Stairway Lighting

[PewterTA]

Alright...

So I've been looking at trying to illuminate the stairway down into the gameroom/HT room. The hallway upstairs has a light (about 8 to 10ft away from the stairs), but at the bottom of the stairs there is no "direct" lighting onto the stairs. Which makes the stairs definitely dark if you don't have all the lights on upstairs in the hallway and downstairs in the game room.

What I'm trying to figure out is how to light the stairs or what some other have done in this situation.

I've looked at "track" type lighting to sit under the lip of the stairs (which are carpeted) to illuminate them or putting up flush mounted pods on the walls to illuminate a couple of steps.

Another thought I had was to put in recessed lighting into the ceiling of the steps, but I'm not sure if that would be annoying coming down the steps or not. Or do some type of under rail lighting to shine down on the steps (maybe route out a channel to put some LED strips in to light up).

I'd also like to figure out (depending on the cost here) how to add maybe an ambient light sensor or better yet a motion detector to turn them on when someone is using the stairs and off when not in use. If that cost is too much I can just put in two switches one up top and the other at the bottom to turn them off and on...but it'd be nice to not have to worry about forgetting and leaving them on all the time.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated, I've just been surfing the net trying to figure out what I want to do with them. But someone with some knowledge would be very nice! :B

-Dan

[RobP]

I would do recessed lighting shooting straight down, this will create even lighting going up and down the stairs. You dont want shadows that could cause a mis-step.

As far as the switch goes, they make a wall mountable motion detection light switch that takes places of a regular light switch.



Another option that we have used in theaters is to mount a rail on each side of the wall and install tivoli lighting underneath it, this provides a continuous path of light that shines down on the step, but since it is indirect does not cause a glare.
Here is an example, I like to use a little larger rail so you don't actually see the light itself like pictured here, but it gives you an idea.

[Chris D]

Lots of options. (1) ceiling light(s). (2) lip lights installed under the lip of each stair, or every other one, creating consistent lighting as you go down. (3) My last theater, I had rope light running just under the lip of the riser and stage. That created a neat effect. would be tough to do it on a flight of stairs, though. I guess as a cheap solution you could run the rope lighting down the baseboard on the side of the stairs!

(4) What my dad's house has, is along the stair, one of these (shown life-size-ish) placed in the wall along the baseboard, every 2-3 steps, shining down and slightly across the steps from the side. Placed consistently, it creates a nice, clean look that provides even lighting that is very pleasant to see and use.

[Hdale85]

I've seen some fiber optic kits from time to time for doing spots along the wall by the stairs. Kind of neat, used LED's which means very little electricity. Not sure how hard they would be to install though? More then likely something along the lip of each step or something is going to be easiest.

[PewterTA]

Yeah I'm sort of leading the LED way and I'm thinking of the strips (like in Rob's picture), but I'm not sure if the edging will look right with the steps...

I'm thinking of doing this... except hiding the lighting and wiring better...

http://www.instructables.com/id/IR_light_trip_sensor/

or potentially grabbing (or making) the same thing as these...

http://storesense1.mysuperpageshosting.com/stairlightingsystemcom_mys5521/-strse-Stairlighting-Kit/Categories.bok

Chris, I like the plates with the lights, I could probably do two or three on one side and it would light them up well. Does your dad have them installed on a switch?

But this is how bad the lighting is in the stairs, even with the cell phone camera it's almost identical to how dark the stairs are...

[RobP]

That is dark!

I do see some prime real estate there that is screaming for some artwork or movie posters! You could do some low voltage track lighting to create a wash on the walls to feature the artwork and light the steps at the same time.

[Hdale85]

I like those kits you links to with the 3 LED's they look very nice.

[Bmac]

Royal pacific makes some really low priced lighting. Seagull is another company that you might check. I'm not promoting any of this, but I've sold some of both.

http://www.rplighting.com/other/other.html

[Bmac]

Look at the Watt stopper WS-200 occupancy sensors. I've sold several, and I've got them in my home. They are very adjustable, and they aren't an eye sore.

http://www.wattstopper.com/products/details.html?id=6

[KeithM]

I think track lighting would look good mounted on the ceiling area pointed directly down on the steps. You could also angle some bulbs towards the wall and illuminate art to make it more than a staircase.

[PewterTA]

Anything in the ceiling would have to be flush mounted as the ceiling isn't all that high to hang anything down off of it, without someone hitting their head. I just painted the whole stairway and it has really brightened it up.

Now to figure out if I want the steps lit or the light up some pictures along the wall... Tough decisions!

[Finleyville]

Anything in the ceiling would have to be flush mounted as the ceiling isn't all that high to hang anything down off of it, without someone hitting their head. I just painted the whole stairway and it has really brightened it up.

Now to figure out if I want the steps lit or the light up some pictures along the wall... Tough decisions!

Is your head closer than 6" from the ceiling? That is the total height of all my track lighting in my place. If you have that clearance then I would take down the light in your upper hallway and tap into that for multiple mini lights for the whole hall and step area.

[cafstudios]

Yeah I'm sort of leading the LED way and I'm thinking of the strips (like in Rob's picture), but I'm not sure if the edging will look right with the steps...

I'm thinking of doing this... except hiding the lighting and wiring better...

http://www.instructables.com/id/IR_light_trip_sensor/

or potentially grabbing (or making) the same thing as these...

http://storesense1.mysuperpageshosting.com/stairlightingsystemcom_mys5521/-strse-Stairlighting-Kit/Categories.bok

Chris, I like the plates with the lights, I could probably do two or three on one side and it would light them up well. Does your dad have them installed on a switch?

But this is how bad the lighting is in the stairs, even with the cell phone camera it's almost identical to how dark the stairs are...

I really like the looks of the storesense ones.

[Thirsty93]

looks like it would work good

[sokoban]

I just saw this thread, but have any of you looked into electroluminescent tape?

http://electroluminescence-inc.com/ELtape.htm

[Renron]

I just saw this thread, but have any of you looked into electroluminescent tape?
http://electroluminescence-inc.com/ELtape.htm

Very cool stuff EL tape,
I was thinking you could use rope lighting along the baseboard of the stairs. It would be easy to attach and terminate using an existing wall plug or be creative and use the 3 way switch at the top and bottom of the stairs. You DO have a 3 way switch in those locations, don't you? I have rope lighting above my kitchen cabinets crown moulding which I held down off the ceiling about 1 1/2", the light is white with a yellow/orange tint. Looks exactly like theater floor lighting in color and brightness.

Ron