How many times have you been somewhere that had a lot of lights, yet still felt too dark? This is usually caused by improperly used recessed can lighting. When using recessed can lights, there are a lot of things that have to be factored in for to be effective. If not, you are going to be stuck footing a large utility bill, without getting any benefit from the extra lights. This post aims to offer up some tips that you can use in your lighting plan to make sure that your recessed lights work like they should.
It’s important to remember that recessed can lights work more like a spotlight than a floodlight. This means that they work to focus light downward, rather than across the room. Most of the “cans” have a chrome finish on the inside to concentrate the bulbs rays to shine down.
Can lights aren’t very effective for lighting open rooms, unless there are a lot of them. To make this work in an open room or office, a perimeter of lights around the room generally works best. This allows the light that does spread from each can to congregate in the center of the room. When you have this many fixtures, you also have a ton of light bulbs. To prevent having to change a lot of lights frequently, and save money on electricity, consider LED recessed can lights, or using CFL bulbs.
An easy way to get great results from this style of light fixture is to use it in a narrow area, like a hallway. The walls of the hall will reflect light and make can lights extremely effective.
Using a recessed light as a spotlight is another easy way to use them effectively. Places that need light in a specific area, like above the kitchen sink, take well to this lighting style. Other places are entryways, dark corners, and above office desks.
It takes quite a bit of work to install recessed can lighting, so it makes sense to make sure that it’s the perfect style of light for your needs. Other light fixtures have their pros and cons as well, so be sure to define your needs before doing research.
