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Installing Recessed Fluorescent in ceiling drywall

DTL504

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Joined
Jan 9, 2011
Messages
62
Location
Sandhills, North Carolina
I bought 28 used recess Fluorescent lights for my 30 x 36 garage of Craigslist 10ea. I need some assistance on rough in installations to install between the joists with the intent of using drywall. What is the best way to hang the light for rough in inspections and maintain the ½ space for sheetrock? Is it feasible to run the 14/2 wire in series and conduct all my splices inside the fluorescent cover? Any help/suggestion will be appreciated.
Thanks,
DTL
 
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MrMark

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Jan 25, 2010
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4,626
Location
Southern Cal.
I just did this last weekend. It is a lot of work. I doubt many do this because of this. I boxed it in completely with 2X3 or similar as appropriate to get the correct dimension width-wise for the light. You could simply box the ends and not the sides but that is not optimal because of the method of cut out.

I use a rotozip to cut out the ceiling for cans and these troffers and I need something for the rotozip to guide on. The framing satisfies this need. Without the framing you are not going to do as good a job on the cut-out step.

As for the rough electical, I test fit the fixture and made sure my romex was long enough and in the right spot. I stapled it within 12 inches of the fixture's box. I preinstalled an NM cable clamp and snugged the screws. I pre-scored the jacket with the Klein stripper so that I can reach up as installing the light and guide the romex down and through the hole in the fixture box. Then I can secure the fixture, and then apply the locknut to the nm clamp, pull the jacket on the prescoring and finish the wiring.

Troffers like this are the best possible look but major expense, both in terms of fixture cost and installation. That's why you never see them.

There was a guy on here that did this before and he put up some nice pictures of the frame out.

You do not hang the light for rough in inspections. You box it up with framing, sheetrock, cutout the sheetrock and then install the light.
 

Kevro

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Joined
Jan 20, 2010
Messages
108
Location
Chester County, PA
Same here, I made boxes out of scrap plywood and ripped down 2x3s that fit between the 16" OC ceiling joists, and have the requisite 1x4' rough opening for the troffers. Then I just screwed the boxes to the joists. Come drywall time, it will be easy to follow the openings with a rotozip or drywall saw.

For the electrical, I just left a loop of Romex hanging down through the boxes. The inspector asked if that was for can lights, I said troffers, he said okay and passed it.
 

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Steevo

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Aug 18, 2009
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43.49600, -112.04300
What do you do when you want to insulate on top of those lights? Do you have to put a sheet rock cap on top of the framed in box?
 
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MrMark

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Jan 25, 2010
Messages
4,626
Location
Southern Cal.
What do you do when you want to insulate on top of those lights? Do you have to put a sheet rock cap on top of the framed in box?

If it were a fire rated ceiling you would need to do that. I don't know about the insulation. Curious if you can just drape it over.
 

Chloe

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Joined
Jul 15, 2011
Messages
24
Occasionally you may need to install a ceiling outlet box before you can mount a new ceiling fixture. Such an installation requires some time and effort, but is not too difficult.
 
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