of the walls. Try to select switch locations that are easy to reach with a cable from the power source. You dont have to rip apart walls and ceilings to make the space more inviting, better lit and more dramatic. The eaves of a house would be considered a wet location, and sections 4003.9 and 4003.10 require luminaries (lighting fixtures) that are installed in wet locations to be listed and labeled for use in wet locations. The wall-mounted light might have been providing the required illumination for the stairs as well as for the door. A: Glenn Mathewson, a code educator and consultant from Colorado (buildingcodecollege.com), responds: The International Code Council (ICC) publishes the IRC, but it doesnt manage the development of the electrical provisions. Return to the first fixture to connect the wires into their respective places. I have a question that I can't seem to find an answer on at inspectapedia. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. Screw 2x2s along the line that's perpendicular to the joists, and 22-1/4 -in. Sometimes one light can serve both functions. The trim will be the lights only visible area. How to Replace a Fluorescent Light Ballast, Installing Recessed Lighting for Dramatic Effect, How to Run Wire Through a Wall to Avoid Water Leaks, How to Find the Correct Motion-Activated Switch for Fluorescent Lights, Save Money by Upgrading Fluorescent Fixtures, We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), 10 things your electrician wants you to know. The Last Word (We Hope) on Vapor Barriers, A Builder's Guide to Breathable Indoor Air, Building a Deck With a Welded Steel Frame, Housing Market Slows as Fed Takes Aggressive Approach to Combat Inflation, When Hidden Defects Complicate a Simple Deck Replacement. Finally, select the type (spot or flood) and intensity (wattage) of the light bulbs. The 5 Best Camping Lanterns (2022 Review), Everything to Know About Bathroom Chandeliers. How Can I Make My Home Office Lighting Better? Confirm the power is off using an electric tester. Love your site. You will also need to consider the weather-proof light covers that you will be installing on your fixtures in determining the right size of housing to choose. The best soffit lighting that you can install in your home is recessed or pot light. More information on 110VAC dimming can be found here. Youll also need basic electrical skills to complete the wiring (see Planning the Wiring below). Youll only need everyday carpentry tools, including a 4-ft. level, circular saw, screw gun, a jigsaw and a miter saw for accurate cuts on the trim. Hook up the recessed lights by pulling the cables free of the opening and stripping off 8 in. If the roof eaves are enclosed with a horizontal soffit cover, you may need to install a short, horizontal support that is secured to the building wall at one end and to the inner face of the fascia or the rafter tail-end at the outer end. These points include addressing your worry about the effects of heat on vinyl roof soffits as well as other installation advice we found while researching the question. For example, the drivers for 6 inch ultra-thin recessed fixtures, if used with a different light fixture size, will damage the incompatible fixture. If you are not familiar with this process, contact a licensed electrician to help. Details & Exclusions
New Articles. box each of 3-in. Home House & Components Systems Electrical System Lighting. Most customers prefer to have soffit lighting surrounding the majority of their home, but want to run them off a single switch or dimmer. On the facia board of the soffit where you want your exterior recessed lighting to be installed, trace around the light fixture. Then add the 2x2s and lookouts to the lower plywood edge. In this article, well show you how to dramatically improve any room with a soffit and lights. Such light fixtures have many names; they are usually called recessed lights or downlights, but in Canada, they call them pot lights and in the United States they are known as can lights or canister lights. Here are the installation considerations that you should keep in mind when buying & installing outdoor light fixtures for a roof overhang or soffit. Measure the length of each wall in the room, and using our photos and Figure A, write up a materials list. This post may definitely help anyone in learning LED Placement. Cut extra lengths of electrical cable and daisy chain each recessed fixture to the one before it. Comparison of bulb types for recessed lighting, Repeat Step 8 for each recessed fixture along the lighting run, except the last fixture. Cut the opening with a drywall saw. I have two sections of my yardan upper section and a lower section. Don't scrimp on the extra cable or you'll have problems later. As long as the fixture is covered by a ceiling or roof above, you are good to go. Put the two black wires (one from each of the two cables) together with a wire connector. Articles will be published online soon. 133 Manville Rd - Unit 19 Toronto, Ontario M1L 4J7, 798 Grand Pere Point Road, Remodel IC/non-IC housing, air tight, Installation Instructions", Liteline Corporation, info@lifeline.com, web: lifeline.com, Tel: 866-730-7704, [12] "Wiring Methods Utilizing Suspended Ceilings (Revised", State of Oregon, Building Codes Division, code interpretation, 10/1/2002, Gary A. Wilson, Chief Electrical Inspector & Doug Alexander, Structural Code Specialist. In the meantime, check out10 things your electrician wants you to know. Center 7-in. Finish up the lighting by screwing in the bulbs and snapping the eyeball trim rings into place. This is because you need to see the bare copper conductor inside, along with the other colored wires. First youll need an RGB or RGBW