Installing Recessed Lighting - Crawling in Attics - Remodeling 

Even though I do this stuff for a living, I really enjoy just watching someone else do it lol

I had a buddy die in an attic an hour before we were done with the job . He was making up a junction box and his knee slipped and he fell with his chest landing on a live circuit hidden in insulation and I kept yell up the ladder to him and then I seen the lights shudder and ran up and he was barely alive ,sadly when paramedics came he was dead. One of the WORST days of my life and career. I NEVER ever let co-workers go into attics or confined spaces alone. Plus we go the extra mile now to make sure all breakers are off. He was such a great guy too.

You can get a safety "bump cap" insert that fits inside most ballcaps. It's not rated for falling object protection, but will stop you from getting any cuts or bruises on your head.

As an electrician, I bought a pet tarantula to therapeutically get over my intense fear of the spider. I would be working in attics, crawl spaces and vents just to have the shit scared out of me countless times from our eight legged friends. One time I got called down from a scissor lift because of my inappropriate reaction to a spider that I didn’t know was there. They made me to helper work for the rest of the week over that.

I worked in hundreds of Texas attics in my life. I would take the attic any day over going under the house. I had a deal with my coworker that I would take all attic work if he took all under floor work. He was glad to oblige because we rarely had to go under the house. Too many spiders under the house. Not so bad in blazing hot dry attics.

Run a cheap 12volt led light strip in 3000k down the ridge beam. Plug in with a 12v power supply. It will light up the whole attic and make working up there way more pleasant. Since the light is coming from the whole ridge line, you won’t get any shadows or dark spots even when your working down near the sofets. Installing this was time we’ll spent in my attic. I even put mine on a switch near the entrance so you can’t miss it.

I’ve never thought of wearing a hard hat to protect against roofing nails. I worked around one builder (more like a handyman) who used 16d nails for the outside sheeting, rip to my spade bits.

A good tip esp when working alone. When you are pulling any type of wire in general & you are using sticks, tape the wire onto the stick around 3-4"s from the back or end of the stick. This will create a V. So when you push the stick forward to where you want it to stay until you move. You just pull the V back until it catches on anything. Now the cable & stick won't fall back out while you move over. 😆 Plus you can still pull the cable forward as much as you want & after you pull it forward a little, if you twist it you can now move it backwards too if needed.

Im going into my second year. Working along side my 60 year old dad and his friend. And he still gets up there. Legend

When using a holesaw in drywall, run it in reverse to avoid dulling the teeth. You might need them later for wood or metal.

I’m only 22 and I’ve been doing electrical work for a year and a half andI do only residential work. And as I like to say “attics turn boys to men and men to boys”

Dustin: I hate being in Texas attics. Also Dustin: Spends the next 4 minutes talking about flashlights in a Texas attic. :D Keep up the great content, bro!

The kitten and 3000” nail edits are hilarious

Glad things going good, love the videos. Wish this one had less flashlight ads, and more of the actual work you did while in the attic.

I don't know how you went about removing the popcorn texture from your ceiling, but if you use a spray bottle and get it wet and then go back once it's had a chance to soak in, it scrapes off pretty easy! I've done that a few times! It's pretty messy, but just put down something on the floor, plastic or drop cloth, and it's not too bad to clean up. a 4 gal backpack sprayer with a lever on one side to pump as you spray makes it a lot easier! Harbor Freight has one for 20 or 30 bucks. I bought one I use for me yard every year, and I've had it for 4 years now. Warm water works best!

When you first said you were going to use your fish sticks to help rewire I got a mental image of you tying a string to a box of frozen fish sticks and chucking them across the attic :D Yes...I know I'm weird!

My advice from someone who redid my entire house, if you can afford it, spare no expense, you only want to do it once.

