Recycling and Recessed Lighting

As the project has continued, I have been saving any scrap metal that could be recycled.  This morning, I decided that I wasn't going to be removing any more recyclable metal, so I took it down to the local recycling facility. 

They don't pay for steel, but they do pay for aluminum (I had 12 pounds), brass (1 pound), copper (24 pounds) and stainless steel (15 pounds).  I was expecting maybe $20, so I was quite happy to leave with a check for $62.43!  On the way home, I swung by Harbor Freight for a cheapie air stapler that will hopefully last me at least long enough to put the new floor in.

With the old floor removed, and the drywall continuing, I needed to address another large part of the project looming over my head, quite literally:  lighting. 

In the old kitchen, we had one recessed light over the sink, one hanging pendant-style light over the table, and two old and ugly ceiling lights.  We replaced the sink recessed light with a new one, and were planning on removing the two ceiling lights and replacing them with four recessed lights, and replacing the existing pendant with a different pendant light. 

For the recessed lights, I knew I didn't want incandescent.  I wanted compact florescent or, preferably, LED.  Menards ended up having a sale on their LED recessed retrofit bulbs, which is an LED bulb and trim ring, in one. 

They look very nice, have a soft white light, and are surprisingly bright!  5 year warranty, and they're dimmable, even better still.

After finally figuring out how the bulb unit was supposed to mount in the recessed light (duh), we determined that they're bright enough, we thought we could get away with two recessed lights replacing the two ceiling lights.  And, rather than a pendant light over the dining room table, it might be nice to have a "clean" ceiling, and use a recessed light there instead.

I was quite happy about that, as it meant I was able to re-use the existing holes (after enlarging them), and not have to fish any new wire in the ceiling.  It also meant I was able to return two LED units and recessed lights, saving a couple dollars.

One of the old ceiling lights was mounted with a ceiling fan hanger, so I did  have to go up into the attic and rip that out, unfortunately.  Other than that, the recessed lights (remodel style) went in rather easy.  Pop the LED kits in, and other than the under-cabinet lighting, my lights, and more importantly, the electrical, is DONE.