How many track lights do I need?
In general, you'll want to place track heads on linear and monorail track every 12 to 24-inches. You can place lights closer together for a specific use, such as lighting a work area, but keep them at least 4” apart.
Simply measure the length and breadth of foyer in feet and multiply them to get total area in square feet. Then multiply the square feet area by 40 to get the total recommended illumination requirement.
Depending on the track lighting head type, you'll generally have three to six lights. The available voltage affects how many lights you can add.
As a general rule of thumb, the lights should be situated every 12 to 24 inches. You may opt to keep the lights closer in instances where you are attempting to create a focused light source, though, such as on a piece of art or your work area. In this case, they should be at least four inches apart.
There's a neat and simple formula to calculate the amount of light or watts needed to properly lit up a given space. Simply multiply the area's square footage by 1.5. This is the width and the length of the space, measured in feet, multiplied by 1.5.
- Run a straight track along a hallway ceiling and aim fixtures at the artwork on either wall.
- Customize a track to fit your kitchen space. ...
- Install a track 20- to 40-inches out from the walls in a room.
“A good rule of thumb is 100 lights for every foot-and-a-half of tree,” according to Lowe's. But Better Homes & Gardens recommends using three 100-light sets for every foot of a tree's height. And Real Simple suggests 100 lights for every foot.
Let's recap how to gauge how much light you need for a space. Multiply your room square footage by the footcandle requirement. For example, a 100-square foot living room, which needs 20 foot candles, will need 2,000 lumens. A 100-square foot dining room, which needs 40 foot-candles, will need 4,000 lumens.
A general track lighting rule is to add no more than one fixture per foot. A 15-amp, 120-volt lighting circuit can support a total of 1,800 watts, but you must deduct 20 percent from the total wattage to avoid overloading the circuit, so the safe capacity of the lighting circuit equals 1,440 watts.
Track lighting should be placed approximately 20” to 40” away from your walls to provide accent lighting in a space. Customizable LED track lighting is perfect for large closets so that you can position light where you need it most.
Can you overload track lighting?
Too many lights on the track can overload the capacity of the electrical circuits. First, add up the amperage rating of the appliances and lights on the house circuit that the track lighting will be tapped into. Do not let the total amperage exceed the home circuit's electrical capacity.
So while it might be hard to bring track lighting into an older home, they can suit modern styles well. Lighting designers are coming up with new and innovative track lighting designs. These newer designs are sleek, modern, creative, and made with higher quality materials than they were previously.

410.154 states that each four foot section or less of lighting track must have at least two supports if it is installed as a single track. Each 4-foot section added to the system after that must have at least one additional support.
Track lighting works best for walk-in closets because larger closets usually have enough ceiling clearance to avoid a fire hazard. These lights are also relatively easy to install because they require just one hardwiring point, rather than multiple points (as with recessed lighting).
Track light bars are found in two, four, six and eight-feet lengths. Sections can be added or cut as needed. For example, a two-foot and an eight-foot section can make a 10-foot track, or a six-foot bar can be trimmed to make a five-foot section.
Heads: Heads are the most common type of track lighting. Track lighting heads resemble spotlights and can be angled to highlight specific areas.
Can You Cut Track Lighting Strips? In most cases, it is possible to trim a track lighting strip to size. However, you'll need to cut back the copper conductors as well. Make sure you're familiar with how to do this safely before starting work.
300 Mini Lights, 68 ft 6" Lighted Length.
A good rule of thumb is to use at least 200 lights for a 7 foot tree, but if you plan to use big ornaments or decorations, you may need to increase the number of lights you use.
To determine the needed lumens, you will need to multiply your room square footage by your room foot-candle requirement. For example, a 100 square foot living room, which needs 10-20 foot-candles, will need 1,000-2,000 lumens. A 100 square foot dining room, which needs 30-40 foot-candles, will need 3,000-4,000 lumens.
How many feet is 500 lights?
Tree Height | Average Number of Strands | Strands for a Brighter Tree |
---|---|---|
5 feet | 5 strands or 500 lights | 6 strands or 600 lights |
6 feet | 6 strands or 600 lights | 7 strands or 700 lights |
7 feet | 7 strands or 700 lights | 8 strands or 800 lights |
8 feet | 8 strands or 800 lights | 9 strands or 900 lights |
A general rule is to use 100 lights for every 1.5 feet of tree.
GE String-A-Long 100-Count 20.6-ft Clear Incandescent Plug-In Christmas String Lights.
Track lights can be used to illuminate every space from a dark hallway to an office, to a cozy living room, or highlight beautiful artwork and family photos.
Especially when using LED light fixtures, this kind of lighting turns out to be an excellent choice, also in terms of energy savings. Here are the benefits of track lighting. First of all, not only does an LED use 80% less energy than a halogen lamp.
There are three types of track: H, J, and L. The terms come from the manufacturers that set the standards for each type: Halo, Juno, and Lightolier. The different types do have some similarities.
Track lights can be used to highlight important features in a home. They're perfect for lighting artwork, photos, or unique architectural elements that you might have. You can also position them to illuminate dark corners of rooms that ambient or natural light isn't able to reach.
Track lighting brightness generally ranges between 400 and 800 lumens. The more lumens, the brighter the lighting. Track lighting that uses 60-watt incandescent bulbs will generate about 800 lumens per lamp, while a fixture that uses 50-watt halogen bulbs will produce about 500 lumens per bulb.
The most common problem with track lights is the contacts within the fixture, usually a little bit of playing with the contacts and the track will bring a light fixture back to life. It will save a lot of money and aggravation.
For a lighting circuit, the maximum number of light points is 8. One can thus use up to 8 light bulbs. For a 16-ampere socket, the maximum number of points, and therefore plug sockets, varies between 5 and 8 depending on the section size of the conductor and its level of protection.
What is the difference between track and rail lighting?
Rail lighting is similar in design to track with the directional fixture heads, but the shape is different. Rail lighting is typically on a track that is curved to accommodate special ceilings or placement needs. It is bendable to allow for more versatility than traditional track lighting.
A typical price for a Linear Track Lighting Kit is $85 but can range from approximately $7 to $541.
Track lighting was most popular in the 80s, though it is making its comeback with more modern and contemporary looks. It offers a usefulness that is enticing to designers and savvy homeowners.
If you want a clean and seamless look then install the system flush with the ceiling, making sure they are both the same color. Track lighting is easy to install but can be an unattractive addition to your space.
CON: Poor general lighting
If track lighting is the right choice, homeowners should use it to highlight specific features of a room, not the entire room. While it works well in kitchens and living rooms, which often have auxiliary light sources, McNaughton doesn't recommend it for bathrooms and smaller spaces.
Number of Lights Needed for Outdoor Features
Windows: One 16-foot strand per single-width window. Doors: One 16-foot strand per door. Window Boxes: One 14-foot strand of 50 lights per window box. Columns and Pillars: One 32-foot strand of 100 lights per 7 vertical feet of column or pillar.
Heads: Heads are the most common type of track lighting. Track lighting heads resemble spotlights and can be angled to highlight specific areas.
By replacing your standard track lights with hanging pendants, you can bring new life to a basic track and totally transform the look of your kitchen. Here's a designer tip to get you started on this easy kitchen update: pendant track lights look best hung in odd numbers, typically as a grouping of three.
Incandescent bulbs have an average operating life of about 1,000 hours. Halogen bulbs last between 450 and 1,000 hours. If your halogen track lights are in operation 14 hours a day—not atypical for a restaurant or store—you'll replace every one of your track light bulbs between 5 and 10 times over the course of a year.
References
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