vaulted ceiling with recessed lighting
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Hello everyone. This is my first post and appreciate any advise you can offer to me. With the help of a carpenter friend, I have eliminated a dropped ceiling in my kitchen so that I will have a sloped ceiling. The resulting kitchn/dining area is 10’X25′ with the peak being 10′ across. The ceiling is 12′ high at the peak and 8′ on each end. At my wife’s request, I had planned to install recessed lights in the sloped ceiling – 8 of them placed strategically around the kitchen with a 9th one directly over the sink. There would a hanging light over the dining room table at the “other end” of the room. Seemed like a good idea to install recessed lights. However, now I am not told that recessed lighting is not recommended in sloped ceilings because of the lack of ventilation and consequently moisture problems (see Handyman magazine’s most current publication). It has been suggested by my friend that, if there is room between the electrical can and the roof, I could install foam insulation directly above the can – with the regular rolled insulation in the remainder of the ceiling. Perhaps this would significantly reduce the condensation since there would be insulation between the heat source (the can) and the roof. What do you think? Would that work? Would it be dangerous to do? Any other ideas or concerns? I would use 6″ IC fixtures. Thanks for your input. |
Replies
First, welcome
second, you'd have been better off posting this in the General Discussion folder
third, what size rafters do you have ? You should install continuous insulation baffles above the insulation for ventilation. You also need some way for the air to come in at the eves, and leave at the ridge. If the rafters aren't deep enough for the proper amount of insulation and baffles, you should fir down the rafters with the appropriate thickness material.
You're in the wrong folder. Send an email to the sysop and ask them to move this to "Constructiuon" and you'll get better exposure.
So, sounds like you have sheetrock on the underside of the roof rafters ... 2x8 or 2x10 ... filled with insulation. That won't vent real well. I would use some kind of hanging fixture, or a track light system. For one thing, that gives you some latitude as to adjustting the exact location, and there are some neat looking fixtures available.
I did something similar ... changed from a flat ceiling to vaulted ... but I installed new ceiling joists so there's a large gap between them and the roof rafters ... about 4 ft at the ridge. Like a scissors truss but stick framed.
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Edited 8/18/2005 8:45 pm ET by FastEddie
Use slope cans. Several good manufacturers make them. Or you will need to use gimbals or eyeballs to direct the light.
I finished my attic recently and I had a concern about venting. My solution was to fir the rafters down so I would have an air space between the top of the insulation and the underside of the sheathing. Then I provided a continuous vent at the bottom and top with cor-a-vent.(advertised in FH)
One place I didn't have the head room to fir down enough to accommodate fiberglass insulation over a can, I used this solution; place 3/4" strips along the top of the rafter against the roof sheathing to maintain an air gap. Fit 2" extruded polystyrene or other rigid foam between the rafters and push up to the 3/4 strips. I then used 1/4" durock to provide a heat barrier between the can and foam. Some other material would work I'm sure but I had it.
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