Illumination of the bathroom mirror with a competent approach is able to perform not only the main function - to illuminate the room, but also decorative. If you connect the lamps in several lines, you can save electricity, since not all of them are needed at the same time. If the room is small, with the help of directional beams you can visually expand the room, and it will seem more spacious, and the ceilings - higher.
Lighting Rules
The basic rule for choosing lighting in the bathroom is safety, as it is always humid and has current sources. When choosing devices, it is necessary to pay attention to the degree of protection against moisture.
If the room is small with low ceilings, you will have to use recessed spotlights, and additionally illuminate the mirror area to make cosmetic events convenient.
In a large bathroom, it is advisable to provide for area lighting. Firstly, it looks beautiful, and secondly, it saves electricity. For young children, you can always leave a small light on so that they do not touch sockets and switches. The most functional areas are a bath or shower, a place for sorting linen, a washbasin.
It is important how the lighting for the bathroom mirror is located. If this is one lamp in the upper center, the image will be distorted, so it is necessary to evenly distribute the light sources so that they are also on the sides.
Lamps for the bathroom above the mirror should be as close as possible to daylight. This will allow women to properly apply makeup, and men to conduct high-quality hygiene procedures.
Main types and functions of the backlight
Each light source must simultaneously perform several functions:
- create general lighting;
- perform a decorative function;
- If necessary, create directional lighting.
Depending on the ceilings, several types of lighting can be used:
- LED
- neon
- using single chandeliers;
- pitting.
Each of them has its own advantages, which can be combined in one room.
Design Options and Choice
Depending on the location of the lamps, the backlight happens:
- Contouring. Spot diffused lamps direct light upward, creating a continuous strip.
- Directional. These are more powerful sources that are located under the ceiling and direct the flow of lighting along it.
- Point. Lamps are mounted on the ceiling in several places.
- Curly. Lamps are located in a certain ratio with each other.
- "Starry sky" - the arrangement of LED lamps is chaotic.
At the moment, the most popular are LED lamps, ribbons and lamps. Their service life is much longer than halogen or incandescent lamps. The lamps are connected to a network with a low voltage, almost nothing affects their durability.
You can consider several design options for the bathroom:
- Lighted ceiling skirting.
- Cornice with ceiling lighting.
- Acrylic glass ceiling in the ceiling.
- Glass ceilings with a pattern under the light sources.
- Two-story ceilings with daylight effect.
The choice will depend on the height of the ceiling and its area, as well as the skill of the specialist who will realize the design idea.
Criterias of choice
The backlight in the bathroom must meet the following requirements:
- To be functional, that is, each line of light must be interchangeable.
- Profitability - it is better to use lamps that need to be rarely changed.
- Fit the design of the room.
- Security - lighting with appropriate protection settings is installed in the bathroom.
- The closest approach to daylight.
With a small budget, it is not recommended to save on materials that will often have to be changed, as this will ultimately cost more.
Lifetime
Incandescent lamps have a low service life, since at the time of inclusion, the resistance of the spiral is many times less than in hot. Because of this, parts experience stresses that shorten their useful life.
LED lamps operate at low voltage and do not receive heavy loads. The resource of their work is 30 thousand hours. After that, the bulbs do not burn out, just their brightness becomes lower and will be about 70% of the original. It is recommended to buy quality products whose service life is as stated in the instructions.
Fluorescent lamps last about 5 years, if they turn on no more than 5 times a day, and the total number of times does not exceed 2000 times. The brightness of a fluorescent lamp is several times higher than that of a similar incandescent lamp.
Neon (gas-discharge) lamps have a resource of more than 80 thousand hours. The operating time is limited only by the quality of the glass, which absorbs atomized electrodes. If used without a resistor, rupture of the bulb may occur.
The service life of halogen lamps is up to 4000 hours. When installing a dimmer, it can be increased to 12 thousand.
Safety
Depending on the production technology and materials used, lamps have different effects on vision. On sale you can find products that have a low color rendering coefficient. Under such lighting eyes quickly get tired and even visual acuity may fall. It is recommended to install expensive high-quality lamps in those rooms where a person spends most of the time or works. In the bathroom, quality fixtures are needed to illuminate the mirror. For other areas you can buy less expensive.
Moisture resistance
Manufacturers produce lamps of varying degrees of moisture resistance. This ensures the safety of people when using lighting devices with an increased level of moisture in the room. For the bathroom, you can purchase products with varying degrees of protection against moisture. The closer the lamp is to the water source, the higher the protection should be. If there is ventilation in the bathroom and condensation does not form, ceiling lamps can have a minimum degree of protection against moisture, and the groups of fixtures above or around the bathroom should be safer.
Type of lighting lamp
You can use different types of lighting lamps depending on the purpose - LED, fluorescent, incandescent. Due to their long life, LEDs are suitable as working lighting, which will turn on and off more often. Fluorescent ones are suitable for certain areas, for example, near the bathroom, so that you can relax and the bright stream does not irritate the eyes. Incandescent lamps can be selected as the main lighting located in the center of the ceiling - chandeliers or floor lamps.
