Drop ceiling lighting brings more light into your kitchen and adds a decorative touch to the space. Before adding new lighting to your kitchen, consider the different problems that you might encounter. Drop ceilings contain small panels that sit inside a frame and lower the overall height of the room. Other problems you might come across include issues with decorating and costs.
Size Issues
When a room has a drop ceiling, the ceiling immediately lowers the overall height of the room by several inches or feet, depending on the installation. If you add lights to the already low ceiling, you may encounter problems with sizing. The lights can actually make the room feel even smaller because they reflect off the floor and bounce around the enclosed space since they do not have as much room as they did before. Choosing pendant lights or lights that hang below the drop ceiling also has size issues; the lights hang low, and you risk bumping your head against them. Depending on the overall height of the ceiling and the length of the lights, even shorter people may have problems.
Decorative Problems
Don't forget the decorative aspect when adding drop ceiling lights to your kitchen. Fluorescent lights and pendant lights have a tendency to look dated after a few years of use. The popular trends or designs of today may not look as nice later. If you opt for lighting fixtures, choose a classic or traditional design that fits the style of the kitchen.
Installation Issues
Installing lights into your dropped ceiling is difficult, especially if you opt for lights that fit inside or behind the ceiling panels. You must cut small areas into the panels and install the lights into each panel. The lights run on the electric system in your house and, if the room does not have the correct wiring, you are responsible for installing the proper wiring. For example, the original kitchen design may feature a single overhead light while you need multiple lights on the drop ceiling.
Cost Prohibition
One of the problems you might encounter with drop ceiling lighting involves the cost. The cost of a single light may reach $100, and one light is not enough for the entire kitchen. Even if you use only four lights in the kitchen, the cost adds up. Rewiring your home for the lights or changing the adds even more to your total cost.
Tags: drop ceiling, overall height, your kitchen, ceiling lighting, electric system, height room, into your