Slim led wafer lights and poly barrier
#1
03-02-22, 10:34 AM
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Slim led wafer lights and poly barrier
Hi- I am finishing detached garage and wanted to use slim led water lights with the drywall clips. There is strapping on the ceiling so I can run romex below the poly barrier and joists and have it in the vicinity of where each light will go.
my question is how these things are normally installed on an exterior facing ceiling with poly barrier and insulation? Specifically wondering if you are able to just slide the driver box between the poly and the drywall without tearing the vapor barrier?
Am I better off just using air tight IC housings?
thanks
my question is how these things are normally installed on an exterior facing ceiling with poly barrier and insulation? Specifically wondering if you are able to just slide the driver box between the poly and the drywall without tearing the vapor barrier?
Am I better off just using air tight IC housings?
thanks
#2
03-02-22, 11:02 AM
Group Moderator
"...if you are able to just slide the driver box between the poly and the drywall without tearing the vapor barrier?"
That depends on the driver and your care. If it has sharp edges and you are not careful then yes, obviously you can tear or puncture the plastic. The boxes are sorta big to allow room to make your electrical connections and many are sheet metal boxes with sharp corners so... If you are very careful. Maybe push your hand up into the space to make a pocket for the power supply box but if there is much insulation weight it could still puncture the plastic.
Am I better off just using air tight IC housings?
I like this approach though it's more expensive. LED's all don't last as long as advertised. Those crazy lifespan numbers are the maximum theoretical. I installed ten new led bulbs in my bathroom. Within two years one had died. The others continue working but it's easy for me to replace the bulb. If doing those thin in ceiling LED's I would order at least a few extras so you can replace lights that die. Trying to buy replacements a few years down the road can be difficult as the bezels can look different, be a slightly different size, different wattage and different color temperature. So I like traditional cans because you just screw in a new LED bulb which contains it's own power supply. With a wafer light you will be replacing the fixture and it's power supply (the one that wants to tear your plastic).
That depends on the driver and your care. If it has sharp edges and you are not careful then yes, obviously you can tear or puncture the plastic. The boxes are sorta big to allow room to make your electrical connections and many are sheet metal boxes with sharp corners so... If you are very careful. Maybe push your hand up into the space to make a pocket for the power supply box but if there is much insulation weight it could still puncture the plastic.
Am I better off just using air tight IC housings?
I like this approach though it's more expensive. LED's all don't last as long as advertised. Those crazy lifespan numbers are the maximum theoretical. I installed ten new led bulbs in my bathroom. Within two years one had died. The others continue working but it's easy for me to replace the bulb. If doing those thin in ceiling LED's I would order at least a few extras so you can replace lights that die. Trying to buy replacements a few years down the road can be difficult as the bezels can look different, be a slightly different size, different wattage and different color temperature. So I like traditional cans because you just screw in a new LED bulb which contains it's own power supply. With a wafer light you will be replacing the fixture and it's power supply (the one that wants to tear your plastic).
#3
03-02-22, 11:33 AM
Group Moderator
Detached garage.... what will it be used for ?
You still need to cut the vapor barrier to get the IC fixtures installed.
Actually it could be harder to install them as opposed to the thin pucks.
You still need to cut the vapor barrier to get the IC fixtures installed.
Actually it could be harder to install them as opposed to the thin pucks.
