Laminate Flooring and Ceiling Lighting

RobieTheRobot

Two threads in one if you like.

My house is being renovated with new plaster and flooring. Of course budget is limited therefore these questions.

As regards to flooring, is 8mm laminate flooring good enough (some people say 12mm + only) but reading the info on the flooring they say 8mm is for heavy domestic use (living, dining, kitchen, hall areas). I am confused. Our chosen 8mm would come in about 350/400 cheaper than 12mm laminate.

We had a single ceiling rose until now in the living/dining/hall/landing areas. Personally, I am happy with getting fancy single lighting for each of those areas but the wife seems to think we need spot lighting. So, what is the right thing to do or the current trend (can't work out from internet only)? Could there be a combination of the large ceiling and spot lighting or is that 'not' allowed/frowned upon? Should I just use spot lighting everywhere downstairs? 

Thanks

grumbler

Follow your taste, not "the current trend"

Jeepers_Creepers

For flooring 'wear', the only thing that really matters is the top, a-fraction-of-one-millimetre, layer. The actual board thickness doesn't contribute to 'wear', and probably only makes a noticeable difference when it's laid on less-than-perfect surfaces. (I can't think of any other reason why 12mm would be better - in itself - than 8mm).

We had Wickes' 'Aspiran Oak' laminate fitted recently, and that's 'only' 8mm thick. Superb.

For durability/longevity, check out the wear spec - things like 'AC4', tho' I'm not sure what they actually stand for...

Jeepers_Creepers

What do you mean by 'spot lighting'? Do you mean 'downlighters'? If so, I personally think a combi of central ceiling light and downlighters will look weird; it'll likely look like what it is - downlighters fitted to a ceiling without the original light being removed first. Weird.

I personally hate downlighters. I hate their trendiness. I hate their focused pools of light. I hate their lack of ambience. I hate the fact that they are just small circles in the ceiling which light up - they have no character or soul in themselves. Folk don't go "OooOOoh! That's a LOVELY downlight!" They are just 'things' on your ceiling. Ugly things.

A ceiling light, on the other hand, can be anything you want it to be - modern, steampunk, '30s, '60s, 20's, Victorian, stone age.

missile

8mm will be less stable, noisy and show up any imperfections in the floor. Go for the best laminate you can afford and do not skimp on underlay.

I have LED spot ceiling lights in living areas and LED fitments to central rose in bedrooms. 

Jeepers_Creepers

missile said:

I have LED spot ceiling lights in living areas and LED fitments to central rose in bedrooms. 

Er, I bet your lights are lovely...

Ah! But you don't have a central ceiling light AND spotlights in the same room?!

joe90mitch

For what it's worth, we have a kitchen diner extension with a mix of both types of ceiling lights. Above our breakfast bar is a really nice pendant light we put in. Above the sink is a single downlight (definitely the oddest element, we wouldn't choose this but it does come in useful for washing up I suppose), then six downlighters in the sloped extension roof, above a dining table.

Downlighters aren't our taste at all, it's what we inherited and isn't anywhere near the top of our to do list. But I really don't find the mix of them that odd looking. Maybe it's because they kind of have their specific "zones" each, rather than are all mashed in together. The ceiling pendant light, the sink downlighter and then the six other downlighters all have their own switches, which also helps I guess as again it makes them all distinct.

But I definitely agree with grumbler, whatever you and your wife like the look of most, just go for that. Don't get downlights if it's just because you think they're in vogue - they will go out of Vogue one day also don't forget!

RobieTheRobot

Thank you all for your input and comments. Very useful.

Thinking of doing spot lighting (wife prefers this and we all know they win) downstairs and pendants in the bedroom.

phoebe1989seb

Jeepers_Creepers said:

missile said:

I have LED spot ceiling lights in living areas and LED fitments to central rose in bedrooms. 

Er, I bet your lights are lovely...

Ah! But you don't have a central ceiling light AND spotlights in the same room?!

We chose to install a mix of downlighters and pendants in our kitchen as this combination works best for us 😉

There are fifteen downlighters and two pendants - with majority of the former at the *business* end of the room, above the island etc and the remainder plus the pendants at the fireplace end where we originally had a table but currently have a sofa.

The pendants operate separately from the downlighters. In addition, on the kitchen windowsills we have lamps which we have on during the evening.

In the bathroom we wanted a mix too - a few downlighters above the loo, basin etc and a chandelier in the centre of the ceiling. The chandelier is on a dimmer so I can have a relaxing bath with low, atmospheric lighting.....

Elsewhere we have loads of table/floor lamps and use these way more than the ceiling pendant lights.

Jeepers_Creepers

Cool. I was teasing

(A chandelier and downlights in the bathroom? I feel so inadequate. :-(   )

Doozergirl

Jeepers_Creepers said:

What do you mean by 'spot lighting'? Do you mean 'downlighters'? If so, I personally think a combi of central ceiling light and downlighters will look weird; it'll likely look like what it is - downlighters fitted to a ceiling without the original light being removed first. Weird.

I personally hate downlighters. I hate their trendiness. I hate their focused pools of light. I hate their lack of ambience. I hate the fact that they are just small circles in the ceiling which light up - they have no character or soul in themselves. Folk don't go "OooOOoh! That's a LOVELY downlight!" They are just 'things' on your ceiling. Ugly things.

A ceiling light, on the other hand, can be anything you want it to be - modern, steampunk, '30s, '60s, 20's, Victorian, stone age.

The OP is on a budget, but spotlights done properly are a thing of beauty.    Most people/electricians just throw in a runway of GU10s and don't consider how that affects the ambience of a room, or even the colour of the light.  

There is such a thing as lighting design and spotlights that cast beams of different widths, focussed on objects.  The key with spotlights not the spotlight itself, but the light that it casts.  Those pools of light that you hate become something else when they have something to light.  

It's not correct to say that having a 'big light' and spots is a mistake.  For a successful lighting scheme, you want layers of light and several points of it in a room.   Some rooms will really suit having a 'big light' as an object to look at (in a period property which has ceiling roses, or a lovely light hung low over a dining table) but spotlights angled to light artwork or cast a pool of light onto a coffee table etc.  

It's an entire art and spotlights can create genuine beauty.  

The OPs budget isn't going to stretch to full lighting design, but as a minimum it would be nice to have a 2/3 switches for different lights that operate on dimmers so that you can create an atmosphere.  Introduce lamplight into the room as well.  And use warm white lighting throughout the house - 2700k.