If you are designing a bathroom scheme from scratch, the fitting of the lighting is relatively easy and your plumber and electrician will be very pleased to advise you what you can and can’t realistically expect to be able to achieve. There are even light fittings available which can be fitted inside a shower cubicle, but if you are very keen to have lighting inside the shower it might be easier in the long run to choose a unit with the lights already fitted. Otherwise it is essential to buy lights which are prominently marked as suitable for use inside the shower – it is extremely dangerous to use anything else and design choices are minimized.
The same goes for lit mirrors above a sink. There are many mirrors incorporating lighting on the market but only some of these are zoned for use above running (and splashing) water and they will be found specially categorized in the bathroom lighting range in a catalogue or website. Illuminated mirrors intended for the bedroom will almost certainly be unsafe in a bathroom. Even when well away from the taps or shower, bathroom lighting must still be labeled as fit for use in a steamy environment. A bathroom can stay full of steam for quite a while even after a relatively short shower and it is important that any bathroom lighting fitment which is installed is both sealed against water ingress and also made of a material that will not corrode in damp conditions.
When it comes to fitting bathroom lighting, safety has to come first, but there is no need to compromise on appearance as there are many different units available which meet even the most stringent safety requirements. Because of the relative difficulty of installing bathroom lighting, the watchword here is to buy the best you can afford right from the very first stage of designing and fitting this very important room.