Whoa hey, that's roofers that use those nails not framers. Framers put nails exactly where you want to drill in top plates. :)

I’m in the same place as Dustin and I had squirrels in my attic and they shit a bunch and tore up the duct work. I realized this when my a/c never cooled. I went up there and discovered the place they were getting in and measured and counted all the ducts that needed replacing. I then got mesh to fix the spots they were getting in and bought a bunch of duct to replace the broken ones. This was in June. I got up there in the morning but by 10 it was unbearable. Needless to say, I duct taped the ducts and basically stopped the bleeding then decided I’d put it off for 3-4 months until it cooled off. The squirrels are the same as me I guess because they seem to have vacated during the summer so I need to at least patch the holes before it cools but I’ll probably put it off and end up trapping them.

One of the first things I did in my attic was install strings of C9 Christmas lights with white bulbs along the ridge line. When I go into the attic, I just plug in the strings and the attic is all lit up. They are all connected end to end so there's only 1 plug to plug in. It works great.

My first trade was HVAC, a lot of it residential. Not only attic work, but under raised houses. Terrible places to work.

Good call on the hard hat. Plus easy place to keep a light. Smart

If you are trying to find holes while in an attic, try using 2’-ish glo-sticks from a party store. They are cheap and highly visible. If you do not have an assistant, they can be taped to the ceiling below to stick up into the attic.

So true!!! My master electrician always sends me in the crawls and the attics 😂😂😂

Love the hardhat tip!

I just installed 18 downlights doing the same thing here in Texas. Hot hot. Those battery powered fans save you up there if you can't do it early morning.

Great video. Please do one on getting down to panels. It's a art fomr that is hard to pass along to helpers.

The best light I have used is the Milwaukee red lithium headlights. I love those light. Last a long time. Multiple light settings, and rechargeable. They sell batteries for it too if you need to quick swap it. But the only time I ever had to do that is when I forget to charge it. Otherwise last the whole day.

I’d always be masked up in an attic!!

Removing knob and tube in a cellulose insulted attic on a hot day is fun.

Thanks again for your help

Great time to be in construction/housing market… i got a whole house generator install, adding a 5000w generator inlet for the same guys lake house, and made 600 in 2hrs yesterday, installing 2 smart switches, getting power back to his bathroom and installing a surface mount light on his front porch yesterday lolt

Fenix E05, I never leave home without that flashlight

Buy a bust down for your drill. I install cans all the time and it’s a must. Keeps dust contained and keeps clients homes clean

I have the Klein square light,liked it so much I bought another.

Blown insulation in the attic sucks when installing recessed lights, you have to make sure it's cleared away before you start cutting holes in the ceiling. Another tip is to buy 6" lights instead of 4", they give better coverage and the larger hole allows you to use both hands.

A N95 or equivalent mask is a Must along with a disposable jumpsuit ,if not a long sleeve shirt should be worn ,fiberglass insulation is the worst and you will thank me for it . Don't put the shirt or any other clothes worn in the family wash load;do it separately. Knee pads that are flat are also suggested when crawling along the joists ,there are nails in them too ;nothing like a bare knee on a nail to make you feel alive!. Always have at least two points of contact grabbing something overhead and having a good footing while you feel out your next step especially if your in a high ceiling.a Headlamp is also a must flashlights are pretty useless unless you have a solid platform they will take a much needed hand away.if wearing a safety hat make sure you can see up or you will eventually hit your head on a beam (hard learned experience and I mean hard) gloves and safety glasses should also be worn .Your less likely to lose tools or materials if put in a tub and slide them along . I have crawled in 100 or more attics and under houses doing Hvac if this helps one person to avoid the aggravation or Injury and saves them time then typing all this was worth it . Stay safe .

