How do I Put Recessed Lights in a 44' by 12' Basement?

Keep your basement clutter free by utilizing recessed lighting.

Installing recessed lights in a basement provides excellent lighting while keeping the room free of clutter, by limiting your need for bulky table or floor lamps. Achieving the desired light in a basement living area is more complicated than installing lighting in any other room of your home. Ceilings in basements tend to have little clearance between floor joists and the drywall. If this is the case in your home, be sure to buy a low-clearance recessed lighting kit.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Stud finder
• Recessed lights
• Pencil
• Safety glasses
• Utility knife
• Drywall saw
• Remodeling box
• NM electrical cable
• Flathead screwdriver
• Phillips head screwdriver
• Fish tape
• Combination strippers
• Wire caps

Instructions

Lighting Layout

1. Place the stud finder on the ceiling where the lights will be installed. (Recessed lighting cannot be installed where studs are located.)

2. Mark the cutout areas with a pencil. (Use the template provided in the fixture kit.)

3. Cut along the outline with a utility knife. Finish cutting the area with a drywall saw. If the cutout is not precise, the lights will not clamp tightly.

4. Place the remodeling box, for the light switch, against the wall. Draw an outline of the box. Cut along the inside of the lines with a drywall saw. (Avoid studs by using the stud finder.)

5. Remove cover plates from electrical outlets in the room to locate an end-of-the-run outlet. (New wiring can be installed at the end-of-the-run on an electrical outlet. End-of-the-run outlets have two wires connected to one side instead of four wires.)

6. Replace the cover the plates on the outlets that will not be used as a power source for the lighting. Shut off the power to the area.

7. Remove the screws from the mounting bracket, on the outlet, with a screwdriver.

8. Cut out a small section of drywall or plaster from the ceiling and wall above the outlet and remodeling box. Drill a 1-inch hole through the center of any framing that maybe present.

9. Feed the fish tape through the cutout down to the outlet. Tape the cable to the fish tape. Pull the fish tape and cable through the hole. Disconnect the cable from the fish tape.

10. Bend the electrical cable. Insert the cable into the drilled hole. Pull the cable through the hole.

11. Feed the fish tape through the cut out above the light switch. Tape the cable to the fish tape. Pull the cable through the hole. Disconnect the cable from the fish tape.

12. Feed the fish tape through the hole for the remodeling box to the cut out in the ceiling. Tape the cable to the fish tape. Pull the cable through the hole for the remodeling box.

Running cable for additional lights

1. Feed the fish tape from the next light hole to the first light. Tape the another section of electrical cable to the fish tape. Pull the fish tape and cable through to the second hole.

2. Feed fish tape from the third hole to the second hole. Attach a separate section of cable to the fish tape. Pull the fish tape and cable through. (Repeat this process for each additional light fixture.)

3. Feed fish tape from the fourth hole to the third hole. Attach a separate section of cable to the fish tape. Pull the fish tape and cable through. (Repeat this process for each additional light fixture.)

1. Strip the insulation and coating off the ends of the new cable at the outlet with combination strippers.

2. Attach the white wires to the side of the outlet with the chrome screws. Black wires attach to the side with gold screws. Ground wires, which are green, attach to the green screw on the bottom of the outlet.

3. Pop off the first light fixtures junction box plate. Pull the cables through the box. Clamp the cables in place.

4. Strip the insulation from both cables with combination strippers. Connect the wires from the cables and the light together with wire caps. (Black to black, white to white, ground to ground.)

5. Fold the wires into the box. Replace the plate. Pull the clips in on the light with a screwdriver. Place the light box into the hole. Push the box up until it is tight in the ceiling. Push each clip up and outward with a screwdriver until a click is heard. Install the lighting trim according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Additional lights

1. Strip the insulation from both cables at the second light location.

2. Connect the wires from the cables and the light together with wire caps. (Black to black, white to white, ground to ground.)

3. Fold the wires into the box. Replace the plate. Pull the clips in on the light with a screwdriver. Place the light box into the hole. Push the box up until it is tight in the ceiling. Push each clip up and outward with a screwdriver until a click is heard. Install the lighting trim according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Wiring the switch

1. Connect the cable from the outlet to the switch. White wire connects to top chrome screw, black wire to the gold screw.

2. Connect the wire from the first light fixtures cable. White wire to bottom chrome screw. Black wire to bottom gold screw. Ground wire, if present, to green screw on the bottom of the switch.

3. Install the outlet and wall switch to the wall using the screws provided for the mounting brackets. Install the cover plate.

4. Turn power on after connecting all the cables to the light fixtures and switch.

References

• "The Home Depot": Home Improvement 1-2-3; Meredith Publishing; 2008

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish