Add recessed lights, or other, to ceiling for pool table

[joseywales]

It's a finished room with no ceiling lights and a drywall ceiling, with no access above (there's a room directly above this room). We want to install a pool table and at times use the ping pong option, so a traditional hanging light wouldn't work, plus the light would block the view of an existing TV. So I'm thinking either track lighting or recessed lighting for the pool table. Another option might also be a flush mount 2x4 LED light. Dimmer not matter which lighting I use

- Track lighting would probably be the easiest, but then I'm running the conduit along the wall, so not the cleanest look. Unless I run wires similar to below, in which case then it becomes which lighting would be best for the table.

- for recessed lights, directly next to the table, there is a 2 foot by 8 foot closet, with an outlet on the outside wall. We could cut a hole inside of the closet to access the power to that outlet. Cut hole at the top of the same wall and fish a new wire to the outlet. Run that same wire across the ceiling to just above the pool table (runs with the joists above, so shouldn't be too bad). It's about a foot off center of the table and of course isn't connecting other cans to it a PITA, or perhaps not possible without cutting more drywall? Also, these cans would most likely have to be at the edge of the table, possibly eyeballing toward the surface, to avoid shadows. That means running more wire through.
- for a flush mount, we could perhaps run the wire the same as for the recessed, but I only need to connect one fixture, say a 2x4 LED flush mount light. That would bring a lot of overhead light and I could challenge any shadows with some supplemental floor lighting.

How would you approach this?

Which lighting of the three would provide the best for a pool table, without making the room look like a dentist's office?

Open to any ideas.

 

[yeldogt]

Re: Add recessed lights to ceiling for pool table

The problem with any small recessed light is you don't get any ambient light (unless a light ring that's visible) .. so you get spots on the pool table ... thats why you normally see a hanging lamp. Or very large recessed lamps -- not very attractive.

The flat LED retro fit and those that mount to a typical ceiling box have a wide spread -- they would work if you covered the area -- not very attractive IMO.

The whole point of recessed light is not to see the source -- this has ben lost with the use of it all over kitchen ceilings.

 

[joseywales]

Re: Add recessed lights to ceiling for pool table

The problem with any small recessed light is you don't get any ambient light (unless a light ring that's visible) .. so you get spots on the pool table ... thats why you normally see a hanging lamp. Or very large recessed lamps -- not very attractive.

The flat LED retro fit and those that mount to a typical ceiling box have a wide spread -- they would work if you covered the area -- not very attractive IMO.

The whole point of recessed light is not to see the source -- this has ben lost with the use of it all over kitchen ceilings.

Yeah. I did see one guy's table, where he put 2 cans overhead and one on each corner of the table. It looks nice and he said he usually just plays with the two lights. He uses flood and the ceilings are 8 foot. In his picture, I don't see any floor lighting, but the I also don't see any shadows on the table. Now, when a player walks up, maybe it's different. They look like 6" lights, but I know what you mean. If you look up, man that's a lot of cans in a 97" x 53" space. But if I could get away with 3 down the center of the table, maybe not so bad.

 

[Jinks]

Purchase the 2 X 4 LED fixture you like from a source that will allow returns. Wire it temporarily & hold it in position where you plan to install it. If the light works for you you'll have to cut some sheet rock for the final installation, but it will be hidden by the fixture. Either way you probably have 16" inside the floor trusses for the second floor. Fishing wire from the outlet to any type of fixtures you decide on shouldn't be a problem.

 

[joseywales]

Purchase the 2 X 4 LED fixture you like from a source that will allow returns. Wire it temporarily & hold it in position where you plan to install it. If the light works for you you'll have to cut some sheet rock for the final installation, but it will be hidden by the fixture. Either way you probably have 16" inside the floor trusses for the second floor. Fishing wire from the outlet to any type of fixtures you decide on shouldn't be a problem.

If I can live with the "look" of the 2x4, this would work. truth is, it will only be on during pool and when off, it's all white, so blends in the ceiling. In fact, the light I found at LOWES would even require cutting the drywall. It has a relatively flat surface mount, like you'd see on a standard ceiling light. The only hole would be for the wire

 

[Jinks]

If I can live with the "look" of the 2x4, this would work. truth is, it will only be on during pool and when off, it's all white, so blends in the ceiling. In fact, the light I found at LOWES would even require cutting the drywall. It has a relatively flat surface mount, like you'd see on a standard ceiling light. The only hole would be for the wire

The same process works for any type of light you choose. You can test them for light pattern without damaging them, return them if you don't like them, or use them if they work. With approx. 16" of space in floor trusses getting wire where you want it isn't very difficult. If you use a larger fixture it fits or covers a larger hole to work in. If you use recessed lights the holes are smaller, but still usable. Make the space look the way you want.......

 

[yeldogt]

Re: Add recessed lights to ceiling for pool table

Yeah. I did see one guy's table, where he put 2 cans overhead and one on each corner of the table. It looks nice and he said he usually just plays with the two lights. He uses flood and the ceilings are 8 foot. In his picture, I don't see any floor lighting, but the I also don't see any shadows on the table. Now, when a player walks up, maybe it's different. They look like 6" lights, but I know what you mean. If you look up, man that's a lot of cans in a 97" x 53" space. But if I could get away with 3 down the center of the table, maybe not so bad.

My goal in lower levels it to try and make them not look like a lower level -- throwing a bunch of big cans in the middle of the ceiling typically does just that.

Having a flat panel LED may be the ticket -- not sure about too high a k. It really depends on what you are doing wth the rest of the space and the look you want.

I love small recessed lights and do a lot of them -- but I do very small aperture .. don't like seeing where the light is coming from.