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I want to improve dark lighting in my basement, which currently has 5
bare incandescent bulbs with old porcelain fixtures.

I'm not very handy--electrically "challenged"--but would like to try
replacing these myself with larger fluorescents.

Unfortunately the ceiling is low and I don't have access to the joists,
because the previous owner covered the entire ceiling with half-inch
oak planks (except where the incandescent fixtures protrude). I would
prefer not to remove.

Is it easy to replace the standard incandescent fixtures with flush
flourescent fixtures? Any particular type/style better than another?

It may cause a problem with headroom, but for cheap light with no wiring
needed, some cheap corded shop lights screwed to the plank ceiling, and
plugged into a decent quality of bulb-to-outlet converters, will be the
simplest. Removing the the porcelin fixtures, and replacing them with a
duplex outlet in a 4" octogon cover, would be a better solution, but would
require knowing a little about wiring. Next cheapest solution would be to
replace the porcelin with kitchen ceiling fixtures that are designed for low
headroom- the light sockets go sideways so you can use the curlicue
florescent bulbs. If ceiling is really low, there aren't any great solutions
that don't require cutting the wood ceiling, and having some idea what you
are doing. Retrofitting flush fixtures in a hard ceiling is often not
trivial- anything surface-mounted will be much easier for a newbie.

aem sends....