controller to set the light colors. down from the ceiling and nail 2x4 ledgers into the wall studs with 16d nails. Walls are rarely as straight as you might think, so use this technique to get the soffit straight. Then insert the cable that connects the first fixture to the next fixture into the second connector. Many of our recessed fixtures are UL Listed and some are rated for use in damp or wet environments including outdoors. starter holes and cut out each hole with a jigsaw. That means even if youre not a contractor, you can rest assured youre getting a product that will last for decades to come from aspectLED. (A can light in a shower is a good example of a wet-location luminary.) Join the wires with electrical connectors and reclose the metal electrical box. You can make soffits wider or taller to suit larger rooms if you wish. It's not necessary to tape against the ceiling because trim will cover that joint. Using a rotary tool equipped with a multipurpose cutting bit, cut along the trace lines on the facia board. drywall to the underside of the soffit plywood with the cut edge facing the wall, leaving a 1/4-in. The best location is in a garage or in a utility room. We chose eyeball rings (opening photo) because you can aim the light in whatever direction is best for the task. At about $200.00 to $300.00 per light installed, the lights are not for the price sensitive but are great for the Toronto homeowner who plans on staying in their home for awhile. Turn the breaker off at the main panel to disable the power to that circuit and eliminate the chances of getting an electric shock. Great job! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. JLC subscribers have access to the July/August 2022 print edition at this time. If you are handy and can do the installation yourself then here is a direct link to the manufacturer as we supply and install only. You can choose between a number of different styles and finishes. This will allow you to switch on each recessed fixture using just one switch. New Articles, Inspiration - A. F. Photo (above) of recessed lighting installed in a roof soffit overhang, courtesy of Paul Galow. [6] "Out of Sight, Out of Mind - the dangers and requirements of recessed light fixtures", Kellie K. Speed. Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia. Feed the threads of a 1/2-inch NM connector into the half-inch round opening. Squeeze the two wires of the butterfly springs on both sides of your recessed trim together with your thumb and forefinger. North Shore Eavestroughing at the Home Show with Jay Purvis of the HGTV show The Fix, Warm White LED Soffit Lighting in the GTA. Keep in mind that the height of the light fixture should be at least five and one-half inches. Prefinish all the trim and nail all trim pieces with 2-1/4-in. I just had some soffit and fascia installed. Lighting Tips, Lighting by Room Should You Consider Switching to Cost-Plus Pricing? Now use the wire stripper again to strip half an inch of insulation from all the white and the black conductors. Already got the old style incandescent recessed can fixtures installed? A 1-gallon pail of taping compound and roll of tape. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. This explains why a light is not required when theres no grade access. Minneapolis, MN 55401 Add a light bulb in each fixture. away from the wall where the joists are perpendicular and 22-1/2 in. Choose the switch location. Measure and cut both pieces from opposite edges of the sheet so you leave a straight factory edge on each one. Soffit Lighting: Installing Outdoor Recessed Lights. Fish 14-2 electrical wire from the main power source to one fixture. This is because it is a type of lighting you fix to the ceiling, projecting a downward light direction. plywood to 28-1/2 in. We installed motion-sensing surface mount lights under an outdoor soffit that covered the approach to a building door - they have been much appreciated since. JLC Online: Best practices for professional builders and remodelers. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References, How to install or repair outdoor light fixtures, RECESSED SOFFIT LIGHT INSTALLATION OUTDOORS, RECESSED SOFFIT LIGHT BULB & TRIM CHOICES, SURFACE-MOUNT OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURE INSTALLATION, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES, Clearance - luminaire to building element above, Side clearance - luminaire to structural member, Clearance -luminaire to thermal insulation, Clearance - luminaire to supply transformer, Recessed lighting fixtures are sold in housing diameter opening sizes of 3", 4", 5" and 6". Our reply is now found at REPAIR AUTOMATIC OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURE where we detail the steps in diagnosing and fixing a light that's not working. If the roof eaves are enclosed with a soffit that is secured to the underside of the rafters, you will have still less installation space (and a 4-inch box will surely be needed), but the installation is otherwise simple since you can secure the fixture to the side of a rafter. The other option is to go with our Ultra Thin Recessed fixtures which offer a very wide 120 degree light beam angle spread enabling them to be used in sloped or vaulted environments. Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. Q: Ive seen can lights installed in the ceilings of covered porches, but does the code let us install them in the 12-inch soffit in the eaves of a house? brads. Lay out the soffit framing by snapping a chalk line around the perimeter of the room 24 in. Visit our website at http://www.eavestrough.ca/. Continue readingat SECURITY / MOTION SENSOR LIGHT INSTALL or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. Those fixtures must be installed in a manner so that water cannot enter the wiring compartment. I know it is fine in aluminum soffits, but I am concerned about the effects of the heat on the Vinyl soffits. If youre bored by a plain boxy room, take heart. It will look somewhat like a large floodlight or a small spotlight. Reach over the top and score the drywall along the soffit face. [8] "E-Series LED Recessed Light, Installation instructions for E6-E26-30-WH, retrofit installation or new construction installation, American Lighting, www.americanlighting.com. Install the switched receptacle for the rope lights. In a home environment, you can, First of all, you need to identify the areas in the soffit, Working with Armored Cable: Dos and Don'ts, How to Wire LED Christmas Lights to a Dimmer. Lookouts can be spaced anywhere from 2 ft. to 3 ft. Ride the knife's edge on the ridge of the edging near the wall. Then snap a chalk line on the wall 8 in. This should only have one knockout pried from the junction box. [10] E.Z. If you have a sagging ceiling, you may have to scribe the plywood against the ceiling and cut it to accommodate variations. Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our expertsstraight to your inbox. of the sheathing. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Then feed the extra lengths of cable from the first recessed light to the rest of the fixtures in the run along the soffit. It's important to set the 8-in. In the meantime, you may browse the digital edition. and working your way around the room. Begin finishing off the drywall by installing the tear-away edging. Now connect the white wires together in the same fashion, and finally connect the green wire with the bare-copper wire together and also to the ground screw. Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. We can help you make the LED conversion as well. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. gap against the wall for the tearaway drywall edging. thick CDX plywood, One 4 x 8-ft. sheet of 1/2-in. Press the black clips upwards with a flathead screwdriver until you hear it click down into the slot that there is in the soffit light fixture itself. facing pieces perfectly level. However, they offer the same great LED power savings and lifespan, with a super easy installation. If youre unsure about these details, hire an electrician. Choose wood profiles, types and finishes for these that match or contrast with the room's other trim. (See Figure A above and Planning the Wiring, for more details.). In a home environment, you can install recessed soffit lighting in kitchens and bathrooms, or the library, den, or theatre room. screws. Rip 5/8-in. How to Install Ultra-Thin Exterior Lighting. from the ceiling). Then, pantry cabinets, a soaker tub, and kitchen lighting are installed at the house. They are perfect for highlighting an entrance and or security lighting. Recessed lights usually come with exact templates to help you mark the mounting holes. Release the springs and push the trim against the soffit facia board. We welcome your comments and Or see LIGHTING, EXTERIOR FAQs - Questions & answers posted originally on this page. Run a 14/2 non-metallic (NM) cable from the switch to the closest hole in the soffit. The ends of the trim will show from below at corners, so if you're a persnickety trim carpenter, miter the corners. [7] National Electrical Code, (NEC). The trim will be the lights only visible area. Remove about 3/4-inch of insulation from the exposed black and white wires of each cable using a set of wire strippers. The simple soffit lighting project we show here will do all that. Comparison of low-voltage or 12-V recessed light fixtures with 120-V recessed lights, Because each light requires an individual driver and you cannot run multiple lights off a single driver, many of our customers choose to put all of their drivers in a single large junction box and run extension cables (available on our website) to the remote light locations. No surprise, all of your electrical wiring must comply with local electrical codes, for which the National Electrical code is usually the starting model. I wonder if you might be able to answer. A Dozen Ways to Strengthen Your Remodeling Brand, The Empire Group Plans Large Build-to-Rent Community in North Phoenix, The Most Affordable Places to Retire in America in 2022, Yardi Matrix Reports Institutional Investment in Single-Family Rentals Is Rising, NAHB: Proposed Schumer-Manchin Legislation Could Affect Builders, New Conservation Community Lagoon Valley Materializes in the Bay Area, 7 Ways to Prepare Your Team to Sell in an Uncertain Market. Apply for an electrical permit before you start. That's because our low voltage RGB and RGBW lights are not compatible with 110VAC power sources. 612.436.0606 Fax 612.436.0608 Use a hole saw to drill openings for the new lights. Follow the trace lines carefully and ensure that your recessed fixture sets securely in the soffit. for the soffit underside and the other 8 in. Check your inbox for 15% off your first purchase! Also, tape the drywall joints and fill the screw holes as well. C0A 1N0, 2022 northshore eavestroughing| Our trim is lightly stained 3/4-in. [4] Paul Galow [Website galowconsulting.com ] - technical consultant on networking, LAN design, applications support. Your browser's Javascript functionality is turned off. Check the list of light bulbs indicated on the inside of the can. After you decide the best locations, mark them on the wall with painter's tape about 1 ft. down from the ceiling. Allow for the wiring connections by adding at least 1 foot of cable to every measurement. Well walk you through a simple soffit building method that leaves the existing ceilings and walls intact, so theres no messy drywall repair work. Feed the cable down through the soffit hole and out the remodeling box hole, then run the cable to each soffit light location, stapling it every 2 ft. to the upper part of the 2x4 ledger. We wont show in this article how to set new electrical boxes, run new wires or install the fixtures. Use a stud finder to find any ceiling framing that falls within 24 in. On two sides of the room, ceiling framing will run perpendicular to the walls, and on the opposite sides, it will run parallel.
