Downlights to purchase but don't know much about them!

Eastender

We're having our recently purchased house renovated, which included having electrial rewiring done. My wife likes to have downlights in the bathroom, kitchen/diner and livng room. We're having about 31 in total, think my wife will make us bankrupt!:mad:

In our bedrooms we're having the traditional ceiling big lights with a dimmer switch, to eliminate for a bedroom lamp.

Now, we never had downlights before wanted to seek some advice and tips.

Is it best to get GU10 fittings for all lights?

Would you suggest LED downlights and what should we look for and do we have buy the whole gear or just the bulb on it's own.

And finally where is the best place to get reasonably priced, looked at Ikea but also on unknown websites?

I've been told in bathrooms they have to be fireproof and waterproof but not much else.

Thanks:)

cyclonebri1

Not got a non English speaking sparky I hope??

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

warmhands.coldheart

Eastender wrote: »

We're having our recently purchased house renovated, which included having electrial rewiring done. My wife likes to have downlights in the bathroom, kitchen/diner and livng room. We're having about 31 in total, think my wife will make us bankrupt!:mad:

In our bedrooms we're having the traditional ceiling big lights with a dimmer switch, to eliminate for a bedroom lamp.

Now, we never had downlights before wanted to seek some advice and tips.

Is it best to get GU10 fittings for all lights?

Would you suggest LED downlights and what should we look for and do we have buy the whole gear or just the bulb on it's own.

And finally where is the best place to get reasonably priced, looked at Ikea but also on unknown websites?

I've been told in bathrooms they have to be fireproof and waterproof but not much else.

Thanks:)

I got all my stuff from this website, very quick delivery and best price I could find at the time..... some average reviews on returns but then I knew exactly what I wanted so had no reason to return anything.... I got all 230 Volt spotlights, IP & Fire rated for the ones being fitted into kitchen, bathroom and any fitted into insulated roof areas as means you don't have to worry about the fire hoods (which are required, no matter what people say if they are surrounded by insulation. I wouldn't want to be explaining to your insurance company that you didn't fit any if your house burnt down) I also fitted LED bulbs.... they are a bit pricier but well worth it in my view.

southcoastrgi

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Not got a non English speaking sparky I hope??

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

OMG I just spat my coffee all over the place, thanks for that you have just made my day. :rotfl::rotfl::T:T

Eastender

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Not got a non English speaking sparky I hope??

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

yes mate, my sparky is a Polish fella, and his English is limited. If I had a British sparky it could have costed me a fortune, as with any British builders, hence more and more customers have been using non-British builders as they're quite reasonable in price, though not all are the same, probably another debate for that.

The painter I hired to do the whole house paint after skimming, is a brazilian, he is charging me £700 to do along with partner, where as my builder mentioned £1,500 and a British painter told me £2,500!

warmhands.coldheart

Eastender wrote: »

The painter I hired to do the whole house paint after skimming, is a brazilian, he is charging me £700 to do along with partner, where as my builder mentioned £1,500 and a British painter told me £2,500!

Do you think he would like a working holiday over to Northern Ireland?????? I'm having to do painting myself (sooooooooooooooooooooooooo pee'd off with it already) as was quoted similar rediculous prices....... I wonder should I have asked if they could do it cheaper for CASH ?? :rotfl:

southcoastrgi

Well me thinks it is prob gonna cost you alot more in the long run, but thats just my view, I'm not saying some foreign workers aren't good but they need to be able to speak english or how can they comply with any of our regs ? Your builder needs to be well versed in OUR building regs, your sparkie needs to be well versed in OUR 17th addition wiring regs & will need to be part P reg to issue a certificate, I'm guessing that neither of these know about our regs or hold the required certs ? I could be wrong but going from your threads it doesn't look like it as they really should be the ones you are going to for your advice as they are doing the job, nothing wrong with getting a brazillian to do the painting if they do a good job, but incorrect building, electrics & gas work (is possibily illegal) can kill you & cost a fortune to put right if done incorrectly.

But please carry on posting we do look forward to your threads.

cyclonebri1

Eastender wrote: »

yes mate, my sparky is a Polish fella, and his English is limited. If I had a British sparky it could have costed me a fortune, as with any British builders, hence more and more customers have been using non-British builders as they're quite reasonable in price, though not all are the same, probably another debate for that.

The painter I hired to do the whole house paint after skimming, is a brazilian, he is charging me £700 to do along with partner, where as my builder mentioned £1,500 and a British painter told me £2,500!

This whole series of posts is a wind up isn't it??


So far you have had a Polish builder, a Polish plumber, a Polish plasterer and now a Polish sparky + a Brazilian painter

You are a true wind up merchant or amazingly cosmopolitan. :T:T:T:T:T:T:T

You make clicking on MSE a pleasure, :T:T:T

ListysDad

And do you know the best bit of this? The OP is asking for the tradespeople he's sidelined to give him FREE advice. This one for sure is, for once, keeping his trap firmly S H U T.

I will watching the skyline for that oh so familiar glow tho...

Eastender

ListysDad wrote: »

The OP is asking for the tradespeople he's sidelined to give him FREE advice.
...

This is not a trade's people website, it's a DIY site and there are plenty of customers who have bought downlights and give their own experiance and don't charge £ to share their thoughts:D

ListysDad

I fully realise that reality is a concept that may be foreign to you but hell I'll try any way.

Firstly, no one has said it's a trades site.

Secondly, neither is it a DIY site; perhaps through your use of cheap labour you have inadvertently misinterpreted the spelling of moneysaving as Polish for DIY!

Lastly, once you eventually look past the end of your nose, and like it or not, you will find that savings occur here majoritively due to the philanthropy of trades people like myself. Yes you can get words of wisdom from those who have made mistakes but how do you know they are what you want? Like it or not a trades person is a datum.

These saving occur due to our in-depth knowledge and ability to apply many years of experience coupled with having that all important 'finger on the pulse' that makes us professionals (look it up you may find the word enlightening).

I have no doubt the people you've employed, hopefully legally, are nice people. However, what is obvious to most reading this is that they patently do not know what they are dealing with or doing. If they did you would not find it necessary to be here. End of.

Save your money. I would so love to see who is next to fall in your worst script yet - fade in the drum roll from the (s)hit show of the same name...