I need to do this same thing this coming weekend...thanks for the video, really looking forward to it lol

Been there done that so many times and u said it right we arent supose to be up there we should have a young dude doing it for us but.... Sometimes we gotta show em we still got it. Lol. Great vid bruh

9:16 DEFINITELY installed “just a few” of those in the past😉 Very Nice👍🏻 💨

Would love it when I gave somebody a price in middle of winter to due a few hours of attic work only to have them wait til hottest days of summer to get it done. Told them it would cost at least a hundred dollars more or wait til October.Same thing with post lamps. Would expect you to do it for same price that you quoted in summer and wanted it done while the ground was frozen solid in January. Told them to call me after they dug a 12" deep trench because no way that I dig in middle of winter up in cold north city. Luckily I got more & more machine tool & die shops etc for work and stopped doing any residental work last 25 years before I retired. Don't miss taking off work boots to walk inside a house. Keep a pair of clean sneakers that I only worn inside homes but even that did not make some customers happy.

also its a good idea to have a filtered respirator which can help protect from harmful stuff u breath in

I thought after 23 years I wouldnt have to go in attics anymore but the young kids never seem to show up on attic day.

8:46 Watching you wire that recessed light in 55 seconds was a thing of beauty!

I have that same hard hat. I like it!

While you are doing these renovations you should also take the time create a proper network infrastructure. Meaning Ethernet from the rooms to a central location to router and switches, drops for access points and cameras. Not sure your current computer setup for editing video but this could help if you have or need a nas. If need any help or want to talk more about let me know. I don’t mind helping and giving advice.

Pro tip, if I may. I'll wear only knee pads and underwear under a tyvek bunny suit for comfort in hot attics.

I wear a safety hat because of Dustin. It has saved my noodle more times then I can say in the short times I wear it. Nails, roof supports, flues, all ruin your day

Dude this video was just in time I’m a helper her in Maine and I spent pretty much all day today crawling around in a attic trying to rough in some c/o smokes. Definitely ain’t fun!

Texas attics can be intense (hvac). When i was about 20 yrs old one attic seemed warm ... the the thermometer in my shirt pocket said 170°f. That was 50 yrs ago. I now get out at 120°. Retired and wait till night to enter my attic, WITH knee pads. Drink lots of water !!!

Not enough 70 year old gray blown, fiberglass and formaldehyde rolled insulation, and mouse droppings in that attic. Oh and don't forget my favorite: Old Sheetrock ceiling furred down over even older plaster that disintegrates upon penetration. Bonus points for metal mesh instead of wooden straps. Ultimate mode: Tin ceilings. Edit: In case anyone is wondering, I'm a licensed electrician in New England. You have not lived until you rewired a 100+ year old home. Three words are seldom feared more than "Knob and Tube".

Fun and it takes that fast and simple to put it in wow

Lowe's or Home Depot sell a plastic bowl you can put on under your hole saw that catches all that sheetrock dust. Locke Supply sells one with an adjustable hole saw blade in it for about 30.00 dollars. there pretty handy for sheetrock. They aren't quite strong enough for wood, unless it's paneling, but pretty handy tool for adding light boxes or such.

Just wondering , here with my company we never use can lights unless a customer asks for them specifically , we usually use the ultra thin wafer lights that have the adjustable light spectrum. They are just SO much easier and roughly the same price but cheaper for the customer as far as paying us for our time

I’m doing the exact thing you are: popcorn ceiling removal, add recess light, tear down old carpet and add new flooring baseboards. Don’t get me started with original bathroom plumbings

The Klein 56411 pen light is cool. I own one and my only gripe is the metal clip. the clip gets snagged on lets say a pocket, so when you pull it out, the clip bends. Im gonna have to cut the clip off amnd smooth the edge where i cut off the clip. I dont wanna throw away the clip cause it acts as a sort of spacer for screw on battery cover.

The pen clip works great for a short time head lamp if you are wearing a baseball cap. The brim holds the weight of the flashlight nicely.

@9:49 I see 14 and 12 gauge wire. Is not mixing the two just recommended or you can mix them as long as the breaker covers the smaller one?

Hey hand, need a little bend in the bib of that cap!

Wow great job I enjoyed it. I’m just curious what part of Texas do serve. I’m in Texas too😎

Awesome presentation as always. This guy helped with a tricky 3 way switch with a ceiling fan with light with hots in the attic.

So damn great D!

