Electrical Specialists | Topeka Residential Electrical Provider

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Options for interior and exterior lighting

One call we get on a regular basis is about lighting. Maybe mom wants better light in the kitchen over the island, or you might need a bar light installed over your new pool table.

There are limitless situations, and just as many different options to choose from. In fact, it can be a bit overwhelming when you find out the variety available to you.

That is why for the sake of this article, we are going to break down the selections to just a few categories that might make it a bit easier. 

Source

We’re going to start at the beginning. What makes that light you see? Is it an incandescent filament? The gas of a fluorescent tube? Maybe it’s Metal Halide, Halogen, or a Light Emitting Diode. (LED)

In any case its usually the type of light they produce that you are looking for over efficiency. We all know by now that LED lights are extremely more efficient and effective than almost all other types.

They disburse light in a very wide array while using about one tenth of the power to do so. Add to it that most LED fixtures are color adjustable.

Meaning that they can move along the K value range from a strong yellow of 3500K, to a bright surgical white of 5000K. 

Now we completely understand if LED isn’t your cup of tea. Maybe you need to heat a chicken coup, help your plants grow, or perhaps you just like the glowing light of an older style fluorescent.

In any case it’s best to do a little research and find out what will suit your application best before moving on. 

STYLE

Next, we want to talk about Style. This is where we want to use our imaginations and look at the layout of the space in question.

As we have found over many years, the space and the use of the space almost always dictate the style.

Maybe you have an older home, and it was built before ceiling lights were common. If it’s a bedroom let’s talk about a ceiling fan with a good light kit.

Or maybe it’s a study and you need lots of light so recessed LED fixtures fit the bill.

Or maybe it’s your office and you finally want to get that super cool adjustable light you’ve walked past at IKEA for years. So many uses call for just as many options. 

Some people find track lights outdated, but we still install them for that client that loves the idea of being able to adjust many small lights in many directions.

Being able to highlight items in their study or living room that otherwise would get lost in the shadows. 

Maybe the back yard doesn’t just need a flood light for the kids to play on the trampoline at night but doubling down on the Ring video camera/light gives that extra security factor. 

The fact remains, you give me a different space and a different reason, and I will give you different options to make it happen.