and look like regular can lights.
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The joists are likey what the drywall is screwed to, so how does it fit under the joist?

They make joist boxes for fans, that get's a box flush to mount something to, but that only works for OP if the joist center is where center of light needs to be.
 
FionaZuppa said:
The joists are likey what the drywall is screwed to, so how does it fit under the joist?

They make joist boxes for fans, that get's a box flush to mount something to, but that only works for OP if the joist center is where center of light needs to be.
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Don't you think you would need to cut out the drywall where the light goes? As Rob mentioned, the drywall is (should be) 1/2" and the light is 1/2" so it fits. The flange sticks out just like the trim on a can light.
 
FionaZuppa said:
The joists are likey what the drywall is screwed to, so how does it fit under the joist?

They make joist boxes for fans, that get's a box flush to mount something to, but that only works for OP if the joist center is where center of light needs to be.
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You're misunderstanding the concept. See pic. It does not have to be in the center. It can be in the stud one inch or 3 inches.
I just hope it does not get hot.
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FionaZuppa said:
The joists are likey what the drywall is screwed to, so how does it fit under the joist?

They make joist boxes for fans, that get's a box flush to mount something to, but that only works for OP if the joist center is where center of light needs to be.
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The driver is separate from the light (see pic from @Buck Parrish). That wafer (disk) connects with a short pigtail. The light clips to the drywall and does not fasten to the joist
 
If mounting wafer lights directly under beams, I think it would be wise to make sure they are IC rated so that they don't depend on their upper surface to dissipate heat.
 
synchro said:
If mounting wafer lights directly under beams, I think it would be wise to make sure they are IC rated so that they don't depend on their upper surface to dissipate heat.
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I try to use a well rated, UL listed light and all I've used say they are rated for IC. But with all the junk coming out of china, it would be wise to make sure they are so rated. Good point!
 
Buck Parrish said:
You're misunderstanding the concept. See pic. It does not have to be in the center. It can be in the stud one inch or 3 inches.
I just hope it does not get hot.
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I know all about the retrofit canless. OP needs an 8" light. Some are "ultra thin" but still will be close to 1/2"+

8" 1800LM, they do get warm.

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I thought OP said 8". My bad.

the 4-6" items can be had that are less than 1/2" thick, but they too do get warm. The thinner they are the warmer they run.
 
We either help design the coffered ceiling around the light spacing, or they frame the ceiling to allow centering of lights in a coffered design.


Here’s an example of a house I did with no attic space, so I had to measure existing framing and work a layout around that .

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And this was the finished product

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
FionaZuppa said:
I thought OP said 8". My bad.

the 4-6" items can be had that are less than 1/2" thick, but they too do get warm. The thinner they are the warmer they run.
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The heat issue is with dissipating enough heat to protect the LED's from overheat damage, they likely don't get anywhere hot enough to be an issue for possible combustion of the framing member in question, unlike the heat given off in conventional incandescent lamp type luminaires.

These wafer thin luminaires get a little warm to the touch but not enough you can't stand to touch them like some old luminaires could be.
 
Sometimes these come in handy when the fixture is slightly offset from the joist center and you can't use one of those U shaped boxes.
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tthh said:
Sometimes these come in handy when the fixture is slightly offset from the joist center and you can't use one of those U shaped boxes.
View attachment 2563224
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This would not help the OP since he wants the look of recessed can lights. This would not match lights that would be put in that are not under a joist. They make a similar light to a recessed light that mounts to a box but they protrude down more than a recessed light.
 
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