Hello, I am laying out may electrical plan and wondering if I really need can lights in my theater. The problem is that 3 of them will have to go into a soffit that houses the main HVAC trunks and other stuff and will be very hard to back box them in and do not want to compromise my soundproofing. I have four sconces leading down a very large staircase and there plenty of light which leads me to believe that 6 sconces in the HT would be sufficient?

So from you experience and from my rough drawing below do you think I need them or scrap um?

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh263/jeffcjeffc/CanLights.jpg

thanks Jeff

I have been in my theater for three years and I have still not got around to putting in the can lights. We have a tray light, wall washing lights and on center light used for cleaning.

Some day I will add three lights that highlight the screen. An then some day I might put in the cans. The circuit, computer controls, wire and switch are all in so it will not be that hard. Then I also might suspend a star ceiling with a frame around it with some small caned lighting in the frame. It is all still up end the air.

I never put in Cans and don't regret it.....I have 3 sconces in the room that provide sufficient light for clean-up.

Thanks
I could do something like Swithey did around the star field as GPowers mentions. That would solve the swiss cheese effect in the Dwall and GGlue

Need some more thoughts to push me off the fence, one direction or the other! Just would hate to have to add to the "what I would do different thread" :)

I didn't want to poke holes in the ceiling either, so I didn't go with cans. Jsut 6 sconces around the perimeter and track lights above the seating for reading light.

Track lights are mounted onto pancake boxes surface mounted to he ceiling (same way sconces are on the walls) so the only penetration is a 1/2" diameter hole for the romex that is filled with acoustic caulk.

i have 6 installed and planned on using them for cleaning...
but they are rarely used.. my 4 sconces are plenty .

Between 4" and 6" cans I have > 20 in my theater area (50 in the whole basement), along with sconces, tray rope, tracks, and pendants. Eleven different lighting zones.

I didn't back-box, but did use air-tite IC rated cans.

I love the way they look, and I can hav a variety of lighting setups for movies, gaming, sports, parties, cleaning, etc... They do proably compormise sound isolating somewhat, but I love the look and lighting flexibility.

I stalled for weeks over 'cans' or 'no-cans'. It held up my installing a second layer of drywall on the ceiling. My big concern was: If I end up with a very dark ceiling, would sconces have a tough time doing the job?

In the end, since I had no definitive way of answering the question, I went with 5 cans. I realized that if I put in the can's, I definitely would not regret it. If I didn't put in cans, it might work out fine, but I (or my wife) might wish I had.

In my case, making the sound-proof boxes was easy (see the last page of my thread), and I have easy access above my theater. The boxes are done, but not yet installed.

Track lights are mounted onto pancake boxes surface mounted to he ceiling (same way sconces are on the walls) so the only penetration is a 1/2" diameter hole for the romex that is filled with acoustic caulk.

Not sure what pancake boxes are....I have an idea. Any brand suggestions on the caulk?

Between 4" and 6" cans I have > 20 in my theater area (50 in the whole basement), along with sconces, t

I didn't back-box, but did use air-tite IC rated cans.

We have a bunch of cans in our new place too- And love the look as well. What Cans did you go with?

I stalled for weeks over 'cans' or 'no-cans'. It held up my installing a second layer of drywall on the ceiling. My big concern was: If I end up with a very dark ceiling, would sconces have a tough time doing the job?

In the end, since I had no definitive way of answering the question, I went with 5 cans. I realized that if I put in the can's, I definitely would not regret it. If I didn't put in cans, it might work out fine, but I (or my wife) might wish I had.

In my case, making the sound-proof boxes was easy (see the last page of my thread), and I have easy access above my theater. The boxes are done, but not yet installed.

pmeyer - sounds like we fret over the same things! This is kind of my thinking too in terms of regretting not putting them in. Nice build thread by the way.

After thinking more about what Swithey did around his star field that might be a nice compromise and get the lights over the seating. I would want to keep this narrow as possible.

Any ideas on that approach?

Thanks for the input....and you would think this would be the least of my worries!

I find the cans in my space to be very useful - both in combination with sconces and rope lighting, but to turn up full - for cleaning.

Trust me - you'll need lots of light!

Randy

Can lights are very useful. However, I did not put any in my theater due to hvac issues and sound control. Theater is 14x23 and I used 5 sconces with 60w bulbs. The sconces are all glass front so they shine up and down and also out. Sometimes it a bit dark in there for detail work but nothing I can't deal with.

Not sure what pancake boxes are....I have an idea. Any brand suggestions on the caulk?


Pancake box is a 1/2" deep box for mounting lights/smoke detectors/etc. I have the ceiling covered in fabric (like the walls) on 1" furring strips. The pancake box is screwed into 1/2" wood strips and then the drywall and surrounded by 1" furring strips for stapling the fabric. I don't know if this link will work, but go to Home Depot's "Just for Contractors" and search on pancake box: http://contractorservices.homedepot.com/StoreProducts/ProductInfo.aspx?cid=852510&pid=238cbfe9-5db9-4d38-b8ff-b78b3e9eb621

Fro caulk, I used OSI SC-175. Searched for drywall suppliers on Google Local and picked up a case from a guy a couple miles from my house.

After much debate I think I will go with some small 4 inch cans around the star field. Seems like a nice compromise and should look pretty cool. Best of all will not have to put holes in the drywall. Down side will loss a bit of width of the start field..

I recall seeing some small compact cans on here somewhere, but wasn't able to find them again. Anyone recall this? Any suggestions?

thanks Jeff

I recall seeing some small compact cans on here somewhere, but wasn't able to find them again. Anyone recall this? Any suggestions?

I just recently installed Lithonia Lighting L3R 3" remodel cans to wash my screen with light. They're IC compatible with certain trims and bulbs. They were also pretty cheap - $20/can & $11/eyeball trim. Standard trims are even less. I'm pretty happy with the results. I have no can lights in my room; but after doing these, I think I'll be adding 4 of these in the main seating area.

-Edward

We have a bunch of cans in our new place too- And love the look as well. What Cans did you go with?


For the main ceilings- Halo H7ICAT 6" Cans: (http://susie:32171/basement/slides/IMG_1381.htm)

http://caesare.homeip.net:32171/basement/slides/IMG_1381.jpg


For the soffits- Halo H99ICT 4" Cans: (http://caesare.homeip.net:32171/basement/slides/IMG_1382.htm)

http://susie:32171/basement/slides/IMG_1382.jpg

I found some nice 3rd party trim rings for 10x cheaper than Halo trims...

I just recently installed Lithonia Lighting L3R 3" remodel cans to wash my screen with light. They're IC compatible with certain trims and bulbs. They were also pretty cheap - $20/can & $11/eyeball trim. Standard trims are even less. I'm pretty happy with the results. I have no can lights in my room; but after doing these, I think I'll be adding 4 of these in the main seating area.

-Edward

Thanks these seem to be perfect size!