Posted from 02/25/06:
Question: We are remodeling our kitchen, and I would like to install a lighting system that would illuminate the entire area. Would it be feasible to install a luminous ceiling doing the work ourselves?
Answer: Installation of a luminous ceiling is relatively easy if your current ceiling is high enough to allow for the suspension and still give you enough headroom.
Most building codes require rooms to have a minimum ceiling height of 7 feet 6 inches. Some areas will allow 7-foot heights in kitchens and basements.
Unfortunately, many of our more modern homes have rather low ceilings and cannot be converted easily because of lack of space. You will need to consult your local building inspector prior to proceeding if you are in doubt about adequate height. There are many exceptions to these basic specifications because codes vary widely from area to area.
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If you have the adequate space, the new ceiling will not be difficult to install. Fluorescent fixtures are installed on the existing ceiling, which should be painted white. You will not need expensive, decorative fixtures as they will be hidden away, above the plastic panels of the luminous ceiling.
Instead, shop for the shallowest light fixtures available, so your headroom is not affected. You will need at least 4 inches between the tube bottoms and the top of the grid that holds the plastic ceiling panels. Additional space between the lights and the translucent plastic panels will give your ceiling a more even appearance when lit.
You will need at least one double-tube, 4-foot fluorescent fixture for every
9 square feet of floor space. They should be installed every 4 feet, parallel to one another, with an 8-inch end-to-end spacing.
If you want more light and a more uniformly lit ceiling, position the lights every 2 feet. Centering the tubes over the row of plastic panels also helps light distribution.
Be sure and follow manufacturer's installation instructions for wiring, making certain to ground fixtures to the grounding screw. Because fluorescent lighting requires much less electricity than incandescent lights, it is very likely you will be able to feed power to the new fixtures from the ceiling's existing electrical lighting box.
Run the lights perpendicular to joists and secure them to at least two of them. (Probe with a long nail to locate your joists and identify which direction they run.)
You are now ready to install a T-bar system (available at home centers and lumber stores), which is hung by steel wires from the ceiling joists. This forms a metal grid that is adjusted by the wires so it hangs flat and level.
Then you simply drop in lightweight 2-foot-by-2-foot or 2-foot-by-4-foot translucent plastic panels into the standard grid spaces. The panels can be either flat or shaped like round-cornered boxes.
If your current ceiling height does not allow for this type of installation, you may be able to gain enough added height for this project by recessing the fluorescent fixtures in the existing ceiling. This requires a little more work, but is feasible in many instances. You will need to cut recess boxes in the ceiling and mount the light fixtures to blocking that's been nailed securely between the joists.
When purchasing new fluorescent lights, consider quality as well as the quantity of light provided. The cheaper, cool white light tubes that are often standard with many fluorescent fixtures provide lots of light, but they have a very harsh quality. Consider the more expensive colorized tubes, such as the "warm white deluxe," which will enhance your new kitchen with a much warmer glow of light.
Question: I have noted that from time to time you have addressed problems with pest control in your column. We have a problem with carpenter bees that drill holes in the overhang of our garage. The location is hard to reach for pesticide spraying. Can you tell us how to get rid of these pests permanently?
Answer: The best way to rid the premises of carpenter bees is to spray with a ready-to-use wasp and hornet killer, one that contains an insecticide such as Baygon, frequently listed on labels as 2-1-methylethoxy, phenyl methylcarbamate or resmethrin.
The insecticide needs to be applied directly into the nest entrance. Spraying in the evening is best, because most of the bees are in the nest and less active. To ensure proper use, always read and follow directions on the label carefully.
If you can't spray the area yourself and the infestation persists, I suggest you contact a professional exterminator for help. Carpenter bees can cause a lot of damage. They are particularly attracted to soft or weathered wood, building tunnels where they then nest and raise their young. They are a wood-boring insect, but they do not ingest the wood.
You can avoid new infestations by keeping wood painted but, unfortunately, clear and semitransparent stains won't keep them away.
Send e-mail to copleysd@copleynews.com or write to Here's How, Copley News Service, P.O. Box 120190, San Diego, CA 92112-0190. Only questions of general interest can be answered in the column.
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