ᐅ New Construction Lighting: Spotlights and Electrical Preparation for Ceiling Fixtures?

Created on: 15 Aug 2017 11:32
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R.Hotzenplotz
Hello,

we visited a model home park on Sunday. We noticed that almost all the houses had recessed ceiling spotlights installed throughout most of the house. Traditional ceiling fixtures for standalone lamps were hardly seen.

Is it now standard practice to plan integrated lighting throughout the entire house? Would you recommend designing the whole house with recessed spotlights from start to finish, top to bottom?

We are not opposed to the idea, but would like to hear about the advantages and disadvantages to weigh up the options. What have your experiences been in this regard?
RobsonMKK15 Aug 2017 21:16
R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
What approach makes sense here? Ask who will handle the electrical trades and arrange a meeting with them?

Electrician and shell builder, possibly also the structural engineer. For precast concrete slabs, the opening might already be left out during production.
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Nordlys
15 Aug 2017 21:24
What are precast concrete slabs? I only know drywall or cast-in-place concrete. Using spotlights on concrete is quite impractical. Karsten
RobsonMKK15 Aug 2017 21:42
Prefabricated hollow-core slabs are delivered to the construction site ready-made and are then cast in place after the reinforcement has been installed.
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Nordlys
15 Aug 2017 21:59
Ok. Thanks. So, in the end, a concrete ceiling after all. I imagine it’s quite complicated to install recessed spotlights in that. In our bungalow, there is no concrete ceiling, only a wooden structure with insulation wool, a vapor barrier, and drywall underneath. Installing spotlights there is obviously quick and easy with a hole saw.
RobsonMKK15 Aug 2017 22:10
That’s why planning in advance is essential; the holes are then reserved at the factory.
The advantage of precast concrete slabs, in my opinion, is that only the joints need to be filled, unlike with cast-in-place concrete where the entire ceiling has to be smoothed.
K
Knallkörper
15 Aug 2017 22:34
Maria16 schrieb:
No idea if such problems only occur in solid construction with prefabricated composite ceilings...

In our case, all the boxes were perfectly installed according to the drawing into the composite ceiling. And there are over 50 of them. The ceiling elements themselves are also manufactured quite precisely, so I don’t understand why the boxes were handled carelessly in your case. That’s not normal. Overall, we installed nearly 90 recessed lights, and in addition, we also have regular lamp outlets. We are very, very satisfied with this. I don’t see any disadvantages. If you don’t like it anymore, the box can be closed up and wallpapered over.

Furthermore, the recessed housings can later be used as standard lamp outlets. For us, one “box” cost 40 euros, meaning the Kaiser Halo-X housing, fully wired and encased. For light sources, I can recommend dimmable LEDON products. Lamp style is a matter of personal taste.

Installing recessed lights in drywall ceilings is comparatively more difficult – it creates dust, the cable needs to be relocated, the vapor barrier (where present) must be protected, and the maximum installation depth is less.