Building a basement is a challenging project. Even if your basement is a walk-up with many windows and doors, chances are this part of the house only gets a little natural light. That’s why it’s best to prepare a basement lighting wiring installation plan to assess all your needs. 

If you’re redecorating, adding the proper lighting can make your space more appealing. Considering a complete renovation, consider the importance of consulting with a lighting designer to ensure you’re adequately lighting your area. 

In this field, KCS expert consultants can help you and provide the lighting you need. After the renovation, you should not regret not installing enough outlets and lighting fixtures.

Basement electrical wiring for recessed lighting

• Basement lighting wiring installation plan

First, check your project plan with your local building department to go one step further, compare what you are doing, and include any local code requirements, such as smoke detectors and GFI outlets.

More information about recessed lighting

• Wiring of basement lights

The electrical wiring you install depends on what you want to do with the basement space. I have seen many homeowners make the mistake of putting 14 gauge wire on a 20 amp circuit when it should be on a 15 amp circuit. So plan the circuit wiring correctly and keep the wire sizes the same.

More information about basement lighting wiring installation

• Remember that a staircase leading to the basement must be turned on.

So if the kitchen switch controls the light and an outlet, the switch must remain in place. You should install a separate power source for its light and outlets in the basement.

• Considerations for the basement area

Understanding what’s at stake here is best before you plaster the walls. Be careful not to rush your project too much, which can cause you to overlook some important things.

• Changing the layout of the basement lighting

Necessary: Homeowners and general contractors can be overly focused on getting the job done, and while it’s important, they need to ensure they bring everything.

The basics:

This lighting installation prevents entry into an occupied dark room or equipment room, which can lead to hazardous conditions.

Code acceptance information:

The codes shown are examples only and may not be approved or exact for your application or jurisdiction. Contact your local building authority for complete information. You can also quickly contact KCS licensed consultants.

List and labelling of lighting equipment

Most states mandate that you must list and label all electrical equipment, including lighting fixtures and appliances.

This labelling is done by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (i.e. Insurer Laboratories, Canadian Standards Association, etc.) as tested and fit for a particular purpose. Following the listing requirements and manufacturer’s instructions, you must install and operate all electrical equipment.

Most state energy codes require that all penetrations through an air barrier be sealed to maintain an internal air barrier. You should apply to seal all penetrations, including service entrances, ducts, cables, panels, recessed lights, electrical boxes and fan housings.

The best basement lighting wiring installation

The basement is part of the house from which you can create an exciting and cozy room with the right imagination. Lighting will play an essential role: artificial or natural. 

Natural light is the most pleasant option. But with a large, windowless basement that doesn’t get much natural light, you shouldn’t turn it into a dark and uncomfortable dungeon. For this reason, you should think about installing artificial light. 

Basement rooms belong to a particular group of rooms with features and rules for installing wiring and lighting devices. When placing lighting in the basement, it is not worth saving on the purchase of quality lighting, protection and emergency shutdown devices, reliable cables and wiring, as well as their professional installation.

Natural lighting in the basement

The main advantage of natural light is the possibility of using it for free. However, this advantage is significantly eroded by time frames, worsening weather conditions, etc. Also, remember that the basement is often underground, so it hardly gets sunlight. For this purpose, you can use windows or tunnel lights.

The first method is the simplest, but you must raise a part of the basement from the ground level to implement it. At the same time, the windows, due to their small size, let in little light. 

When oriented in space, the intensity of light depends on the sun’s position. Most windows should be protected from possible impacts with metal screens.

You can use the tunnel light to illuminate basements that do not have direct access to the street. It is also called a light guide or light well. The tunnel light consists of three main elements:

1. Dome
2. Mine
3. Diffuser

You do not need to connect this type of lighting to a power source; it works based on the window principle. Daylight enters the basement during the bright hours but not during the dark hours.

Electric lighting in the basement

The electricity source provides electric lighting so that you can use it at any time of the day. You can use it as a home power source and portable batteries, portable lights, etc.

However, in most cases, no one thinks about the room’s microclimate, the humidity, or the condition of the floor covering and generates the connection electricity from the 110 V input. Unlike concrete floors, this solution only suits basements with arid living spaces.

Type and location of basement lighting wiring installation

If the basement has a separate street entrance, KCS recommends that you provide street lighting above the door. This option allows you to navigate safely in the dark and helps you wait longer for the door to open.

For this purpose, install a small lamp or downlight on the wall or under the ceiling. If another lighting device is seated nearby, including lighting for the basement entrance, you can limit it.

According to the type of basement and the purpose of lighting in it, you can use different types of basement lighting:

1. Spot – Perfect for small rooms where you are interested in a specific area, or a small spot of light will be more than enough for any task.
2. Tubular or rectangular – most suitable for a long room where you want to light the environment or anything else.
3. Spotlight – suitable for narrow corridors where you can illuminate the entire path from one point.

Note: no matter what lighting model you choose for the basement, the body and its parts must resist corrosion. For the type of lamps, it is better to connect the lights with LED lamps. They are the most economical and are not sensitive to temperature changes. But if you rarely use the light in the basement or want the basement lighting to have a heating function, you can also install an incandescent lamp.

You can also save time and money by contacting KCS experts about the basement lighting wiring installation and lighting up your basement in the best way.