Knowledge Builders

can light spacing

by Marjorie Runolfsson Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A good general rule for placement is to divide the height of the ceiling by two. The result is the amount of space to leave between each light. For example, recessed lighting spacing for an 8-foot-high ceiling would be 4 feet between each light. This will provide good spacing for general room lighting.

How far apart do you space 6 inch recessed lights?

Generally speaking, recessed lights that are four inches in size should be placed four feet apart. Six-inch lights should be placed six feet apart. In other words, the diameter of the lights equals the space between them.

Should can lights be evenly spaced?

As a rule, general lighting means you'll want your cans spaced evenly. Think of your ceiling as a grid and align your lights evenly, kind of like a tic tac toe grid, depending upon the size of your room and the number of lights.

Can lights spacing from wall?

If you plan to illuminate an entire wall or accent particular architectural features or pieces of art, the rule of thumb is to place your recessed light fixtures between 1.5 feet and 3 feet from the wall.

How many can lights for a 12x12 room?

The typical rule-of-thumb is 24″ from each wall, and then 3-5 feet between cans. So in a 12′ room you'd probably want two rows of lights. Considering it is a bedroom and you don't need it as bright as a kitchen, you can probably get away with 2 rows of 4 lights for a total of 8.

How far apart should canned lights be?

A good general rule for placement is to divide the height of the ceiling by two. The result is the amount of space to leave between each light. For example, recessed lighting spacing for an 8-foot-high ceiling would be 4 feet between each light. This will provide good spacing for general room lighting.

Should you stagger recessed lights?

The typical rule is to place the lights the same number of feet apart as the bulb's diameter in inches. So a bulb with a 4-inch diameter should be 4 feet away from the next light.

How many can lights in a 20x20 room?

If you have a center light fixture, you should be able to use 4 inch line voltage cans or low voltage for supplemental lighting. I would go with at least 8 three inch cans for a 20 foot room.

Can you have too many recessed lights?

The culprit: Too many recessed lights. It's easy to get a little overzealous when it comes to how many recessed lights go into a space. Too many can leave a living room feeling like a lobby or a hallway feeling like a runway. The fix: Create a lighting plan.

How do you determine number of can lights needed in a room?

Formula: total sq. footage x 1.5 = total wattage needed. Total wattage divided by 60 watts (or whichever wattage you select) = total amount of recessed can lights. Example: 240 square foot room x 1.5 = 360 divided by 60 (the bulb wattage I'd like to use) = 6 recessed lights needed.

How many recessed lights do I need for a 12 foot ceiling?

Every manufacturer will provide a maximum spacing criterion for their lights. For example, for a 6-inch light, typically, the number is 1.5, which should be multiplied by the ceiling height. So, if your ceiling is 8 feet tall, multiplied by 1.5, the maximum space between each light should be 12 feet.

How many 4 recessed lights do I need?

A common rule of thumb is that you use one recessed light for every 4 to 6 square feet of ceiling space. Doing so provides even, overall illumination. This is an important rule to keep in mind when you are going to rely exclusively on recessed ceiling lights to illuminate your kitchen.

Does recessed lighting have to be symmetrical?

The General Lighting Layout The recessed lights should be aligned and equally spaced across the ceiling. Resist the temptation to place the lights according to objects in the room (such as furniture). Below are some of the most common layouts for general lighting.

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