Recessed lighting is a great way to add lighting to your home without taking up valuable space – vitally important if it’s a small bedroom you’re trying to add light to.
They have their pros and cons for sure, including the cost of installing them but on balance there are far more reasons to want them than to not.
But a question we get a lot here at Cavelights – how do you measure recessed lights? It may seem like a simple question, but there’s actually a lot more to it.
Let’s take a look.
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Quick Links
- What do you mean by measuring recessed lights?
- How to measure recessed lights
- Common mistakes in measuring recessed lighting
- Frequently asked questions
What do you mean by measuring recessed lights?
The first and most obvious question is: what do you mean by ‘how do you measure recess lights?’.
Most likely you’re referring to the size, meaning the inside diameter of the housing (can) with the trim or LED module removed.
However recessed lights can also be measured by:
- Housing Height/Depth: Standard and shallow housings with different heights are available.
- Maximum Wattage: Ratings for IC Rated and Non-IC incandescent housings vary.
- Efficiency: Measured by lumens per watt (lm/W), indicating energy efficiency.
How to measure recessed lighting
Assuming you’re referring to the physical measurements of your recess lights, to measure the size of your recessed lights:
- Remove the light’s trim or LED module.
- Measure across the opening of the inside of the light’s housing at the widest point.
Housing sizes will typically be close to whole numbers, such as 3″, 4″, 5″, or 6″.
Common mistakes in measuring recessed lighting
- Measuring the outside of the trim – Measuring the outside of the trim, albeit quite common, is measuring the wrong thing. It’s the inside of the light housing you want to be measuring, as this is what the recessed light is placed into.
- Measuring the diameter of the cut-out opening in the drywall – Again, another common mistake is measuring the diameter of the cut-out opening in the drywall. The housing goes inside the cut-out, and then the recessed light goes inside the housing.
Frequently asked questions
What about canless lights?
Canless lights are different, as they don’t have a housing. So, if measuring canless lights you will want to measure the diameter of the cut-out in the ceiling, as this is where they are placed.
Where should I place recessed lights?
Recessed lights should be placed in the same places as other ceiling lights like pendant lights – where they will provide ample light spread evenly around the room.
We have a full blog post on how to do this in the living room here.
VIEW OUR CAVELIGHTS RECOMMENDED RECESSED LIGHTS HERE.
Related Posts
- How to Install Recessed Lighting in Your Home Without Attic Access
- How to Remove Recessed Light Fixture from Ceiling: The Complete Guide
- How to Change a Recessed Light Bulb
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