Upstairs Downlights - help

[Polystyrene]

Okay I have a small bedroom with a flat roof and I've always wanted to swap my boring dangling light for 4 Downlights with smart coloured bulbs. I went to college and did electrical but even though I never got qualified I've changed light fittings enough with no problem that I thought id be able to fit my own.

Anyway, turns out I was wrong and ive ran into a few issues.

First one is ive drilled the holes but as their are wooden joists/beams (never even thought about that) I cant run the cables easily from each hole

On one side the holes are right next to the joists and as I've read there should be a gap but its only like 1/2cms so im not sure what to do, i dont want to just install them recklessly but how would I make it look right on the roof if i have to move the lights so close the the wall.

I also dont really know how to go about getting the wiring from the center where the light is now over to close to the holes, i was just going to swap the ceiling rose with a junction box and leave it where it is now then plaster it but ive read it needs to be accessible.

Also not sure how to run the wires without drilling through joists, is that acceptable to do or is there a more professional way?

A few images;




Thanks

 

[SJD]

Re the junction at the lights, put it into a Wagobox with Wago maintenance-free connectors (Screwfix sell them), and if done to the instructions, does not need to be accessible.

Re holes next to joists - firstly I assume you are fitting LED downlights and NOT halogens. That being the case, they can be quite close to the joist, so long as the downlight fits without clashing with the timber (as LEDs don't get hot like halogens). But don't be tempted to cut chunks out of any supporting joists to get them to fit.

Two cable routes might not have any timber in the way - along the line of the joists - though there might be extra noggins etc. The route across the joists, maybe you will need to cut holes in the plaster near the joists, to access them and make small holes (this is a 1mm2 twin & earth lighting cable, I guess). If you cut a hole in the plasterboard neatly with a holesaw, you can save the cut out piece, and refit it afterwards, with a small timber batten, if needed.

 

[littlespark]

It’s a flat roof, not floorboards above so chunks out of the joists won’t cause much problems, but I think you should be ok where the holes are.

getting cables to the holes is going to be a problem without patching the ceiling.
cut a square hole in the plasterboard, joist to joist, so there’s enough room to get a drill up and go through the joists. Hopefully you can get from these drilled holes to your light positions.

 

[Leesparkykent]

If four down lights are going to sufficient to light the room it can’t be very big? If that’s the case it would probably cost less than £100 to put a suspended ceiling in, if you can do the work yourself..