Down light spacing/layout

[delboy9732]

Hi, looking for suggestions on where/how to layout down light spacing in my kitchen. I have cabinet lights to illuminated worktops, just looking to mark out the ceiling and hope I don't hit joists when I come up with a layout.
Think if I do a nice uniform pattern it looks odd in places as there are units/cabinets on one side and not on the other?

 

[jj4091]

Personally I have always found the centre of the available ceiling then spaced down lights as close as posiible to 1 metre apart in both directions

 

[Taylortwocities]

just looking to mark out the ceiling and hope I don't hit joists when I come up with a layout.

Most downlights have a minimum space to nearby items, like joists. Hope doesnt work in this situation.
Find where the joists (and anything else in the ceileing, like pipes, other cables etc ) before you make your plan. And also BEFORE you start making a swiss cheese out of your plasterwork.
Also decide where the cables interconnecting the downlight might need to go.

Just plan plan, or you'll need a ceiling repair man and you will have to do it twice.

Remember, if you fail to plan then you WILL plan to fail.

Been there done it.

PS. Put the lights where you want the light to be on the work surface. ALWAYS have a light over the kitchen sink and any other surface where you (or the home help) will need to prep or cook. NEVER have the light behind you or you'll be working oi your own shadow.

 

[ericmark]

GU10 lamps in pods can be adjusted to aim at where required. I fitted lights under the wall cupboards so not so important for the ceiling lights to be aimed where required, just as well, since all grouped together, but the main problem is how to run wires, think I will go with lighting track, so it does not look like an afterthought, even if really it is.

 

[Murdochcat]

Your house or a customers?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Your house or a customers?

Hi, looking for suggestions on where/how to layout down light spacing in my kitchen.

What's your best guess, Sherlock?

 

[Murdochcat]

What's your best guess, Sherlock?

seen many posts on here from people claiming to be working on their own homes, then later in the thread is so obvious they are not.

 

[EFLImpudence]

seen many posts on here from people claiming to be working on their own homes, then later in the thread is so obvious they are not.

Are you meaning Eric?

 

[delboy9732]

Yeh, it's my house. Couldn't afford the housebuilder to install them when we moved in @ 120.00 each. In the corner of the kitchen there are 3 X ceiling height (almost) larder units fridge, freezer and oven/microwave larder. If I say come out 200mm from these in a row of say 4 along the 5m length, that would mean to balance a second row it would need to be 800mm from the wall with the door and it looks odd I think? Hope that makes sense. So should I come out from worktop/larders say 400mm and same from other side (wall where door is) 2 rows of 4. I have good under cabinet lights so shadows should not be an issue? Just wondering what guys that do this all the time would choose

 

[Murdochcat]

Hum ........... so you need to budget for skimming the ceiling after you have finished.

And where you want them is often at odds with where they can actually be due to joints, pipes and cables

 

[delboy9732]

Yeh, Im hoping to patch myself round where I need to bore through joists for cable routes and maybe be flexible where I hit them where I'd like lights. Total pain but needs must!

 

[SUNRAY]

NEVER have the light behind you or you'll be working oi your own shadow.

Which in my experience is almost inevitable with downlighters.

 

[Murdochcat]

I line down lines up with the edge of the worktops …….

 

[FrodoOne]

Hi, looking for suggestions on where/how to layout down light spacing in my kitchen. I have cabinet lights to illuminated worktops, just looking to mark out the ceiling and hope I don't hit joists when I come up with a layout.
Think if I do a nice uniform pattern it looks odd in places as there are units/cabinets on one side and not on the other?

The OP stated "I have cabinet lights to illuminated (sic) worktops"
Hence, other "General Lighting" is required"

As has been mentioned by others, "downlighters" are not the best solution - for "General Lighting".

I would suggest that delboy9732 investigate the use of "LED Panels" - available in various Sizes, "Colour Temperatures", and Lumen Output.
Some are even "dimmable", if that may be a requirement!

 

[SUNRAY]

The OP stated "I have cabinet lights to illuminated (sic) worktops"
Hence, other "General Lighting" is required"

As has been mentioned by others, "downlighters" are not the best solution - for "General Lighting".

I would suggest that delboy9732 investigate the use of "LED Panels" - available in various Sizes, "Colour Temperatures", and Lumen Output.
Some are even "dimmable", if that may be a requirement!

A few years ago a friend had a kitchen replaced, part of that was lots of downlighters- something like 20, in those days 20W halogen. Within a couple of weeks of trying to duck shadows he asked me how easy it would be to revert back to an 8ft fluorescent. Fortunately the plaster repair was detectable with carefully positioned light and I was able to open it to fish out the taped up choc bloc. More recently that was replaced with 2 4ft LED battens and promptly 2 more to attempt to regain the light level in the large kitchen.