Illuminated wall mirror
A good option is to see your reflection well and reduce eye strain. The built-in backlight is usually located around the perimeter of the mirror, which creates a uniform flow. Such models are called make-up rooms, as they make it possible to evaluate the entire external image as a whole.When installing such a mirror, there is no need to look for a place near the window to evenly apply makeup.
Mirror cabinet
A mirrored cabinet with lighting in the bathroom can replace a spacious bright wardrobe, where there is an opportunity to evaluate yourself to your full height. The main thing is that the lamps do not distort the image and do not create glare. For this, it is necessary that there are no other working light sources opposite the mirror, and the backlight is located exclusively around the perimeter.
Illuminated and heated mirrors
Heated mirrors in the bathroom is necessary so that after water procedures the surface does not fog up and you can comfortably use it. In addition to condensate, the problem is the need to often wash the mirror surface, as traces remain after dripping.
The principle of mirror heating is based on the connection of wires that are protected by a film. The system operates at 12 V, and the thermostat simultaneously performs the function of a step-down transformer. A mirror with a socket in the bathroom, which is equipped with a heating system, must be safe or have grounding to divert electricity.
Features of fixtures for lighting mirrors in the bathroom
Since the bathroom is an extreme place for electrical appliances due to high humidity, it is necessary to take into account some features of such lamps:
- The devices have additional elements to protect the joints of the wires from moisture. These are rubber seals in shades, plugs from sealant on wires.
- The minimum value for IP is 44, the maximum is 67.
- Devices are designed for installation by zone. There are 3 of them in the bathroom. In the first zone there is maximum protection, the devices can be temporarily immersed in water - this will not cause harm. In the second zone, protection is not lower than the index 45. In the third, 24 and above.
Degrees of protection have all kinds of lighting devices - LED, incandescent, fluorescent and halogen.
Lighting Location
The location of the lighting depends on the design decision and the wishes of the owners. Here, the repair budget is taken into account, during which the laying of wires takes place and the number of lamps and their cost are calculated. Perhaps it will be decided to make autonomous lighting with a remote switch, in which the wires are brought only to the lamps, and the switch is programmed to work from anywhere in the apartment or house.
Longevity of the lamp
The durability of the bathroom luminaire is determined not only by the type of lamp, but also by the characteristics of the materials that withstand prolonged operation in the wet mode with frequent temperature changes.
The most durable are metal and plastic, and plastic products are much cheaper than metal. Wooden parts can become deformed and cracked in high humidity. Glass is a rather fragile material, but affordable if the repair budget is limited.
Internal parts made of quality materials extend the life of the products. Winding wires, metal grade or cable cross-section affect how much guaranteed lamp life will be. The higher the protection index, the longer the electrical appliance will last.
Lamp power
The higher the power of electrical appliances, the shorter the service life, so you can install one powerful appliance in the bathroom, and let the rest be of medium or low power. It is recommended to connect them to different lines so that they turn on independently of each other. In case of failure of any group, the rest will perform their functions properly.
Reflector design
As a reflector of the light flux can be used:
- mirror surfaces;
- aluminum;
- chrome surfaces;
- plastic with aluminum coating.
Plastic reflectors are not very reliable, as they heat up quickly. They need lamps that give off little heat - LED, halogen. Incandescent lamps can deform plastic or even cause a fire.
The thickness of the coating matters. For rooms with a non-aggressive environment - up to 3 microns, for the bathroom more is required - up to 10 microns.
The matte coating creates brighter light, the mirror absorbs the photon flux. The shape of the reflector also affects the radiation intensity. The most commonly used circle, ellipse or parabolic shape of the lamp.
Can I use stand-alone lights for mirrors
If you need to hang a lamp in the bathroom above the mirror, but no wires are provided for it, there is an option to equip autonomous lighting that will work on batteries or batteries. This is not very convenient and not economical, since the batteries need to be changed periodically and the batteries must be charged, but in the absence of other options this will be optimal. The most economical in terms of energy consumption are LED lamps - they can also be used in autonomous light sources.
DIY installation and connection
First, a mirror is selected according to the size of the bathroom and the desired shape - square, rectangle, oval. The backlight will be located around the perimeter, it is applied with adhesive elements at the back or in a specially mounted box made of drywall, plastic, wood. The LED strip will be selected as the luminous element.
Of the additional materials you will need:
- degreaser - alcohol or gasoline;
- wall mounts for LED strip;
- material for the frame.
First, a box is constructed in which a mirror is placed. There should be a back for securing the tape and control unit. It sticks in any corner behind the mirror.
The wires are connected to the power supply, control button, tape and switch. The button should be in a convenient place where it is easy to get it.
For installation in a humid room, all contacts must be tightly insulated with electrical tape and a building hair dryer so that the insulation sticks to the wires. The voltage should be safe - 12 V. The LED strip should also be selected waterproof, and the power supply should not be in close contact with water - it is better to seal it in a film and hide it behind a mirror.
