New Lighting

The downstairs room is awkward.  It's 24'  long, with only one ceiling box at one end.  How to light the whole room?  Recessed lights are good, but a big project unless your sheetrock is open.  I decided to use the existing ceiling box and run some lighting from there down the length of the room.

Decided to go with the flexible track LED lighting, Home Depot Hampton Bay El Cheapo.  Regular tracklight is cheaper, but they're mounted right on the ceiling.  The flexible stuff is slightly suspended.

I always thought this stuff was kind of jakey, the way people run it in spirals and waves and try to make seashells and stuff. But I thought if I just made one long slight curve it would look OK.

Kind of a bear to install.  Had to lay a rope on the floor in the shape and position I wanted, then use a plumb to mark the mounting spots on the ceiling.  Used a hard disk magnet to locate the drywall screws/joists.

I had to join two tracks together end-to-end, and for some reason I had a hard time getting continuity between the two.  Only discovered this after putting the track in the stanchions and testing some lights.  Had to take it down like 3 times, experimenting and testing with the meter.  I think it was the copper conductor sliding around in the track and not making contact in the connector.  Anyway finally got it working.

The other irritating thing was that each tracklight head had 4 separate warning stickers on it.  I probably spent an hour taking the stickers off and using Goo Gone to get the sticker gunk off them.  8 or 9 lights times 4 stickers....thanks Nanny State.

End result is OK.  Like any tracklight they glare, and when they hit you in the eye it's pretty bright, it's sorta like being in a trendy retail shop, but it's a big improvement over the prior dim 'n dank look.