{"title":"Vanity Lights","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVanity lights are the cheapest upgrade with the most visible daily payoff in any Canadian home.\u003c\/strong\u003e Swap a builder-grade bar for a fixture with real diffusion and a high-CRI bulb, and you stop wondering why you look better everywhere else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTwo specs decide everything\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCRI 90 or higher.\u003c\/strong\u003e Colour Rendering Index measures how accurately a light shows colour against natural daylight. Below 80, skin tone goes sallow and makeup shades read wrong. Above 90, colours are true. This one number matters more in a bathroom than in any other room, and almost nobody checks it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDiffusion.\u003c\/strong\u003e A bare-bulb bar aimed straight down recreates the shadow problem you're trying to fix. Look for \u003cstrong\u003efrosted glass, fabric or opal shades\u003c\/strong\u003e, or bulbs angled outward rather than down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlacement and size\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbove the mirror:\u003c\/strong\u003e mount the fixture \u003cstrong\u003e75 to 80 inches from the floor\u003c\/strong\u003e, roughly 3 inches above the mirror's top edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e about \u003cstrong\u003e75% of the mirror's width\u003c\/strong\u003e. With no mirror to match, roughly one-third the vanity width. Too narrow is the usual error and it makes the whole wall look unbalanced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDouble vanity:\u003c\/strong\u003e either one long bar spanning both sinks, or two fixtures each centred on its own sink. Don't split the difference with one fixture between them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eDamp rating and code\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA vanity light above a sink in a normally ventilated bathroom needs a \u003cstrong\u003edamp rating\u003c\/strong\u003e. Anything within or directly above a shower or tub enclosure needs a \u003cstrong\u003ewet rating\u003c\/strong\u003e and generally GFCI protection. This is what a home inspection and an insurer will look at, so it isn't a formality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCheck for the \u003cstrong\u003eCSA or cUL mark\u003c\/strong\u003e on any fixture going into a wet location.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eColour temperature\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2700K to 3000K\u003c\/strong\u003e for a bathroom used mostly morning and evening — warm, flattering, and consistent with the rest of the house. If the bathroom is your main makeup space, \u003cstrong\u003e3500K to 4000K\u003c\/strong\u003e is closer to daylight, but be aware that makeup applied under cooler light can look heavy under warm evening light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWiring\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAll fixtures run on \u003cstrong\u003e120V at 60Hz\u003c\/strong\u003e, standard Canadian residential supply. Vanity lights are hardwired — swapping an existing fixture on a sound box is reasonable DIY with the breaker off, but a new location in a bathroom is electrician work and usually needs a permit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom a Canadian company that has stood under a bad vanity light at 6am.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow high should a vanity light be mounted?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e75 to 80 inches from the floor, roughly 3 inches above the top of the mirror.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat size vanity light do I need?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 75% of the mirror's width, or roughly one-third the vanity width if there's no mirror to match.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat CRI should bathroom lighting have?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e90 or higher. Below 80, skin tone and makeup colours render inaccurately. It's the most important and most overlooked spec in bathroom lighting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDo vanity lights need to be damp-rated?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes for fixtures above a sink in a normally ventilated bathroom. Anything inside or directly above a shower or tub needs a wet rating and usually GFCI protection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOne light or two over a double vanity?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEither one long bar spanning both sinks, or two fixtures each centred over its own sink. A single fixture placed between the two sinks looks unbalanced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How high should a vanity light be mounted?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"75 to 80 inches from the floor, roughly 3 inches above the top of the mirror.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What size vanity light do I need?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"About 75% of the mirror's width, or roughly one-third the vanity width if there is no mirror to match.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What CRI should bathroom lighting have?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"90 or higher. 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