Description of installing spotlights in a gypsum plasterboard ceiling

Installation of spotlights in gypsum board can be performed quite easily with your own hands, without attracting a master. The article tells about the technical nuances of installing lighting fixtures in a ceiling made of a mixture of plaster and cardboard in the home with step-by-step instructions. Tips and recommendations on how to avoid common problems are also given.

Requirements for the placement of spotlights on the plasterboard ceiling

One strict configuration of the location of spotlights on the plasterboard ceiling there is no, everyone builds it himself. The main question is: what kind of lighting should the spotlights give - complete or zonal? On the basis of this and formed a scheme of arrangement of lighting fixtures. There are no restrictions, but usually one of three configurations is used:

1. In several rows, perpendicular to the wall in which there is a window.
2. Around the pendant chandelier at the periphery of the ceiling. Here, the chandelier is given the role of the main lighting fixture in the room, and spotlights - the role of additional.

Important! There are two rules. The distance between the wall and the spotlight closest to it - at least 60 cm, the distance between rows - a meter.

When installing in staggered order, the same rules are followed.

What you need to have at hand

After marking the places of attachment of lighting fixtures and wiring, the next stage begins - the cutting of holes for the spots. They are called strobes. Their shape is determined by the design of the lamp, it can be round, square, etc.

Example of strobing the ceiling.

To install spotlights in the ceiling of plasterboard will require the following tools and materials:

• electric drill;
• drill bit for woodworking;
• fine and indicator screwdriver;
• terminal screwdriver;
• pliers or pliers.

Types of fixtures and lamps for mounting on the gypsum ceiling

Spotlights for installation in plasterboard ceilings can be recessed or surface-mounted. In recessed spotlights, the technical part is hidden above the ceiling, and the decorative part protrudes above the plasterboard surface. Consignment lights are mounted on the surface, and the method of installation is similar to that of the chandelier. In addition, the design nuances of spotlights for ceilings of drywall may be rotary or fixed, single or block. In the spots used by different types of lamps - from incandescent to energy-saving fluorescent. Most popular now LED lamps.

Read also

Description and types of ceiling lights

 

Selection of points for fixing spotlights, preparation for installation

When the scheme is selected, it is necessary to transfer it to paper in all the details.

It should be drawn the exact location of the lights, observed in the scale of the distance between them.

After that, it is necessary to mark on the ceiling the mounting points of the spotlights.

The next step is wiring. This can be done either after assembling the metal frame on the ceiling, or before it (the second option is more difficult). The main thing is not to allow the lighting fixture and part of the framework to cross at one point, they should be dispersed. All cables must be insulated with a corrugated hose. It not only gives additional protection, but also prolongs the life of the cable. According to the chosen scheme of fixing the spots, the connection can be in series or in parallel. As for the wires - no need to torture yourself with calculations of the cross-section depending on the power consumption. Suitable cross section 1.5 mm² PVS. Material - soft copper.

Installing the fixtures

Getting to the installation of lighting fixtures, you need to make sure that there is no current in the network. This is done by checking the socket or contacts on the ceiling indicator screwdriver.

Check the socket with a test screwdriver.

If there is no electricity in the network, you can start drilling.

It is always necessary to pay attention that the hole does not hit the section of the profile frame. If this point is not taken into account, all the work will go to waste, and the ceiling surface will be ruined. To avoid this, it is necessary to make the most accurate, to the centimetre marking of the ceiling.

When the hole is drilled, it is necessary to connect the input wires from the junction box to the lamp. The best way is with the help of terminal blocks (terminals). They ensure reliable fixation and insulation of the wires. In addition, this connection is fast. Another advantage of terminal blocks is the "coupling" of wires made of different materials and with different cross sections.

After the lead wires and the light fixture are connected, it is necessary to firmly fix the spot inside the drywall ceiling. To this end, the spring legs of the light are clamped, and the body is carefully placed in the hole.

Fixing the spot inside the grommet.

Tip: You can fix the spring legs with a wire instead of the manual method, and after installation, bite it with pliers or pliers and remove it. Such a method is useful for fragile gypsum ceiling, as well as expensive fixtures. This reduces the risk of damage to the ceiling or electrical appliance.

If the spot has a threaded base, the bulb is screwed in after planting the body. Finally, the final step, which is also the easiest - testing. It is enough to flick the switch, and it will become clear whether everything went well, whether the lamp is properly connected. No light, flickeringno light, no flickering, no sparks - all this indicates a malfunction and calls for rewiring.

Installation of recessed spotlights

We should say separately about recessed spotlights - models that consist of decorative and technical parts. The order of their installation is as follows:

1. Disassemble the luminaire.
2. Place the technical part in the hole in the same way.
3. Pull out the power cable through the socket, connect it to the spot wires.
4. Sink the wires back into place.
5. Connect the decorative part to the technical part so that it is on this side of the plasterboard ceiling.

Video: Installing spot lighting in drywall

Useful tips

For the installation of a spotlight on the drywall ceiling to be successful, it is enough to know some useful "tiphacks". For example:

1. When starting to install, you need to make sure that the color coding of wires. As a rule, it is standard, but sometimes there are exceptions. You can't joke with electricity, so it's best to make sure the connection will be correct.
2. Grounding your wiring is a direct concern for your health and life.
3. Wires can be connected in many ways, not just with terminals. The most important thing is to insulate reliably and to reduce to zero the possibility of metal oxidation.
   Wires should be insulated reliably.
4. Consider the ratio of price to electricity consumption. For example, LED lights are economical and long-lasting, but they cost a lot, Halogen often burn out. The best solution seems to be energy-saving lamps.
5. Installation of the spot should begin only after the ceiling is completely finished with gypsum plasterboard.
6. Fluorescent lamps in the process of installing the lamp, it is better not to touch it with your hands. There is nothing dangerous in this, but on the "life" of the lamp it can affect for the worse.
7. Even if the lamp has a square shape, it is better to drill the hole with a round drill bit. Then you can manually make the corners.
8. It is not allowed to overheat the luminaire and the ceiling. LED lamps are the least warm.
9. In the layout of the fixtures, it is necessary to combine the correct location with beauty. Excessive minimalism is not always appropriate.
10. If you are not confident in your own abilities, it is better to call a master.

What to do if on the finished ceiling, the lamp hit the profile.

What mistakes should be avoided

To prevent the entire job from going to waste and entailing disassembly or more disastrous consequences, it is worth avoiding common mistakes.

1. Work should only be done with the power disconnected.
2. Lack of corrugated hose on the wires can cause wiring fire and a fire. Not to mention the other advantages of corrugation: protection from moisture, prolonged life, etc.
3. You need to avoid getting part of the frame on the hole to mount the light fixture.
4. If the spot is mounted in the gypsum ceiling of the bathroom, its body must have a sufficient index of resistance to moisture and water ingress.
5. Mounting spotlights in the bathroom.
   Mounting spotlights in the bathroom.
6. The type of lamp must meet the required tasks. For example, for dimmer (dimmer light regulator) will suit dimmable LED lamps, as other types of lamps either simply do not support this option, or quickly fail.