Why recessed lighting
Recessed lights sit flush with the ceiling and spread clean, even light across a room. They make low ceilings feel taller, keep sightlines open, and work in kitchens, living rooms, hallways, bathrooms and covered patios. They also pair well with pendants over an island or a chandelier over the table. Done well, the room is what you notice.
Done poorly, you get a grid of holes, dark corners, glare in your eyes and a ceiling that looks like Swiss cheese. The difference is in the planning.
Canless or traditional housings
Canless LED wafers are thin fixtures with the LED and driver built in. They need very little space above the ceiling, so they suit retrofits, tight attics and spots near framing. They are the most common choice for existing homes.
Traditional housings (cans) take a separate trim and module. They allow more trim styles, adjustable gimbals and some specialty optics. They need more room above the ceiling.
We help you choose based on your ceiling, your style and what is above.
Ratings that matter
- IC rated fixtures can be in direct contact with insulation. In an insulated ceiling, that is what you want.
- Airtight (AT) fixtures limit the air that leaks between the room and the attic. In our climate, that keeps hot, humid attic air where it belongs.
- Wet rated trims are required in shower areas and in exterior soffits exposed to rain. Damp rated trims suit covered patios and bathrooms outside the spray zone.
Laying it out
Good layouts start from how the room is used:
- Light the work surfaces: counters, islands, desks.
- Keep fixtures off the walls far enough to avoid harsh scallops, unless you want to wash a wall with light on purpose.
- Use a consistent color temperature through connected spaces.
- Add a separate switch or dimmer for each zone you will use differently.
Our recessed lighting layout guide walks through spacing, color and dimming in more detail.
South Florida ceilings
Many one story homes here have attics that are hot, low and tight under the roofline. That affects how we route wire and which fixtures fit. Many condos have concrete ceilings that cannot take a recessed fixture directly; there, surface mount LED discs or a framed soffit are the realistic options, and we will tell you which one makes sense.
Covered patios and lanais are great places for recessed lighting too, with damp rated or wet rated trims depending on exposure. Soffit lights around the outside of the house are covered under outdoor lighting.
Dimming without flicker
Most flicker and buzz comes from a dimmer that does not match the LED driver. We pair the dimmer with the fixtures, test the full range, and set the low end so the lights dim smoothly instead of dropping out.
Brighten your home
Reef Electrical is family owned and run by Ryan Bye, with 26 years in the trade, and his father, Richard. We are licensed and insured, all of our work is guaranteed, and seniors and military get 15% off. Request service or call the number for your county.