[9] "Information Bulletin - Recessed Light Fittings", ACE Insurance Limited, CU1-3, Shed 24, Princes Wharf, Auckland 1010, website: http://www.aceinsurance.co.nz/. Just cut your hole out of your ceiling or soffit material, connect your wiring in a junction box as per code requirements, then push your recessed fixture up into the hole. Rip the narrow trim from a 1x3 with a table saw or buy slim moldings. 1995-2022 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Trim the outer edge flush with the plywood. Press the tab that holds the cover on the junction box to the tail of your recessed light fixture. The directions that come with the fixtures will make the clamping system clear. Many of our recessed fixtures are IC rated for direct contact with insulation. Our LED recessed light fixtures work incredibly well in soffit and exterior applications, and we have had thousands of customers do just that. Coil both ends and temporarily tack them to the framing with a staple, then continue running the cable to the rest of the lights. Enjoy Trade Discounts and Personalized Service. (You'll have to carve out the back of the drywall later to eliminate the bulge caused by the nailing flange.). T. 4-inch recessed light fixtures are the most common size used for 12-Volt systems. brads. To make sure you don't overload the circuit, add up the wattage of each bulb you intend to use (our total was 450 watts) and any other appliances or lights already on the circuit. Before doing any electrical work, ensure power is turned off at the breaker. Drywall the soffit faces first. 3-inch and 5-inch recessed light fixture sizes are design alternatives to the 6-inch system. Level the bottoms even with the ledger and screw them to the 2x2 with 2-in. [14] "Downlights, Recessed Downlight Housings - Installation", Lucifer Lighting Company, 414 Live Oak St., San Antonnio TX 78202, Tel: 210-227-7329, www.luciferlighting.com, [15] "Outdoor Recessed Light Kit Installation Instructions, apply to downlights / stair lights", Dekor, 2655 Santa Fe Unit 4H, Denver CO 80223, 2011, Customer Support: 800-258-0344, Website: www.DE-Kor.com. Insert the remodel recessed lighting fixtures tail into the hole cut in the soffit. Avoid splices for a more polished look. compliance tools REScheck, New Jersey edition and Replace the existing light switch with an astronomic timer switch that will automatically turn the lights on at dusk. You'll need roughly: You'll also need 1x4 material for the soffit trim (Figure A) and 3/4 x 5/8-in. But even better, it offers a perfect home for lightinggeneral lighting for the room as a whole and recessed lights for practical uses like illuminating closets and reading, as well as for highlighting artwork and display shelves. Todays energy choice: Generators, batteries, or both? The rest of the framing will be spaced either 16 or 24 in. Instead, our lights are held in place by a simple spring mechanism. A light switch by an entry door or an independent circuit installed in your main breaker panel could be your power source. from any that you find. Your email address will not be published. Keep the ledger exactly even with the 8-in. If using this method with more than one aspectLED fixture size, be sure to match the correct fixture wires to the correct driver. This is just one more reason why LED is the way to go for your soffit lighting application. Put a mark on the soffit by tracing the template of the remodel pot light fixtures and then cut the holes with a keyhole saw. That allows them to be pointed straight downward for installations up to a 6/12 pitch. From there, forward the cable onto the next consecutive openings until they're all covered. All that is required is a spare outlet that we can plug this unit in to. The videos are wonderful to show how this install is done, and answers alot of questions that arise with the install. By choosing a fixture that includes a motion sensor and day-night controls, the owners can leave this fixture switched "on" 24-hours a day. Sign up for our newsletter! Now found at UNSAFE OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURES are photographs & text discussing examples of outdoor "lighting" practices to avoid. Lower 48 United States Only. Snap the cover of your recessed light back on its junction box. Article 410 Parts M and N: Please turn it on so that you can experience the full capabilities of this site. If you have not already done so, remove one of the vinyl panels from your soffit to inspect the interior area for space, clearances, and also to see how the soffit was constructed. Drill 1/2-in. If possible, buy 2x2s and 2x4s as long as each wall. View our Privacy Policy here. thick drywall, One 8-ft. length of tear-away drywall edging, A 1-lb. On the installation sheet for your pot lights you'll see and follow any clearance and support details given by the fixture manufacturer. Clamp and screw a 1x2 nailer flush with the plywood lip using 1-5/8 in. Lets talk about how it works. Heres how you can install exterior recessed lights. home improvement and repair website. All rights reserved. 6-inch recessed light fixtures are the most common size used for 120-volt recessed light systems. More on that next.