Too much light in room from pool table light?

trevorn1

New Guy
I am just completing my basement, and my wife and I compromised on a pool table light. It wasn't my first choice, but it's Lowes item number 458735 (I can't post links yet due to post count.)

My issue is that with 100W bulbs, it illuminates the pool table nicely, but unfortunately, it also throws a great deal of light up and around the room. Of course, this isn't ideal as the table at the rest of the room have similar levels of illumination.

My thinking is that I can use a bulb that would throw its light down instead of everywhere. Or, alternatively, I paint the inside of the globes at the top. Has anyone else run into this issue? How did you solve it?
 
Are you referring to replacing the glass with something else? If so, I'm not really sure where to purchase just those parts.
 
Product #458735 seems to be generic for all of Lowe's game room lights. Do you have the model number?

http://www.lowes.com/Search=458735?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&N=0&newSearch=true&Ntt=458735#!

The models with "black out" lamp shades will keep light from filling the room. Clear or frosted shades will allow a lot of light to leak into the room. Just tell your wife that black is the "in" color this year; goes with anything and never goes out of style.

Personally, I like the rest of the room to be well lit, but I know that detracts from the "pool room feel."

If you've already purchased the light and want to modify it: paint the outside of shade, not the inside. You want the inside of the shade to reflect as much light as possible since it's pointing downward. Make sure you use a heat-resistant spray paint, perhaps what they sell for BBQ grills or the inside of fireplaces. Run-of-the-mill paints might give off some nasty fumes when heated by the bulbs.

Alternatively, you might see how lining the inside of the shades with aluminum foil performs. It will reflect light to table and block it from going outward and upward. It might not even change the appearance of the shade too much.
 
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That's probably a Ram light. I bet you could buy a different shade online to better fit your needs.
 
I'm using GE Reveal 26W CFL flood lamps. They are equivalent to 90W incandescents and direct all the light downward.

http://m.lowes.com/product?langId=-...10051&productId=3408682&store=595&view=detail

A few quibbles:

- price is $10 apiece

- they take about 5 full minutes to reach max brightness

- they are taller than regular bulbs and protrude a little bit below the bottoms of my shades

Nice, warm light though, and use about 1/4 of the power of incandescent floods. Also, they run very cool, so you never feel hot while down on the shot.
 
I think we found your problem, you're using a flood bulb that's too long for the lamp base. Why not the regular 30W/100W equivalent CFL? You can get them at Costco in packs of 6 for $10. One of the local pool halls switch from circular bulbs to the Costco CFL and never looked back.

I'm using GE Reveal 26W CFL flood lamps. They are equivalent to 90W incandescents and direct all the light downward.

http://m.lowes.com/product?langId=-...10051&productId=3408682&store=595&view=detail

A few quibbles:

- price is $10 apiece

- they take about 5 full minutes to reach max brightness

- they are taller than regular bulbs and protrude a little bit below the bottoms of my shades

Nice, warm light though, and use about 1/4 of the power of incandescent floods. Also, they run very cool, so you never feel hot while down on the shot.
 
I had the same problem and maybe even the same light.I got some black spray paint and sprayed the inside of each shade.Problem solved and it kinda looks cool too.....Rick.
 
I did the same too but instead of black, I sprayed blue and it works just as well. :)

I refrained from spraying black, although it will definitely be much cooler, as it will absorb more heat.
 
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