Guide to Bathroom Lighting Locations, Levels, Types

Guide to Bathroor light fixtures,Bathroom Lighting Guidelines: General Lighting Rules for Bathrooms
- Recommendations for lighting levels for bathrooms
- Bathroom Mirror Lighting Recommendations
- Guidelines for Lighting Over Tub and Shower
Questions & Answers about lighting specifications for bathrooms
References

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Bathroom lighting design specifications: this article gives guidelines for lighting location, strength, and safety for bathrooms. This article series details guidelines for selecting and installing interior lighting to meet the requirements for different building areas.

Bathroom Lighting Guidelines

This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.

Also see LIGHTING, INTERIOR GUIDE our home page for information about all lighting topics relating to building interiors.

Bathroom Mirror Lighting Recommendations

Good lighting is critical at the bathroom mirror for shaving, makeup, and other tasks of personal hygiene.

For optimal lighting, place strip lights or globe type light bars at least 16 inches long on each side of the mirror centered at 61 to 64 inches (about the average eye height).

Wall sconces on either side are also an option for smaller mirrors. These provide even cross lighting without shadows or glare (see Figure 5-23). Our photo (above left) illustrates lighting in a historic home in New York. The placement of a bulb suspended in front of the mirror generates plenty of glare.

Figure 5-23

For small mirrors under 30 inches wide, use about 75 watts of incandescent lighting or 20 watts of warm-white fluorescent on each side. For larger mirrors, use up to 150 watts of incandescent or 40 watts of fluorescent on each side. Additional lights across the top of larger mirrors are also helpful.

If using fluorescents, select lamps with high CRIs and warm color temperatures in the 2700K to 3000K range.

Lighting from above the mirror only using globe-type light bars, a pair of recessed downlights, or a lighting soffit is acceptable as long as the vanity top is a light color.

Otherwise, areas under the eyes, nose, and chin will be in shadow. If recessed fixtures are used, choose an A lamp, flood, or compact fluorescent for a diffused beam.

General Lighting Rules for Bathrooms

As a rule of thumb, provide one watt of incandescent or 1/3 to 1/2 watt of fluorescent light per square foot of floor space. Increase this by 50 to 100% for recessed lights, indirect lighting, or a room with dark surfaces. In a small bathroom, the mirror lights can also provide the ambient light.

For larger baths, a separate ceiling fixture mounted near the tub and toilet can be useful for ambient light and reading.

Finally, in a room with a high ceiling, indirect lighting with coves or uplights can create a feeling of spaciousness in a bathroom, along with a pleasing, soft glow.

Guidelines for Lighting Over Tub and Shower

A recessed light with a white diffuser mounted over the tub or shower will be appreciated by bathers.

Watch out: Electrical codes require that these fixtures be totally enclosed and rated for use in a damp location (tub area) or wet location (shower).

Most require GFCI protection for their UL rating. The shower light fixture installed in the bathroom shown at left is unsafe, using an improper fixture type and lacking ground fault circuit interrupt protection - a shock and fatality risk.

In addition, fixtures must be at least 6 feet above the water line and switches must be a minimum of 5 feet from the edge of the bathtub or shower.

Watch out: Check with local code officials in your own jurisdiction for specific lighting and electrical safety requirements.

-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.

Our photo (left) illustrates nice use of indirect and rooftop skylight lighting over a walk-in shower in a Minnesota home.

Industry & Trade Associations for Lighting and Other Interior Components in buildings

American Lighting Association www.americanlightingassoc.com

Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries www.awci.org

Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) www.carpet-rug.org

Drywall Finishing Council www.dwfc.org

Forest Stewardship Program www.fscus.org

FloorFacts www.floorfacts.com

The Gypsum Association www.gypsum.org

National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association (NOFMA) www.nofma.com

National Wood Flooring Association www.woodfloors.org

Painting and Decorating Contractors of America www.pdca.org Smartwood/Rainforest Alliance www.smartwood.org

-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

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Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
Recommended books on electrical inspection, electrical wiring, electrical problem diagnosis, and electrical repair can be found in the Electrical Books section of the InspectAPedia Bookstore. (courtesy of Amazon.com)
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