How many downlights in a room?

[MrGwythers]

Hello I'm an apprentice looking for tips and techniques. I asked this question before but got no response.
When it comes to installing downlights what is your method for how many downlights you require?
Do you do the lumen calculation or are there other quick ways to do it.
Thanks.

 

[pc1966]

There are some on-line light calculators such as this:

Lighting Calculator

This lighting calculator determines how many light bulbs you need to illuminate a particular space.

www.omnicalculator.com

But critical to the overall question is:

• What folk will do with the room
• To some extent if it is decorated light or dark colours
• How even the lighting has to be, and/or if any points in the room need special highlighting (e.g. kitchen work top)
• Folks personal preferences for light intensity (I like bright light so I can read or do detailed work, some friends find it too much and just want low light for not walking in to things / standing on the kids or pets, etc)

Having some control also helps, whether it is dimmable lights or (in large area) switching of banks to allow various levels to be achieved.

 

[MrGwythers]

There are some on-line light calculators such as this:

Lighting Calculator

This lighting calculator determines how many light bulbs you need to illuminate a particular space.

www.omnicalculator.com

But critical to the overall question is:

• What folk will do with the room
• To some extent if it is decorated light or dark colours
• How even the lighting has to be, and/or if any points in the room need special highlighting (e.g. kitchen work top)
• Folks personal preferences for light intensity (I like bright light so I can read or do detailed work, some friends find it too much and just want low light for not walking in to things / standing on the kids or pets, etc)

Having some control also helps, whether it is dimmable lights or (in large area) switching of banks to allow various levels to be achieved.

Cool, thanks for the reply all the jobs I'm on are big sites and have designs/drawings with them all layed out so want to learn for if I ever go at it alone.

 

[Dannyboybl00]

You need to consider celling height, wall colour, any other local lighting (feature lights, wall lights),
As a general rule on ceilings around 2400 ffl I'll go for between 1200 and 1400mm spacing between the downlights with around 400lm lamps.

Integral LED fittings tend to have a lower spread angle than GU10s so this needs to be taken into consideration when spacing or trying to achieve a certain lux level.

 

[DefyG]

the jobs I'm on are big sites and have designs/drawings with them all layed out

Have they been 'designed' or are they just the architects interpretation of a proposed layout?

 

[Dustydazzler]

In the old days of halogen downlights , general room lighting about every 1.5 mtr , and kitchens every 1 mtr

it Wasn’t an exact science but that was how I did it

 

[Mike Johnson]

Lux levels and colour range have a massive impact on the room, as has been said above it accords to what the room is used for, IMO daylight white in a kitchen, but lots of people go for mood lighting in all the rooms, so dimmers come into the equations, there are specialist companies that do this type of thing and earn lots doing it.

I was involved with a high profile celebrity (the one with the silly laugh) and mood lighting was a priority during the design and build, I met him a couple of years later and asked if he still used the very expensive dimmers, he said no they just found the level they liked and left it there.

 

[Zerax]

I know it's a personal opinion... but even 1 downlight is 1 downlight too many ! I always try to light the walls/ceilings if I can... although for me, lighting design is a difficult and complex thing.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The norm now days in high end properties is dropped ceiling around the perimeter of the room and strip lighting recessed behind the drop, with downlighter in the high part separately switched, all with colour changing controlled from a remote or an iPhone. ?

 

[FatAlan]

My designs tend to be based on where the ceiling joists are ?

 

[Strima]

I know it's a personal opinion... but even 1 downlight is 1 downlight too many ! I always try to light the walls/ceilings if I can... although for me, lighting design is a difficult and complex thing.

All well and good but not ideal when you can't see to chop the carrots up.

 

[Zerax]

All well and good but not ideal when you can't see to chop the carrots up.

Well... eating more carrots would help with that.

But seriously... to me that's 'task lighting'... so yeah directed light is needed, but from the ceiling ? I'm amazed at the number of brand new kitchen installs that I see without under cabinet lights !

 

[Strima]

I'm amazed at the number of brand new kitchen installs that I see without under cabinet lights !

Like the ones I put in for my wife but she's now covered all the worktops in 'stuff' so pointless having them... ???

 

[Mike Johnson]

Ceiling lights are fine if you live in a very old building where you can reach the ceiling just standing up, makes decorating easy. ?

 

[MrGwythers]

Have they been 'designed' or are they just the architects interpretation of a proposed layout?

All designed with spacing measurements all ready given the engineers use dialux software which can work it all out for you. It's good for the big jobs but just wanted to know a quicker way for small domestic jobs instead of time consuming software design.

 

[MrGwythers]

I'm still learning this lighting design process there is alot of stuff to think about, from most videos I've watched from credible lighting designers and from what's been mentioned in the thread, downlights are going out of fashion and strip lighting around the perimeter in the coving is the new preferred look.

 

[moose]

Its been a while but, here is my ten pence worth. Hope it helps.

Its not a new thing its just re designed fitting upgrade. I have worked on old Erm is it Coffers a form of cavity within the ceiling lit with don't laugh but a good old fluro 6ft all lined up to form the continues line of bright light.

LED all lined up look the same. New tech and needs sorting out.

The ceiling thing for your knowledge just look up and say will this look good with 4/ 6 or 8 lights you will always find you can make a fit and usually looks great to see when finished.

Measure the ceiling and Divide by 4 fittings +1wall (5) Then this will space out your fittings.

So 4000mm divide by 5 = 800mm between each fitting. and soo on.

Remember too many and it will look ridiculous. Once you do one you learn by your mistakes.
I myself feel that LED at the moment are far to bright and need to be reduced. So make sure you know what you are fitting. power wise. they all look different and are powered very different saying the same power outings. example 3.5w 4w 5w and all do the same light. Some are more intense than others.

 

[Mike Johnson]

All LED's normally have a lumen output denoted on them, the important thing is if you need Daylight or Warm white output, lumen's go down with the Daylight White that looks like an old tungsten light, better for lounge, but Daylight White for work area's i.e. Kitchens.

 

[nicebutdim]

All LED's normally have a lumen output denoted on them, the important thing is if you need Daylight or Warm white output, lumen's go down with the Daylight White that looks like an old tungsten light, better for lounge, but Daylight White for work area's i.e. Kitchens.

I don't like anything other than warm white (3000K) for general lighting in kitchens, especially if they incorporate a dining area, but prefer 4000K for under cabinet lights.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I did say working area's.