Recessed Lights Installed... lessons learned

This weekend I finished the installation of recessed lights in my kitchen. I suppose those years of stagecraft and lighting design did come in handy. The 6" cans were arranged to highlight the center island, and also provide general task lighting in the kitchen. Placement is accurate to within 1/8th of an inch. The house itself wasn't built to that precision, since certain walls aren't quite that straight. :-)

The original light was a simple translucent plastic fluorescent fixture. The day after I closed on the house, I pulled the fixture just to force myself to actually do the work. Wires dangled from the ceiling for a month until I moved in and got fed up with the lack of light. The existing fixture was wired through a 3" opening centered on the ceiling, but not on the island. Since I had to enlarge that opening, I did shift it slightly before installing the first light.

Since an opening already existed, I had very little choice in placement of the center light over the island. Since I did use this one, I was able to harness the existing circuits already wired in for the old fixture.

Items needed (total cost ~$100):

• Drywall Knife ($5)


• Drywall Circle Cutter (recommended, but not required... $8, eBay)


• 6" IC-rated Recessed Light Kit, 6-pack (~$35)


• 6" Baffle Trim ($40)


• 12-gauge 2-conductor + ground wire ($10)

Lessons learned:

• Buy a drywall circle cutter. I like the Stanley "Goldblatt" Drywall circle cutter. This can easily be had for $8 shipped on eBay. This model only requires a single hand, and is incredibly easy to use.
• Buy more wire than you think you need. 25 feet was just barely enough to wire up the 5 lights I have installed.
• Wire lights from below, prior to installing them in the ceiling. Stripping wire and tightening wire nuts in an extremely hot, dark attic while standing on support beams and balancing a flashlight gets hard after light #3...
• Buy expensive-looking baffles, but be 100% sure they fit in your fixture! This is the only part of the light that's visible... the ones I purchased attach with springs which should fit most well-designed housings.
• Don't forget the amount of heat your new lights will generate. 5 65-watt lamps has raised the temperature in my kitchen a few degrees.


• Consider buying a laser level to get "true" alignment on the ceiling, rather than relying on measurements off of imperfect wall edges. If that's not possible, use painter's tape to mask off lines for alignment, using a square to make sure the angles are true.


• Wear gloves when handling insulation.


• Consider how shadows will be cast. In my case, my stove is well-lit because two separate lights illuminate it from the sides, even when you're standing directly in front of it. However, my sink is dim because a person standing at it blocks the light, since the fixture is positioned over his or her shoulder.
• Be sure to use "IC-rated" lights that are safe for contact with insulation.
• Once you have your light placement marked on the ceiling from below, drill small holes and poke wire hangers through the ceiling so that you can know the exact placement of the fixtures, and move any obstructions that might be in the way (like AC ducts).

Next up? Under-cabinet lights. :-) I have to repurpose a "dishwasher" wall switch, which might actually require a real electrician since I might need to mess with the breaker box to pull a new circuit...