I know this topic comes up repeatedly but I am surprised that the two electricians working on our house seem convinced that we need fire-rated downlights.
A single-storey extension has been built to the rear of our semi-detached house and attached to our living room and kitchen. We want downlights in the old living room area, old kitchen area, new extension, and parts of the rest of the ground floor.
Our bedrooms are on the first floor, partly over the living room area. There is no insulation in the cavity between the ground floor ceiling and first floor where there is plasterboard fitted in the old part of the house. In other parts of the house the ceiling is lath and plaster. The pitched roof above the extension will have insulation when the plasterboard has been applied.
Since there is no separate dwelling other than next door, and none of the surfaces to be cut through for lights is provided as a fire barrier, my understanding is that we do not need fire-rated downlights or hoods.
I have read the article http://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/2005.cfm "Installing recessed luminaires in ceilings", but is there something more up to date I can show to my electrician?
There are certainly plenty of people who will tell you the advantages but it seems entirely unnecessary to use fire-rated or hoods when they are not needed.
Obviously space will be needed around fittings in the extension where there is insulation.
Thanks.
A single-storey extension has been built to the rear of our semi-detached house and attached to our living room and kitchen. We want downlights in the old living room area, old kitchen area, new extension, and parts of the rest of the ground floor.
Our bedrooms are on the first floor, partly over the living room area. There is no insulation in the cavity between the ground floor ceiling and first floor where there is plasterboard fitted in the old part of the house. In other parts of the house the ceiling is lath and plaster. The pitched roof above the extension will have insulation when the plasterboard has been applied.
Since there is no separate dwelling other than next door, and none of the surfaces to be cut through for lights is provided as a fire barrier, my understanding is that we do not need fire-rated downlights or hoods.
I have read the article http://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/2005.cfm "Installing recessed luminaires in ceilings", but is there something more up to date I can show to my electrician?
There are certainly plenty of people who will tell you the advantages but it seems entirely unnecessary to use fire-rated or hoods when they are not needed.
Obviously space will be needed around fittings in the extension where there is insulation.
Thanks.