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Thread: Can Lights DIY or Pay a Guy?

  1. #1
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    Default Can Lights DIY or Pay a Guy?

    Closed on new house yesterday. Built in the 70’s, perfect house, right neighborhood love it all, but there’s not an overhead light in the whole damn house. I haven’t owned it for 24 hours and I’m going nuts. There is ceiling access through the whole house via the attic. I’m semi handy, what does the consensus say? DIY or not? I thought about cutting the holes, and connecting and running non powered wires and have an electrician do the rest, but is it really that cost effective or would he rather do it all his way anyway?

    I’m thinking there will be a total of 22 cans going in to start. 4 per bedroom and 6 in the front living room. Den, dining, kitchen at least have some overhead. What cost should I expect if I pay a guy?

  2. #2
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    I always say do it yourself first then pay a guy to fix it later. That's how we gain experience!
    We gave you Corn,you gave us clap,bad trade.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by ersepton View Post
    Closed on new house yesterday. Built in the 70’s, perfect house, right neighborhood love it all, but there’s not an overhead light in the whole damn house. I haven’t owned it for 24 hours and I’m going nuts. There is ceiling access through the whole house via the attic. I’m semi handy, what does the consensus say? DIY or not? I thought about cutting the holes, and connecting and running non powered wires and have an electrician do the rest, but is it really that cost effective or would he rather do it all his way anyway?

    I’m thinking there will be a total of 22 cans going in to start. 4 per bedroom and 6 in the front living room. Den, dining, kitchen at least have some overhead. What cost should I expect if I pay a guy?
    6 1/8" hole saw, a roll of wire. Pick up the hot feed from whatever overhead source you have, get remodel cans and the LED trim kits from HD or Lowes and plug and play.
    Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.


    You might take out a dozen before they drag you from your home and skull fuck you to death. Marsh Chicken 6/21/2013

  4. #4
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    Nov 2017
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    I just put in a few of the LED can lights in a home we closed on a couple months ago and it was really easy. I am planning on doing them throughout the kitchen soon. The only one that was a pain in the ass was one that was very close to an outside wall where the roof came down. Almost no room to work laying on a bunch of insulation hitting your head on nails.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by BET View Post
    I just put in a few of the LED can lights in a home we closed on a couple months ago and it was really easy. I am planning on doing them throughout the kitchen soon. The only one that was a pain in the ass was one that was very close to an outside wall where the roof came down. Almost no room to work laying on a bunch of insulation hitting your head on nails.
    That's why you use remodel cans and loop the pigtail of wire down. Work from below and clip the can in place.
    Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.


    You might take out a dozen before they drag you from your home and skull fuck you to death. Marsh Chicken 6/21/2013

  6. #6
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    There was no pre existing light where I put this one and I was installing a fan light combo over a shower so it was slightly more complicated.

  7. #7
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    'Down in the Holler', SC
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    Just be careful about how you locate the insulation over the cans if you are installing via the attic.
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  8. #8
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    Oct 2015
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saltydog235 View Post
    6 1/8" hole saw, a roll of wire. Pick up the hot feed from whatever overhead source you have, get remodel cans and the LED trim kits from HD or Lowes and plug and play.
    The remodel cans are a game changer. Stupid easy. No more mounting the frame and all that. Just wire together and snap in place.

  9. #9
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    What about switches, you don’t have a switch leg. You gonna use pull chains?

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