Hexagon lights mount flat to the ceiling surface, so on a low basement ceiling they take only about 1.6 in (4 cm) of headroom. On drywall or exposed joists, the grid screws on through its connector holes. On a drop ceiling, mount to the solid structure above the tiles or ask our team first. Smaller non-dimmable kits plug in, while larger kits and all dimmable kits are hardwired by a licensed electrician.
In this guide
In a basement, every inch of ceiling height counts. This guide is for homeowners and DIYers mounting a grid from our LED lights for basement ceilings, one ceiling type at a time. It covers mounting only, since brightness and color temperature are covered in our guide to lighting options for a basement ceiling.
How Much Headroom Hexagon Lights Take
A hexagon grid is a frame of aluminum LED tubes joined by snap-lock connectors into six-sided cells. It surface mounts, meaning it screws straight to the ceiling with nothing recessed and no stem. Each tube is about 0.9 in wide and 1.4 in deep (22 by 36 mm), so the mounted grid sits under about 1.6 in (4 cm) off the ceiling. That is the whole cost.
Do you need recessed lights to save headroom on a low ceiling? The numbers say no. On a 7 ft ceiling (84 in), a surface-mounted grid leaves about 82.4 in, or 6 ft 10 in, of clear height, and the International Residential Code (section R305.1), which asks for at least 7 ft in a habitable basement room, already lets beams and ducts come down to 6 ft 4 in. So where there is ductwork, the duct is usually the low point, not the grid.
Mounting on a Finished Drywall Ceiling
Drywall is the easy case, and it comes down to three steps.
- Mark every mounting position on the ceiling before you drill.
- Build the grid on the floor and lift it up in one piece, or build it tube by tube on the ceiling.
- Screw it on through the connector holes, with the screws and anchors in the box.
An anchor is the sleeve that expands in the drilled hole so the screw holds in drywall. A 4 ft tube weighs about 4 oz (110 g), so nothing is heavy overhead. Our team sees both build methods in customer photos, and we suggest the floor build for an empty room and the tube-by-tube build for a furnished one.
If a light is already on the ceiling, leave a cell open around it, as in the first photo, or have an electrician take it down. Our page on how to install hexagon lights covers the full mounting sequence.
Mounting on Exposed Joists
Joists are the beams that carry the floor above. An exposed joist ceiling gives the most headroom of the three types, and the grid screws to the joist bottoms through the same connector holes.
The catch is spacing. Joists are often 16 in apart, center to center, and the corners of a hexagon grid will not all land on them. A point that falls in the open bay between two joists has nothing to screw into, so send our team your joist spacing and a photo before you order. If drywall is coming later, mount the grid after it goes up.
Drop Ceilings, Mount to the Structure Above or Ask First
A drop ceiling, also called a dropped or suspended ceiling, is a second ceiling of lay-in tiles, usually 2 by 2 ft or 2 by 4 ft, resting in a metal grid hung on wires from the structure above. It was designed to hide pipes and ducts while keeping them reachable, which is why the tile grid often needs 4 to 8 in of clearance below the lowest duct or pipe.
We have not confirmed a way to mount a hexagon grid to that tile grid, so we do not recommend it. Mount to the solid structure above the tiles, or send our team a photo and the tile-to-joist distance before you order.
| Ceiling type | How the grid mounts | Headroom | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finished drywall | Screws and anchors | About 1.6 in (4 cm) | Where the existing light sits |
| Exposed joists | Screws into the joist bottoms | About 1.6 in below the joists | Points between joists |
| Drop ceiling | Structure above the tiles, or ask our team | Tile grid often needs 4 to 8 in | Tile-to-joist distance, photo |
Ducts, Pipes, Beams and Posts
A basement ceiling is rarely a clean rectangle, and the grid does not have to be one. Built cell by cell, it can stop short of a duct, run beside a pipe, leave a cell open around a smoke detector or end at a support post. Every mounting point should land on drywall or wood, never on a duct or pipe.
A beam below the ceiling works as a border, so stop the grid there or put one kit on each side. With over 13 years in the lighting industry, our team has planned basement layouts like these, including a retrofit in Denver, and the duct is usually the first thing a layout works around. Suspension wires are for high or sloped ceilings, not a 7 ft basement.
Plug-In or Hardwire, in Plain Terms
The kit decides this, not the ceiling. Smaller non-dimmable kits ship with a plug-in cord. Larger kits and all dimmable kits ship with hardwire cables, so have a licensed electrician connect those.
A plug-in kit needs an outlet its cord can reach. A hardwire kit is connected to your home's wiring by the electrician and runs from a wall switch, and dimmable kits step between 30%, 60% and 100% from that switch. Not sure which yours is? Ask us before you order, or see our guide to plug-in vs hardwired garage lights, which covers the same split.
Next Steps
So, on a low basement ceiling a hexagon grid takes about 1.6 in, screws to drywall or joists, and goes to the structure above a drop ceiling. Before you order, run this four-point ceiling check.
- The clear height under the lowest duct or beam.
- Your ceiling type, plus the joist spacing if the joists are exposed.
- Where the existing light and the nearest outlet are.
- A photo of the ceiling.
Color temperature is chosen at order (3000K, 4000K, 5000K or 6500K) and fixed after that. Then compare kit sizes in our LED basement lights collection, or send your notes to the HEXLED team and we will draw the layout around whatever is up there.
About this update, . We rebuilt this guide around mounting by ceiling type, with tube figures confirmed by our team and the current plug-in and hardwire wording.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much headroom do hexagon lights take on a low basement ceiling?
About 1.6 in (4 cm), so a 7 ft ceiling keeps about 6 ft 10 in of clear height under the grid.
Can you mount hexagon lights on exposed basement joists?
Yes. The grid screws to the joist bottoms, so mark every position first and send our team a photo if some land between joists.
Can hexagon lights be mounted to a drop ceiling grid?
We have not confirmed a way to mount them to the tile grid itself, so mount to the solid structure above the tiles or ask our team first.
Do I need an electrician to install hexagon lights in a basement?
Not for smaller non-dimmable kits, which plug in. Larger kits and all dimmable kits ship with hardwire cables, so have a licensed electrician connect those.
What if a duct or beam is in the way?
Built cell by cell, the grid can stop short of a duct or end at a beam, and our team can draw a custom layout around both.