Need brighter lights

[BillyH]

I've been asked to improve the brightness of the lighting in a hairdressers salon.The current scheme includes 16 gu10 spot lights in the ceiling with concealed flourescent lighting at each work station.The florrys are ok but, would give an option for brighter local lighting due to cable already in place.
What options do i have to improve on the gu10s (all 50w) with minimal disruption to decor? The ceiling is plasterboard fixed to joists typical to domestic property.
The owner is concerned with hair colouring looking totally different when customers leave the salon, due to the poor lighting

 

[Rockingit]

Back in my touring days, I did a lot of work for L'Oreal lighting hairdressing and fashion shows, so I have a bit of sympathy for you!

What you are most likely finding is that it's not about the amount of light they're working under, it's all about the colour temperature. In fact, if you add more lights = add more heat then they'll start moaning about how it's too hot and the colouring chemicals are going off too quickly.

You want to get as close to daylight temperature fittings as you possibly can (so that's 5500 - 6400K). Try replacing the Halogen G10's (typically around 3000K) with LED fixtures in 'natural', and replace the fluoro tubes with whatever you can find that's close. You can also get daylight correction filters to convert different sources but this gets a bit fiddly and beyond most hairdressers!!

 

[Darkwood]

Yes agree with the colour rendering above by rockingit, last thing a salon needs is crap lighting as you get your hair tinted in the mirror looks brill in the warm white light but soon as you hit the outdoors its looks shabby and flawed.. so daylight white for florries 865 or 864 colour tubes, ive just ordered a load of 865 for a paint spray shop and they well impressed with the results as they can now see the colours without distortion associated with warm or blue whites 3000-4200k (830-842).

 

[Rockingit]

Just for the laff - have a look at this hairdressers ceiling that I spotted a while back. This is just one side of the 'horseshoe' and through the window I counted 72 fittings just on this one side!! Apart from the mess, and loading concerns, the flat above must have a very cheap heating bill!!

 

[electromonkey]

If your customer wont spend big on LED's then LV is an option. They tend to kick out more light than a GU10 but I can't say how much brighter they are sorry. I'm sure someone else on here will know though.

 

[matt v]

you can also play around with beam angles as well, putting more lumens on a smaller surface area with a narrow beam (are there spots right overhead?) Or a wider if there is a distance from light to area to be lit, as well as using adjustable spots to tweak the angle... led high lumen output do retail at considerably more than the halogens tho. typically 15 - 20 gbp, have a running cost saving comparison handy to sell it to them!

 

[Mark_Burgess]

Get the flourescent tube upgraded to "daylight" for a start.

Then its all about spending the cash out for decent LED's not the budget ones kicking about.

 

[BillyH]

I have very limted experience with high output LEDs, apart from the running costs would they be that much better? In this case running costs is not a particular issue, due to the electric being part of the fixed price salon rental.

 

[topquark]

Just for the laff - have a look at this hairdressers ceiling that I spotted a while back. This is just one side of the 'horseshoe' and through the window I counted 72 fittings just on this one side!! Apart from the mess, and loading concerns, the flat above must have a very cheap heating bill!!

View attachment 9111

Reckon they've done a conversion to ultra violet and offer a free tanning service as well

 

[BillyH]

Maxilux Zenigata 4.5w LED GU10

Would these make a significant improvement? Anyone recommend a high power LED?

 

[needasparks]

All hairdressers have this thing with downlights so it looks like a girls bedroom and they shadow, As said they cost a fortune to run and heat the place up. I had a client near mewith the same set up and found a good solution to the problem was to change each one to an 18w PL fitting with colour 840 lamps, The place looks the nuts now. sorry got no photo's to show you but much better colour and spread of light and a lot closer to daylight for colour matching.

 

[stuart569]

I have very limted experience with high output LEDs, apart from the running costs would they be that much better? In this case running costs is not a particular issue, due to the electric being part of the fixed price salon rental.

Yes you can choose the colour temperature with LED'S

 

[matt v]

The stat to check is the light output or lumen, highest leds being around 300 - 320 lumens www.****************** have a good range

 

[stuart569]

Lumens isn't the problem its the colour temp being wrong thats making the hair colour look off