Soffit lighting

[Barrybarry1984]

I have never installed downlights in a soffit before and have been asked to do it.
New build house. Is it a case of drilling the holes in the soffit and fishing the cable into the loft or is there more to it ?

 

[freddo]

Pretty much, make sure the downlights are suitable for damp locations or they will rust badly.

 

[FatAlan]

Sounds about right to me. Presumably the ‘sofit lights’ are IP rated accordingly. Never fitted then either.

 

[Barrybarry1984]

Pretty much, make sure the downlights are suitable for damp locations or they will rust badly.

Thanks mate. Been pricing lights and looking at IP and fire rated lights to be on the safe side

 

[ruston]

If you are doing it in the good weather look out for wasps nests . There could still be a few about depending on how cold it's been.

 

[Barrybarry1984]

If you are doing it in the good weather look out for wasps nests . There could still be a few about depending on how cold it's been.

Hope they've got a canoe in the weather we've been having lately ?

 

[123]

Why would a soffit light need to be fire rated?

 

[ruston]

Hope they've got a canoe in the weather we've been having lately ?

They won't need one lol, they will be sheltering in someone's soffit.
If they have food they will survive , it's not the cold that kills them , it is starvation.

 

[telectrix]

i fitted non-fire rated, not ip rated, cheap and nasty, downlights in our soffit 7 years ago. they ain't rusted, not caught fire, not fell out. aint even replaced a bulb.

 

[FatAlan]

I suppose, if the sofit is in good nick and not overly exposed they shouldn’t get direct exposure to rain.

 

[pirate]

I was asked to fit soffit lights in a bungalow once. Looked pretty easy at first. Measuring up and marking for the holes...yup, asbestos soffits! Homeowner was completely unfazed, got a specialist company in to remove the asbestos, new soffits installed and got me back before completion so I could run the cables in. Asbestos man = £1200,
me, £200....

 

[MJPD29]

Doesnt need to be fire rated. You can get plastic ones with interchangeable plastic covers so you can choose colour and they wont rust.

 

[pirate]

At least if you do install in asbestos soffits the fire rating is less important!

 

[StephenRowley]

Hope they've got a canoe in the weather we've been having lately ?

Saves on using a ladder of scaffold, if the really up.

 

[Gary latto]

Just remember when marking out will be timbers behind sofits

 

[telectrix]

Just remember when marking out will be timbers behind sofits

i always wondered what held the soffit planking up!

 

[Intoelectrics]

I was asked to fit soffit lights in a bungalow once. Looked pretty easy at first. Measuring up and marking for the holes...yup, asbestos soffits! Homeowner was completely unfazed, got a specialist company in to remove the asbestos, new soffits installed and got me back before completion so I could run the cables in. Asbestos man = £1200,
me, £200....

If you do the "working with asbestos" course and pass it you will find that ensuring that you use suitable equipment and take the required precautions drilling into the asbestos can be achieved. Obviously removal is always going to be the preferred option, but being asbestos aware, especially in our trade is a huge benefit!!

 

[scootknew]

make sure have a look in attic, see that theres adequate space to crawl around . if its jammed full of boxes etc add this extra time into ure price.

 

[DPG]

make sure have a look in attic, see that theres adequate space to crawl around . if its jammed full of boxes etc add this extra time into ure price.

They'd have no chance in mine

 

[Alla Musica]

Pretty much, make sure the downlights are suitable for damp locations or they will rust badly.

I have the Integral Evofire series which are made of steel while IP65 rated (for Zone 1). Do I have to worry about rusting in that case? Say, for average contemporary downlights, is there a chance that the coating corrodes over time?

 

[freddo]

They will all rust eventually, but IP65 should be good for number of years. Not sure about more decorative ones but many now use plastic rims with a metallic finish so no rusting there.

 

[Alla Musica]

They will all rust eventually, but IP65 should be good for number of years. Not sure about more decorative ones but many now use plastic rims with a metallic finish so no rusting there.

That's frustrating... The plastic ones seem to only exist as integrated LED cans while I'm looking only for GU10 ones that could ideally last longer. Might aluminum ones be better at this (e.g. JCC Fireguard)?

 

[mhar]

Ansell make a downlight specific for soffits. It is Du Pont paint coated and guaranteed for 20 years.

However the best thing about them is that they are tiltable which can be very beneficial as shining lights directly on plastered walls can show up any defects in the plastering. Additionally as they take GU10 lamps you make them as bright as you wish

 

[Alla Musica]

Ansell make a downlight specific for soffits. It is Du Pont paint coated and guaranteed for 20 years.

However the best thing about them is that they are tiltable which can be very beneficial as shining lights directly on plastered walls can show up any defects in the plastering. Additionally as they take GU10 lamps you make them as bright as you wish

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I'll consider these for my balcony indeed!

 

[ipf]

I have the Integral Evofire series which are made of steel while IP65 rated (for Zone 1). Do I have to worry about rusting in that case? Say, for average contemporary downlights, is there a chance that the coating corrodes over time?

You could have a try asking the OP if those he used were up to it.........seeing as it's
4yrs back.