[WEGL08]

Hi all,
My house was built in the late 90s and has a lot of dome lights all over the place. I'm slowly trying to replace them with recessed LEDs. I've been reading guides on sizing/layout/quantity but I would like yals expertise on this as well.

I drew my upstairs layout in the attached picture. The gray areas is where I'm trying to replace the lighting. Anything blue is open to the downstairs (just has banisters blocking it off). The gray area is essentially a BIG/semi-opened hallway.

Ceiling height is approx 8.5-9ft. Was thinking 2 parallel rows running the length of the upstairs hallway, using 4inch LEDs but again - I'm a newbie.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!

 

[3onthetree]

Although your drawing is probably only a basic representation of what it looks like, probably 1 row of cans is sufficient.

 

[WEGL08]

Thank you for the response. Is there a rule of thumb or something for how wide an area should be before going with 2 rows vs a single row? This "hallway" is 9.5 ft wide

 

[3onthetree]

Not really rules of thumb, just throws of lights and photometrics. But you can generally say for most situations spacing for a 6" can around 4'-6' and a 4" can 3'-5'. Typically you don't want a really bright hallway like a kitchen or surgery room.

9.5' is oddly wide for the whole length, but you don't need to throw off the side of the balconies, and because it is a hallway you don't need to light the edges out of the walking path and not as concerned with getting the throw close to the ceiling on the wall which would just light the doors (a few hanging pictures notwithstanding). 6" cans may be better, but it's really hard to lay something out on that representative drawing, and the stairs may require something else too.

Maybe pics or the original construction docs would help.

 

[WEGL08]

Here are 2 pictures of the upstairs, 1 form each end of the "hallway."

I Unfortunately I don't have actual blueprints - that's why I had to make my powerpoint masterpiece.

 

[3onthetree]

Just a word of warning I tend to explain my thinking rather than give a simple yes or no, that way you can make decisions for yourself.

I would go with a single row of 6" recessed cans near the centerline of the hallway. If integrated LEDs I would choose a baffle (not flush is my preference) about 900 lumens (65 watt equivalent). Reason being a large part is open to both sides, the attic hatch in the way, and the nook area by the window can align then. Spaced somewhere between 6'-8' apart, starting with where they fall on the stair. I think here you can vary the spacing a bit if necessary and it won't be very noticeable.

A 4" recessed can (600 lumens 60 watt equiv) will give a similar beam angle (about 12' wide on the floor with your 8' ceiling height), but lesser field angle for the walls. Bumping to 2 rows of these IMO is just too much lighting to throw off the balcony. The one benefit would be to have direct lighting over the stair, but the hatch would kill lighting the hallway next to the stair. One way around all this though is to do a diagonal layout, but that might look odd from the 1st floor.

Couple things to think about:
- do you plan on installing a hanging light over the stair?
- is the other stair (or Juliet balcony, can't tell) lighted by a foyer chandelier?
- any plans for wall sconces or hanging lamp in the window nook?
- a dimmer is always good to install with LEDs, however, if you have a 3-way or 4-way switch that negates their use a little.
- color temperature selectable fixtures are always a bonus

P.S. a CO detector is required within 15' of a bedroom (and smoke in each). Not sure, but I see something by the bath, but not by the Master Bedroom. Just throwing that out there.

 

[Old Thomas]

Lighting calculations take into account the color temperature and intensity of luminaries, distances from light sources, personal preferences, the activity occurring under the lights and the color/reflectivity of the surfaces in the lighted area.
I personally like light in the 5000k range and kind of bright. Others like soft levels of 3000k light.