Downlights for Every Budget and Application.

Downlights can range from $75 to over $750. To choose wisely, understand lumens, ceiling brightness, beam spread, tilt, and color options.

Outdoor Use

Damp- or wet-rated adjustable downlights are ideal for outdoor spaces, illuminating areas like bar tops and highlighting architectural features.

Where to Use Downlights

Downlights aren’t ideal for closets or garages but work well in kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways. Position them to highlight countertops, art, fireplaces, and other features.

Understanding Light Output

Forget watts; lumens measure light output. Fixtures with 800-1000 lumens suit most rooms, while taller ceilings may need 1200-2000 lumens. Some fixtures offer adjustable lumen settings.

Key Features to Consider

• Ceiling Brightness: Low-glare fixtures create a “quiet ceiling” that focuses attention on the room, not the light source.
• Beam Spread: Adjustable optics let you control how wide or narrow the light beam is.
• Color Options: Modern fixtures offer warm-dimming, tunable-white, and full-color capabilities. Warm-dimming is a popular baseline.
• Tilt: Adjustable downlights can tilt to highlight art, fireplaces, and other features, with 30° tilt common in high-quality fixtures.

Fixture Quality and Repairability

Choose fixtures with modular, replaceable components like drivers to ensure longevity.

Terminology

• CRI (Color Rendering Index): Measures how accurately colors appear under the light (0-100 scale).
• Optics: Components controlling light spread and direction.
• Regress: How far the bulb sits inside the fixture, affecting glare and ceiling brightness.

Recommendations

Favorites include Visual Comfort’s Entra CL for value, Liteline’s Luna Dim to Warm for affordability, and DMF’s Artafex 2-in. for pinhole tilt capability.

Overall, downlights are versatile tools with strengths and weaknesses; choosing the right one depends on your specific needs and budget.

Misconception # 1: Some Reno’s Don’t Need Permits

Most electrical upgrades, including basement finishes and kitchen remodels, require permits and inspections to ensure safety. Skipping permits can lead to fines, power shutoffs, and unsafe work.

Myth 2: New Fixtures Are Always Safer

Modern fixtures may require wiring rated for higher temperatures. LEDs can get hot and may not be compatible with older wiring, increasing fire risk. Check fixture labels and wiring compatibility.

Misconception # 3: A New Panel Means New Wiring

Replacing a panel or switches doesn’t guarantee all wiring is updated. Hidden old wiring often remains, posing risks. Always verify permits and inspections for recent work.

Misconception # 4: Adding breakers Means Replacing the Panel

If the panel is in good condition, adding a subpanel can provide more circuit spaces without replacing the main panel. Major upgrades or additions may require a new service.

Misconception #5: You’re protected from lightning if the home is correctly wired

Grounding electrodes and bonding conductors help dissipate lightning energy, but they don’t guarantee protection. A nearby strike can still fry appliances, melt wiring, and even spark fires.

Standard circuit breakers aren’t designed to stop lightning—they trip on overcurrent, not overvoltage. GFCI and AFCI breakers respond to faults and arcs, but all three types can be damaged by lightning before they react.

The fix? Install a whole-house surge protective device (SPD). It’s now required by the 2023 NEC in the united states, but many homes built under older codes lack this safeguard. A Surge protection device can prevent thousands in damage—especially to critical systems like HVAC or well pumps.

we’ve used Surge protection devices for years and recommend them to every homeowner. Not all electricians suggest them, but we think they should in locations where there’s alot of repeated lightning strikes.

Misconception #6: infill or modern homes are less likely to have an electrical fires

Reality: Lithium-ion batteries in personal mobility devices—like e-bikes, scooters, and hoverboards—have become a leading cause of house fires, even in newer homes. These fires can be intense, fast-moving, and sometimes fatal.

The risk spikes when devices lack third-party safety certification. hoverboards skateboards and e-bikes are covered by regulatory bodies that oversee testing and certificatoin. But many products skip this testing, and rough use—collisions, drops, stunts—can damage internal battery components, triggering self-ignition.

Another reason for more house fires in newer homes is the speed at which they’re being built and the attention to detail and quality. it use to be that older homes were the majority of our service calls but in recent years with all the infloor heating, radiant heating and modern day luxuries that come with a new infill there’s more to go wrong. when you factor in the speed at which all of these installations are being completed and the less care involved, we see more service calls from newer homes than from your 1950’s/60’s bungalow.

Best practice: Buy CSA/ULC-certified devices from reputable brands, and store and charge them in a fire-separated garage or outbuilding—not inside your home.

Misconception #7: Romex or Loomex Is allowed Outdoors If mechanically Protected or protected by location

NMD90 cable (Romex/LOOMEX) isn’t rated for UV or moisture exposure. Even inside sealed conduit, it’s vulnerable to water buildup and humidity. 

Misconception #8: Upgrads are easy with exerior mounted conduit

Reality: Running PVC conduit outside can avoid tearing into walls, but it’s not a simple plug-and-play solution. Plastic conduit expands in heat and contracts in cold—over ¼ inch of movement can expose or dislodge wires.

Safe installs require calculating conduit length, factoring in temperature swings, and using expansion fittings or strategic bends. A good electrician will design the run to handle seasonal shifts and keep conductors protected.

Additional Safety Tips and stats

• Replace Electric panels known for unsafe breakers.
• Evaluate aluminum wiring and knob-and-tube wiring for safety.
• Use qualified electricians for inspections and repairs.
• Quality and Time over Speed, you can’t do it fast, even as a professional. Don’t rush into things if you’re doing some electrical work around your own home. Poor electrical work often goes unnoticed until it causes harm. In 2023, over 30,000 residential electrical fires resulted in 235 deaths and $2.0 billion in damages in parts of the united states and canada. Signs like flickering lights, strange noises, or smells from panels or devices should prompt immediate inspection by a qualified electrician.
  In the United States:
  • Peak year for fatalities: According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the number of home fire deaths peaked around 1980.
  • Peak year for injuries: The number of home fire injuries also peaked in 1980.
  • Recent trends: In 2023, there were 2,890 estimated home fire deaths, which was 44% lower than the 1980 estimate. 
• IN Canada:
  • Peak year for fatalities: 2021 saw a sharp increase in fatalities, with 202 deaths reported, up from 148 in 2019.
  • Peak year for fires: 2021 also saw a significant increase in fire incidents. 
  • In Canada, 2021 saw a significant increase in both residential fires and fatalities during the pandemic, according to Statistics Canada.

Take Advantage of Incentives

If you’re not comfortable doing electrical work on your own, you should hire an electrician. often times a short site assessment will answer alot of the questions you have regarding the state of your electrical system. they can walk through your house and give you an idea of what can be done, what constraints you’re working with in the home and if there are incentives available to lesson the financial burden.