How to Install a Stretch Ceiling with Pot Lights
Pairing pot lights with a stretch ceiling system can elevate the look of almost any room in your home. It’s also an easy and effective way to cover up those undesirable popcorn ceilings. However, many customers are hesitant because they wonder how this kind of renovation would affect ceiling height. In this article, we’ll explain why a stretch ceiling system is the best way to put that popcorn ceiling out of sight and out of my mind, all while maintaining virtually all of your existing ceiling height.
Homebuilders began installing popcorn ceilings decades before pot lights became commonplace. Nowadays, nobody wants to go through the hassle of removing a popcorn ceiling. It’s time-consuming and leaves a huge mess. Sometimes people will simply cover the popcorn ceiling with a new layer of drywall, but this method won’t let you install pot lights either. So how do you pull off the look you want?
Stretch ceiling systems are specially designed to work with LED pot lights mounted on popcorn ceilings and they can go in any room in your home. Together, the lights and ceiling systems can withstand anything including moisture, so don’t hesitate to consider a stretch ceiling with pot lights for your bathroom, sauna, or indoor swimming pool.
Earlier, we mentioned ceiling height, well here’s the best part: For those of you worried about this, rest assured, installing a stretch ceiling will only cost you 1” of ceiling height. LED pot lights come with a low profile that allows you to safely and effectively install them in narrow spaces.
This option is ideal for apartment or condo owners. In most cases, building management will not allow tenants to drill into the concrete slabs separating the units. This makes stretch ceilings the ultimate solution for pot light installation.
Aside from lighting, the 1” space between the stretch ceiling and popcorn ceiling can be used to hide any additional wiring you desire. You can easily run speaker wires, TV cables, and any other electrical wiring for the room in question. Any electrician will agree, it’s the cheapest and easiest way to upgrade your home’s electrical work.
How To Install Pot Lights With A Stretch Ceiling System
- Carefully mark the desired locations of your pot lights on the existing popcorn ceiling.
- Use colored strings and attach them to the opposite sides of the stretch ceiling tracks so that the string passes through the pot light spots. This will give you a good visual of the stretch ceiling’s future position.
- Attach the housing for the pot lights and complete the wiring process.
- Run a test of all the lights to make sure that power is running properly. Then, remove the pot lights from the housing so you can put up your stretch ceiling, whether it’s textile or PVC.
- Find the pot light housing through the membrane of your stretch ceiling and carefully cut openings so you can push the pot lights back into the housing.
- Install pot lights and enjoy your new lighting.
Before the stretch ceiling installers can come to your house, the drywallers and painters must finish their work. The stretch ceiling team has to roll out large sections of material and cannot risk contaminating anything with dust or debris.
Often with pot lights, the stretch ceiling track is installed first. Then, call your electrician to do all the wiring and install the pot light housing. The stretch ceiling team will come back at the end to install the fabric or textile of your choice.
Remember, whether you’re installing new lights in a stretch ceiling or traditional drywall, the experts at Mr. Pot Light are here to offer their combined decades of experience and skill to deliver an exceptional finished product paired with unparalleled customer service. Contact us today for a free estimate.
