Lighting for Your Finished Basement

After choosing quality floors, walls, and ceilings from Total Basement Finishing to finish you basement with, the next step is to choose the best lighting for the space.  There are two basic choices: fluorescent lighting or down lighting, also called “can” lights.  Both of these options are recessed into the dropped ceiling. 

Fluorescent lighting gives off the most light, so this is the best option if you want your basement area to be well lit.  It’s great for when you are doing a project, or for a kids playroom when you want to fill the space with bright white light.  The only downfall is, the light is not adjustable at all.  If you want to be able to set a certain mood with your basement lighting, then this is not the best option for you.

The second option is down lighting, which usually uses incandescent bulbs.  These bulbs offer a much different look and feel than fluorescent lights, because the lighting is much warmer and less of a bright white.  These lights have a special “dimmer” switch that can be installed in your basement to set the lighting to whatever mood you desire.  The dimmers make it great for watching television or relaxing in a downstairs living room.

Compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs can be used instead of incandescent bulbs for down lighting.  CF bulbs last much longer than regular incandescent ones, and you can get 60 watts of light while only burning around 13 watts.  When CF bulbs were first introduced, they gave off a harsh blue-white light, but now they are much better.  In other words, they’re energy efficient and look great in every room of your home!

You may not even be able to tell a difference in the lighting when you switch to CF bulbs, but you’ll certainly see the difference when you get your electricity bill.  Over the life of the bulb, you can save around $60 in your electrical costs.  The only downfall to CF bulbs is that when they are installed as can lights, most of the time they cannot be dimmed.  However, technology is changing and soon there will be readily available dimmable CF bulbs.

A third option for lighting in your basement is to install both fluorescent lighting and down lighting.  It’s amazing how your basement can have a whole new look and feeling depending on how it’s lit.  With the flick of two switches, you can change the way it looks and alter the mood dramatically.  This option is the most expensive one, so it’s all up to you, your budget, and what you want in your basement atmosphere.