How to Install Recessed Lighting

If you want to add recessed lighting, it really is not a hard job to do. This type of lighting works great in small areas because it allows you to have lighting without hard to place fixtures or taking up any of the room within the interior space.

Gather your tools and materials. You will need the following for this job:

The recessed lighting kit, making sure to have Insulation Contact lighting (designed to fit in your ceiling without disturbing existing insulation).

Drop Cloth

Safety Glasses

Drywall Saw

Screwdriver

Pencil

Needle nose pliers

Decide where you want your lights to go and then locate the ceiling joists closest to those spots, making a mark on the ceiling with your pencil for future reference. You want to attach your lighting between these joists, if at all possible.

Turn off the power to any electric in the area you are going to be working in, at the circuit or fuse box.

In your lighting kit will be a template. Use your pencil to trace this template where you are installing the light. Put your safety glasses on and commence cutting with a drywall saw. Even though this cut is not so large in scale, it is going to create a mess, so have your floor and existing furnishings left in the room covered with a drop cloth.

Now it is time to reroute your wiring. Take the power cable of the old overhead light and route it to the recessed lighting hookup box by routing the electrical cable into the provided junction box. Follow the instructions to hook up the wires. If you do not have an existing light in place, it is best to call in a professional electrician to do this work.

Once your wires are connected, carefully place your light into the opening you have cut. Built in clips come with your kit to secure the light firmly in place. Secure in place by using the screws that came with the recessed lighting kit.

Now it is time to add the decorative trim. Take your needle nose pliers and attach the trim to the inside of the can. Once in place using the springs to guide you, push the lighting firmly against the ceiling. Add the light bulb. Turn your power back on and test your light. Repeat all steps as necessary until you have the desired amount of lighting installed. If you prefer, you can purchase the type of recessed lighting track that has a track included in it to allow more than one light to be installed at a time in the same area of space.

You have now completed the fairly easy task of adding recessed lights to a ceiling. Clean up the mess made from the cutting and you are ready to enjoy your new lighting.