PLAN
EARLY
CONSIDER
THE SPACE
After deciding where the
basin, toilet, bath and shower
are to be positioned, lighting
should be next on the list.
That way you can run all the
cabling and bury it in the walls
before you start tiling and
decorating.
Even small rooms with one
lighting scene will benefit
from a dimmer switch. This
inexpensive measure ensures
night time trips to the loo
or early morning starts are
only as bright as you want
them to be. Lights that can
be dimmed include mains or
low-voltage halogen, or any
“standard” filament-type
bulbs. LEDs, fluorescent or
compact-fluorescent bulbs
usually can’t (this includes
most illuminated mirrors).
PLANNING
This will determine how
many lighting ‘scenes’ you
need to create.
A small cloakroom may
need just one lighting scene,
whereas a larger room with a
bath enables you to have at
least two: “bright” for speedy
stops, and “soft and low” for
slow, relaxing soaks.
To create the different scenes,
plan on at least two wall
switches. These can now be
legally positioned inside the
bathroom as long as they are
an appropriate distance from
wet areas, but the simplest
and most popular solution
is to position the switches
outside adjacent to the door.
IP44 (sometimes written as IP X4) simply means that the
light fitting is “splash-proof”, and therefore will withstand
the typical level of moisture found in a domestic bathroom.
Astro offers the largest range of IP44 rated products in
Europe, so there is plenty for you to choose from.
According to the regulations, you can use IP44 rated lights
anywhere in a bathroom, apart from inside the bath itself.
A higher level of protection is IP65 which is “jet-proof”.
Astro considers this rating to be safer for light sources
fitted within a shower cubicle.
UNDERSTAND
REGULATIONS
