How to choose a lamp for a slatted ceiling

Railed ceilings are a common phenomenon today. An increasing number of people prefer such interior solutions due to their availability, convenience, aesthetics and for a number of other reasons. The question arises, how to choose a lamp for a railed ceiling and what are the nuances of choosing lighting in this case. In order to make the right choice, you need to have as much information as possible about the device of slatted ceilings and the corresponding lighting devices.

Design features

The slatted ceiling is a suspended structure. It consists of metal rails that are attached to the base ceiling using a metal frame. Rails are usually made of aluminum. You can also find steel rails on sale, they are significantly cheaper.

The variety of offered materials is large, they differ:

• design,
• sizes,
• color scheme,
• degree of gloss and other characteristics.

The rail ceiling, depending on the components, is suitable for any residential or office space. It is functional, durable, easy to care for, and can be combined with any style – from hi-tech to classic. Modern components make it possible to create complex structures, including multi-level or combined ceilings.

Thinking about lighting such a ceiling, you need to solve two tasks:

• Lighting should be comfortable for the eyes and comply with the rules provided for different rooms and zones.
• Lighting gives the slatted ceiling a finished look. The style of the room largely depends on the design of the installed lighting devices.

The choice is quite wide. Due to the design features of the rail ceiling, lighting devices can be placed in any place. Since the rails are suspended on guides, there is a certain space between the base ceiling and the rail where you can easily lay the necessary communications. A slatted ceiling, like no other, allows you to assemble and implement almost any design solution for room lighting.

Types of lamps for slatted suspended ceilings

Lighting devices for slatted ceilings are presented quite widely today. Depending on the purpose, design, appearance, lamps can be divided into types.

Spot

Such a lamp is a small device with a small light scattering angle. They are used, as a rule, in groups to illuminate different areas or to illuminate a small room. There are two types:

• Rotary Such lamps are equipped with a rotary mechanism that allows you to change the direction of the light beam to illuminate different areas of the room.
• Stationary. There is no turning mechanism, the direction of the beam is constant, strictly downwards. They are very well suited for the bathroom, hallway, kitchen, but can also be used in other rooms to illuminate a specific area.

Built-in

These are lamps that are built into the slatted ceiling directly during installation. Corresponding holes are cut in the rails in the required places, the wires are led in advance to the designated places. The dimensions of the space between the base and slatted ceilings depend, among other things, on the size of the part of the built-in lamp that will be placed in this niche.

Recessed lights come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles.

Invoices

Lighting devices that are mounted on the surface of the ceiling are called overhead. The possibility of combining overhead lights with a slatted ceiling exists, but with some caveats. The slatted ceiling is a light structure, the thickness of the slats is very small. Due to its weight, the overhead light will have to be attached to the base ceiling and lead out through the rail.

Raster

This type of lamps is intended for uniform illumination of large areas due to the peculiarity of their design – the presence of a reflector grid. Raster lamps usually have a strict geometric shape.

Such lighting solutions are perfect for industrial and commercial spaces, offices, etc. They are rarely used for apartment lighting.

The structure has considerable weight, so it requires fixing on the base ceiling.

What light sources are suitable for a slatted ceiling

Lamps can be equipped with different lamps, you need to know the pros and cons of light sources

Incandescent lamps, familiar to everyone and still widespread , are used in all types of lamps, except raster ones. Pros:

• price attractiveness,
• comfortable radiation spectrum.

Cons:

• uneconomical (a large part of the energy goes into heat),
• short-lived (resource about 1000 hours),
• large sizes (built-in lamps with incandescent lamps require a large gap between the slatted and base ceilings),
• prolonged intense heating can cause deformation of the rails.

The device of halogen lamps is similar to incandescent lamps, only the space in the bulb is filled with a gas of a certain composition. This improved version of the incandescent lamp has the following advantages:

• small dimensions (the built-in lamp with a halogen lamp has a height of 3 to 5 cm),
• durability (service life up to 10 years),
• economy.

However, there are certain disadvantages:

• bright white light (it is not always pleasant for the eyes),
• higher cost compared to incandescent lamps,
• increased caution is required in handling (the bulb can break, explode in a wet room, and the gas contained there is dangerous for humans; the rules for disposing of such lamps are also very strict).

Fluorescent lamps have the form of tubes, which are filled with argon or mercury vapor and covered from the inside with phosphor. When the current is turned on, a gas discharge occurs inside the lamp, and it glows. Today, fluorescent lamps are widespread for the following reasons:

• efficiency (the luminous flux is 4-6 times more than that of an incandescent lamp of similar power, which gives a 70-80% saving in electricity)
• durability (resource claimed by manufacturers – 15,000-20,000 hours),
• variety of forms, sizes, types of plinth.

Along with such positive qualities, there are also disadvantages:

• high cost (several times more expensive than an incandescent lamp),
• sensitivity to voltage drops in the network and frequency of switching on / off (service life is reduced),
• unnaturalness of emitted light,
• potential environmental hazard (the lamp requires careful handling and special disposal conditions).

LED lamps , which appeared several decades ago, are gaining more and more popularity today. A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor device that converts electric current into light radiation. The principle of operation is based on the p-n junction phenomenon. The working part of the LED is semiconductors with different types of conductivity: electronic and relevant. During the passage of current, part of the electrons from one plate “jumps out” and “knocks out” electrons from one plate. “Holes” are formed. The annihilation (recombination) of a pair of electrons is accompanied by the emission of light. The study of this phenomenon and the development of technologies have made LED lighting devices in demand and quite common.

LEDs emit monochrome light, the effect of which on vision has not been sufficiently studied (some manufacturers recommend avoiding direct light exposure to the eyes in the instructions for the devices).

Advantages of LEDs:

• durability (serve for 20 or more years),
• compact size and light weight (the size of the LED is about half of a match),
• environmental safety (do not contain dangerous gases, mercury vapor, etc.),
• economy (consume 10 times less electricity than incandescent lamps),
• resistance to moisture and different temperatures,
• do not heat nearby objects and surfaces, do not explode, are safe in terms of fire,
• variety of color solutions (thousands of shades of light, the range of white light varies from warm to cold),
• operate from reduced voltage (12 or 24 V), which significantly increases human safety.

At the same time, one cannot fail to mention the disadvantages:

• high cost
• sometimes LED lighting requires additional equipment (such as a step-down transformer).

Advice on choosing lamps

Choosing lighting for a railed ceiling is a responsible step. The correct choice depends on many factors.

• Determine what you want: working area, lighting, background lighting, etc. Based on this, calculate the number and power of the necessary lighting devices.
• Consider the specifics of the room. If it is, for example, a bathroom, then it is necessary to choose moisture-resistant lamps.
• Choose lamps that harmonize with the interior of the room. So, for the office, raster lamps are suitable, and for a multi-level slatted ceiling, in addition to other lamps, you can use LED strips.
• When choosing light sources, pay attention to their characteristics (resource, safety, warmth of light, etc.), find the best option for yourself.
• Give preference to proven brands. In this case, quality is more important than price.

In everything else, rely on your taste and preferences.

Correctly selected lighting creates comfort and emphasizes the features of the interior. Railed ceilings provide huge opportunities for choosing various lighting options and individual interior solutions. By choosing high-quality lighting devices and installing them correctly, you will get not only convenience, but also aesthetic pleasure.