You Can, Can-Can

High hat, pot light, can light.... these are all just names for recessed ceiling lights. Meaning that the lighting is mounted IN the ceiling rather than the fixture being ON the ceiling. This style of light lends itself to functionality and aesthetics.

Take the time with your builder to design a lighting plan. Updating your fixtures and installing ceiling fans can be done as long as your junction box is there but installing recessed lighting after the fact involves extensive wiring and drywall cutting.

There are three types of lighting you can choose based on the type of light bulb and all are available for can lighting.

1. Incandescent - The least expensive but with the shortest lifespan - about 1,000 hours. The most common wattage in an incandescent bulb is 60-watt. Incandescent bulbs release the most CO2 emissions out of any bulb as they use the most amount of electricity. Looking at cost of electricity in relation to wattage with it costing $0.10 per kilowatt-hour and if you kept a bulb burning for 30,000 hours, an incandescent bulb would cost $180.00.

2. Fluorescent - The mid range in lighting with a lifespan of about 9,000 hours. To match a 60-watt incandescent bulb with the same brightness you would need a 13-15 watt

fluorescent bulb. As far as environmental impact, florescent bulbs do contain mercury and emit mercury vapor. Looking at cost of electricity in relation to wattage with it costing $0.10 per kilowatt-hour and if you kept a bulb burning for 30,000 hours, a fluorescent bulb would cost $39.00.

3. LED - The most expensive of your lighting options with a lifespan of about 50,000 hours. To match the brightness of a 60 watt incandescent bulb you would need a 6-8 watt LED bulb. Looking at cost of electricity in relation to wattage with it costing $0.10 per kilowatt-hour and if you kept a bulb burning for 30,000 hours, a fluorescent bulb would cost $25.00.

Once you have chosen the type of bulb, recessed lights are made up of many parts but the two main components are the housing and the trim.

Trim - refers to the visible part of the fixture that and works to direct the light source. The trim serves a functional and decorative role. If you do not like the white surround there are a number of other color and finish options; you can even opt for square lights. While what the trim looks like is aesthetically important, it also serves an even more important role of how your light shines and there are several types of trims.

Baffle Trim - the most common type of can lighting trim and can be detected by its' ribbed interior. The ridging is designed to reduce glace which makes it great for spaces such as a home office.

Open Trim - Similar to Baffle trim but without the ridges. This type of trim does not reduce glare but does provide brighter lighting over a larger area versus other types of trim.

Eyeball Trim - The exterior is no different than baffle and open trim but the interior light is adjustable. Great for accent lighting due to its ability to aim the light where you want it.

Wall Wash Trim - A mix of all three of the above trims. The biggest difference is there is a half shield that partially covers the opening which helps evenly focus the light on a specific point such as a painting.

Shower Trim - For places with high humidity such as showers and bathrooms. Tempered glass covers the light bulb keeping it protected from moisture.

Housing- The housing is the piece of the light fixture that’s mounted in ceiling that holds the light bulb. The trim is installed on the outside of the housing.

Your main options are new construction, remodel, insulation contact (IC), non-IC, airtight, shallow ceiling, and slope ceiling housing

New Construction -created specifically for new homes. Installed before the ceiling is complete, the unit is built into your home.

Remodel Housing - designed for installing in a completed home. This type of housing is easily installed into nearly any ceiling, even those that weren’t built with can lighting in mind.

Insulation Contact Housing - due to housing be inset in the ceiling or wall of home, recessed lighting can create a lot of heat and most times comes into contact with insulation. This type of housing eliminates the transfer of heat and is available for new construction and remodel types of housing.

Non-Insulation Contact Housing - unlike insulation contact housing this does not prevent the transfer of heat. With this type of housing you must leave AT LEAST 3 inches between the housing and insulation.

Airtight Housing - Recessed lighting has to be installed by cutting holes in the ceiling and therefore, it does leave the possibility for air to escape from around your light fixture. Airtight housing does not allow hot or cold air to escape and improves the energy efficiency of your home.

Shallow Ceiling Housing - shallow ceilings, such as those built with 2-inch by 6-inch joists, require special shallow ceiling housing.