Recessed soffit lighting can dramatically transform the presentation of your home. What might've once been a dark corner can suddenly become a fresh and inviting space simply when the lighting is changed.
The soffits of your home are blank canvases on which you can create beautiful enhancements with the addition of lighting. Installing soffit lighting is easy and fairly inexpensive.
Keep reading to determine what kind of soffit lighting works best for your home.
Where Can I Use Them?
So what is a "soffit?" A soffit is essentially any horizontal surface that hangs out from a wall or ceiling. The eaves of your roof or the tray ceiling in your bedroom are all soffit spaces.
Exterior soffits outline the footprint of your home.
Some soffits aren't structurally strong so adding heaving incandescent lighting made installation impossible. But LED's have changed all of that.
Now, with lighter, smaller LED's light fixtures, you can install soffit lighting on pretty much any surface you desire. Plus, the lower power demands of LED's make it possible to run them off a single switch or a dimmer.
Choosing Your Lights
First off, you need to determine the use of the soffit lighting you wish to install. Do these need to be bright daylight bulbs or maybe warmer bulbs with an inviting glow? Your space will determine everything.
When installing exterior soffit lights, are these being used in conjunction with landscape lighting or simply for security? This will help guide which you to the type of light to purchase.
Installing Exterior Soffit Lighting
LED soffit lights can most likely run off of one circuit. Often times, homeowners will connect soffit lights to the porch light switch already being used.
When you've purchased your lights:
- Take one of the fixtures and walk to each potential location. Make a mark or trace the diameter of the fixture in each spot.
- Cut your holes in each location.
- Run your wire to each hole making sure to leave an extra 10" or so for easy installation and future repairs.
- Follow the directions to connect your wires properly to the fixture.
- Pop the fixture into the hole and fasten with the clips or screws.
If you're not the most DIY homeowner, hiring a professional can provide you peace of mind.
Finding Balance
Adding the wrong amount of soffit lights to your home can sometimes appear tacky or overbearing. You'll want to avoid the "alien spaceship" appearance, where your roofline suddenly makes your house look like a floating object in space.
Soffit lighting should be used in conjunction with proper uplighting to ensure that your home feels appropriately tied to the environment. It should enhance the architecture of your home and create a safe and inviting glow from the street.
Don't Forget About Them
Your soffits provide the perfect opportunity to enhance your home's curb appeal. They can even provide you with additional security.
Soffit lighting is easy and relatively inexpensive but the results can be dramatic. Makes sure to visit us to find inspiration and professionals that can tend to all your home's soffit needs.