Lord bless You! I bought a 100 year old home that is tiny and in desperate shape. I'm only 60 years old but this house is making me an old Lady. With your videos and some of the water ones I may just survive this.... Thank you 😊.

Did you drill holes through the attic joists?

So much easier with a helper!

Why'd you go with 4" cans instead of 6"? Obviously nothing wrong with either, I just usually install 6". Do you have a preference or is it situation by situation?

Total beginner here. Till you get power from the fan/light that is already there? Where did you get power from?

Yup. I've got the non vented electrical rated full brim Klein hard hat. Love it.

Thanks. Almost as good as a service call video. You have so many 1000volt members, you’re to work full time just to answer calls/texts! LOL

I agree! I hate going into attics… nails and dust will mess you up lol.. Just did what you did recently for friends and dang doing it again for my house. Nice vid! 👍

If Chris Jericho and Ivan Drago had a kid. It’d be you. Lol

Yeah, i crawled i my attics today. One 14/2 and 4 ethernet. At least you have lader hatch.

Id love to see the whole remodel process even if its not electrical work

South Florida attics, 2 & 1/2 to 3 on 12 pitch, plus AC ducts....

They make a dish that mounts to the drill to catch all that sheetrock dust

This was extremely helpful, as I too, get to do this soon too. The lighting in my house is dull and could benefit from an upgrade

I’m trying to get Ethernet in a one story house, my attic is big but way to cramped and low for my liking lol. I have ti get to the corner of my attic but it’s like 2 feet high

You need the kline while cutter/dust collector. Replaceable blade also.

Looking good. Thanks

Highly recommend hole saw dust bowl!!! From Rack-a-Tiers best $25 bucks spent!!!

Is that bedroom circuit on a 15A breaker so you can be using that #14? Lol

two words.... . Dust Bowl. :D

I have 10 ppl a day wanting these slim lights with insulation proofing.... "don't want a fire" ... are you using special slums or is ant slim good? Love your vids

Attics are always fun lol

Home depot has a safety section you can find lights,gloves,helmets etc......

One tip- when drilling down lights, if the drill is run in reverse to begin with, this stops the hole saw from wandering. A cleaner hole can be achieved, and the plasterboard around the bezel of the light remains undamaged.

how did you fish across for the 4 main floor pot lights? aren't there joists in the way lol?

Wish I had an attic over my living room and dining. old house with NO LIGHTS, only switch plugs. I would either have to rip the plaster down, or pull up the floor boards in my daughters room upstairs. No thanks to either of those options lol

I like to drill a 1/4 hole first then stick my fish stick through the hole to see where I’m at in the attic and clear the insulation in the attic prior to drilling the hole for the light less mess

I always see people adding lights and wires but they never explain what to do with the wire in the attic. Do you staple it to the under side of the roof? Do you leave it laying on the insulation? How much slack??? Grommets? How to enter the electrical panel? I need info.

Hey 👋🏽 man like your content what kind of knee pads do you wear?

I’m getting itchy just watching this.

Can we have a link to where you bought the gloves you hand on? ! 😁

What about vapor sealing are those lights ic rated

I recently purchased some of these for a new construction install. They are IC rated and ETL rated/listed but they are not UL listed. What does the NEC have to say about UL listing vs. ETL listing?

After almost a full day in an Arizona attic I forgot a pair of Klein wire strippers up their. They are still up there as far as I know. Just not worth going back up there!

What boots do you wear or recommend for electricians?

Is it allowed by code to just cross the wire from one light to the other? No need to cross the wire through the joists?

Texas attics? Florida attics are pretty damn bad too 😂

@ 2:51 O dude I had a question about this very thing. When using the drill do you go in reverse to cut into the ceiling with the whole saw or do you go in Forward on the drill. Because My boss who is a Master Electrician said that I'm supposed to go in Reverse. But idk why it seemed to work better when I did go in reverse. But when I'm drilling anything else I always go forward. I'm still you know an apprentice but Like i feel like I still struggle with things that should be pretty basic knowledge or skills sometimes. But Hope anyone here can help thanks. appreciate it.