although chris i think our enthusiasm for this stuff is a sure sign of aging... :killer:

 

shhhhh.....

 

 

fdl, BTW, is the builder installing them? They were crazy expensive when I bought.

 

Hell no. I know an electrician.

Builder wanted $200 per light.

 

I think I was going to be charged $275.

 

well it was $200 for the big can lights, and an extra $60 for the small lights. crazy.

 

So how do you plan on installaing after you've taken possesion? Don'you have to have access to the floor above the kitchen and family room?

 

I was told "its not a problem". But if worse comes to worse we can access from above because i am doing the floors up there.

 

The lights I linked to on the previous page are 'old construction' or remoldeling lights...install very easily.

Either way, the best method is just to access by means of the ceiling & cutting through the drywall(can be messy, but very easily repaired)...going through the floor above is not really an option unless you are speaking of replacing the actual substrate itself.

 

I'm only as old as my DR says I should feel...or something like that...

 

I've installed 40+ recessed lighting fixtures in my parents old house... at maybe $15-25 (US) each + wire.

 

Hey now... I'm only 24! My dad and I finished our basement when I was only 16. I guess I got an early start

 

I believe Home Depot/Lowes regularly carry the fixtures sans trim ring for $35/6. Hell, I think the copper costs more these days.

 

sadly, the money is in the trim.

 

some people age faster than others

since you've installed so many, how in the heck do you install recessed lights in a cieling with no access from above (like an attic)? does it always involve ripping out and replacing some of your cieling? how do you fish wires up there?

only room i installed in had an attic...

 

Thats what I did in our kitchen. I ripped out a lot of drywall from the ceiling, added the fixtures, then replaced the drywall, taped/mudded/painted, etc.

Its a pain.

For the wire, there was an electrical box up there already, I just had to drill through the studs in order to feed the new conduit I added. If there is no electrical box up there, you would have to feed power from below, which means you need to tear out a bit of the wall too and fish wire from some connection on the wall.

 

forget that ish...


track lighting was so easy...maybe it will come back into style

 

Yeah...fishing wires is a pain & you must have an affinity for spackling(I enjoy it myself).

Just a bunch of labor really...it's not complicated & it's really not expensive at all either.

 

ok you lost me on that one. you're a sick sick man.

edit: its the sanding not the spackling that makes me want to jump off a cliff

 

See, that's the point...if you do it well, you need only do a small amount(if any) sanding. I use a scothbrite sponge when it's 90% dry and smooth over any trouble spots. After that...say 24 hours later, I run the shop vac with this>
http://imagex.homedepot.com/f/248/13...s/161604_3.jpg

(actually, mine is just the $15 version, sans the water bucket)

 

no wonder! that's the coolest invention i've ever seen.

inside of my house was totally coated in white dust while i was sanding the drywall...what a nightmare.

time to buy a shop vac.

 

I normally just use the screened sander with the vac on...costs about $15. But since I saw that water-bong-type filter...and how easy it would be to duplicate...I've been thinking about making one myself.

 

Go for it - Recessed lighting looks great in the kitchen - you can have them over the counters - plenty of work light. You can either put the valence lights under too or it looks really nice if you put them on top of the cabinets - out of sight - they shine up to the ceiling - strictly for looks, nothing else - very nice look (obviosuly a lower wattage)