Unfinished attic lighting

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

nickelec

Senior Member
Location
US
What are you guys using I'm doing my house right now I wanted to be very bright was thinking maybe LED tubes right down the middle

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
nickelec said:
What are you guys using I'm doing my house right now I wanted to be very bright was thinking maybe LED tubes right down the middle
Click to expand...
That'd definitely be bright.

I'm a hold out for a simple Edison base lampholder. Put a high lumen lamp in it.
 
When I saw the thread title I wondered whether the attic was unfinished or the lighting was unfinished. Turns out it was both. :)
If the attic is poorly ventilated it can be seriously hot at the peak in summer, and it might have an adverse effect on the LED driver circuits. On the other hand if you only turn the lights on a couple of hours a month the reduction in life probably would not bother you.

PS: What does this have to do with Bonding And Grounding?
 
The rafters will be insulted .. Maybe picked the wrong category by mistake

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
If the attic is poorly ventilated, you ought to fix that first.
After installing adequate ventilation (and radiant barrier) in my attic, the temperature up there never exceeds 40°C. (104°F) I also prevented ice dams from ever forming, which was a serious problem. The radiant barrier is a bright, shiny specular foil which greatly reduces the number/size of light fixtures required.
(not that I'm the kind of geek who installs a recording thermometer in his attic or anything ... )
 
The last time I did attic lighting that was more than a afterthought was in a 1100 square foot Rancher... 53 ft of roofline. I put in 4 100 watt incandescent bulbs on keyless fixtures ~10' apart on three-way switches. Was pretty bright, though I eventually added a fifth keyed fixture above the access panel in the bedroom.
 
Coppersmith said:
This is the way to go. Incandescent bulbs (still available in specialty formats such as oven bulbs) are immune to the heat in the attic.
Click to expand...

Bingo. And incandescent bulbs are also available from places like Dollar Tree... or at least their low wattage halogens that are equally heat-resistant are available.
 
My attic is going to be a conditioned space I don't think it's going to be that hot up there

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
nickelec said:
My attic is going to be a conditioned space I don't think it's going to be that hot up there

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
What is intended use of the space? Storage, I'd go with incandescent or LED replacement lamps for incandescent. If you plan to spend some time in this space then it depends on what activity you plan to be doing. Hobby/craft room - linear type fixtures might be a good idea.
 
It's just going to be for storage and ac units but you know how many times have you gone into an attic and had enough light lol I'm just thinking of everything and overkill is definitely an option for my own house, I plan in running future Chases from basement cameras etc so I probably will have to go up there from time to time ,, I was looking at some 4' led fixtures on Amazon might not be a bad idea

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
nickelec said:
It's just going to be for storage and ac units but you know how many times have you gone into an attic and had enough light lol I'm just thinking of everything and overkill is definitely an option for my own house, I plan in running future Chases from basement cameras etc so I probably will have to go up there from time to time ,, I was looking at some 4' led fixtures on Amazon might not be a bad idea

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
You can put about anything you want in there if you are willing to spend the money for it. How about some stadium/sports arena lighting units?:cool:
 
I agree that a simple row of keyless lampholders, plus one over the HVAC equipment, is the way to go. You have the best flexibility of lamp/bulb choices, and nothing's cheaper.
 
kwired said:
... How about some stadium/sports arena lighting units?
Click to expand...
That might create ice dams, attract narcs, or both.

Godwin's Law describes the probability that an Internet thread will eventually include a comparison to Nazis or Hitler. If there's a counterpart describing the probability that an Internet thread will eventually make a hard turn into the absurd or the surreal, I don't know what it is ... but there sure ought to be one!
 
drcampbell said:
Godwin's Law describes the probability that an Internet thread will eventually include a comparison to Nazis or Hitler. If there's a counterpart describing the probability that an Internet thread will eventually make a hard turn into the absurd or the surreal, I don't know what it is ... but there sure ought to be one!
Click to expand...
I hereby nominate "Campbell's Law." :thumbsup:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top