Lighting guides
Everything you need to know
Everything we know about choosing, fitting and specifying lighting, written by people who sell it for a living. Start with the guide that matches what you're trying to do.
The Ultimate Guide to LED Downlights
Every downlight decision in one place — fire ratings, IP ratings, lumens, colour temperature, dimming, cut-out sizes and finishes. Read this first if you're starting from scratch.
Start reading →Choosing your downlights
GU10 vs Integrated LED Downlights
Replaceable bulbs or a sealed fitting — which suits your ceiling.
How Many Downlights Do I Need? Spacing & Layout
The lumens-per-square-metre method, with worked examples.
Lumens, Wattage and Brightness Explained
Why watts stopped meaning brightness, and what to look at instead.
Colour Temperature: Warm White vs Cool White
2700K to 6000K, and which rooms suit which.
Dimming LED Downlights
Fitting, dimmer and driver all have to agree. Here's how to get it right.
Downlight Cut-Out Sizes Explained
Measure before you buy, especially when replacing existing fittings.
Downlight Finishes and Bezels
White, chrome, brushed nickel, black or trimless — the visible 5%.
Replacing Old Halogen Downlights with LED
Transformers, hole sizes and dimmers — the wrinkles nobody warns you about.
Shop LED downlights and GU10 downlights
Regulations and safety
Fire-Rated Downlights Explained
How intumescent seals work, and matching 30/60/90 minutes to your ceiling.
Downlight Regulations: The Complete Checklist
Part B, Part L and Part P in plain English.
Bathroom Downlights: IP Ratings & Zones
Which zone your fitting sits in and what rating it needs.
IP Ratings Explained
What the two digits actually mean, across every type of fitting.
UK Fire Safety Lighting Regulations for Commercial Premises
What's required in offices, retail units and multi-occupancy buildings.
LED Energy Ratings Explained
Reading the energy label and what changed under the current scheme.
Shop fire-rated downlights and insulation-coverable downlights
Room by room
Kitchen Downlights: The Complete Guide
Worktop shadows, task zones and layering with under-cabinet lighting.
Bathroom Downlights: The Complete Guide
Zones, IP ratings, mirror lighting and extraction.
An Energy Efficient Approach to Lighting Design
Cutting running costs across a whole home or building.
Shop bathroom downlights and anti-glare downlights
Emergency lighting
Emergency Lighting Regulations in the UK
Where emergency lighting is required and who is responsible for it.
A Guide to BS 5266
The standard that governs emergency lighting design and testing.
Maintained vs Non-Maintained Emergency Lighting
The difference, and which one your building needs.
How to Test Emergency Lighting
Monthly and annual checks, and keeping a compliant log.
Changes to the Emergency Lighting Standards
What moved, and whether your existing installation still complies.
How Emergency Lights Save Lives
Why escape route lighting matters, beyond the compliance box-tick.
Shop emergency lighting and fire exit lights
Other lighting types
Types of Bulkhead Lighting
Round, square, cage, vandal-resistant and sensor bulkheads compared.
Indoor Motion Sensor Lights
Where sensors earn their keep, and where they irritate.
Plaster Wall Lights
Paintable fittings that disappear into the wall.
LED Lights for Commercial Settings
Specifying for offices, warehouses, retail and communal areas.
Shop bulkhead lights and sensor lighting
Can't find what you need? Call us on 0330 133 1311 — tell us the space and the regulations that apply, and we'll spec it for you.