Kitchen track lighting allows you to aim light where it’s needed most. Whether you want to spruce up a dark kitchen or target your lighting on critical work areas, custom or off-the-shelf track lighting can add functionality and warm up the aesthetics of the kitchen.
There are basic kits to get you going, as well as more expensive models. The best news is that most new kits are lightweight, easy to modify to your needs, and can cut energy bills when you install separate tracks and switches. Light only the fixtures you need, and dim the ones that you turn on only when people visit.
About Kitchen Track Lighting
The best thing about track lighting is its flexibility. If you’re going to do the work yourself, be sure to stipulate a “set” when you buy the kit or you may not get all the necessary components. These include:
You also want to shop for fixtures that operate with the track kit, put out the kind of lighting you need, and look great in the kitchen. Depending on the location of the electrical box for your existing ceiling light, you may not need any additional power source. If the light track is mounted on the surface of the ceiling, it installs easier than recessed lighting.
Because the track lighting sets are lightweight, you won’t need to attach them to joists. Some go into a hollow ceiling with molly bolts. Be sure your ceiling can handle the weight. Measure your distances carefully–especially if you’re installing track lighting under kitchen cabinets. The last thing you want is a swinging door to bash into your new fixtures.
Safety Tips
It’s a great idea to install the track lighting where you can use the existing wiring. Be sure to turn off the power source before working on any existing fixtures in the kitchen. Once you’re sure there’s no current, you can remove the existing lighting. Before doing any drilling to install the lighting tracks, it’s a good idea to mark your chosen locations with tape.
Read all the instructions to make sure you don’t overload the kit with fixtures. The manufacturer should include documentation. Choosing fixtures and bulbs can present a financial challenge. Many new kits feature LED lights, while conventional halogen lights can cost more than other options. Remember, don’t rely on incandescent bulbs–they’re being retired from the marketplace in the next few years.
Not since Edison’s 1879 incandescent electric lamp hit the market has there been such a hubbub about lighting. One can only wonder if the American population was concerned about the quality of light produced by the filament bulb when compared with the illumination from gas lamps. They probably loved the convenience.
Now, forced by Federal legislation to save energy, American consumers may again face a quantum change in the way their homes and offices are lighted. Beginning in 2012, all new light bulbs will be required under law to use 30 percent less energy to produce the same levels of light that we enjoy today. The winners of the shift, according to The New York Times, will probably be the manufacturers of compact fluorescent bulbs. The losers: the aesthetically conscious consumer.
Compact fluorescent bulbs on today’s market are designed for use in kitchens, baths, and all the rooms between. They’re said to operate on 70 percent less energy than the traditional bulb, and last as much as ten times longer under normal use. But so far, manufacturers are well beyond the curve in offering lighting fixtures designed to cast the fluorescent bulbs in the most-favorable light.
Consumers Reluctant to Change
Wal-Mart has sold compact fluorescent bulbs for three years and the new items make up less than 20 percent of their bulb sales. Consumers dislike the overall color effects of the bulbs and complain that some models give off a disturbing buzzing sound when in use.
On the other side of the aesthetic argument is the government’s claim that 90 percent of the energy burned by incandescent bulbs is emitted as heat—not light. The energy drain has led Australian legislators to ban incandescent bulbs by next year.
In America, the Department of Energy supports the end of the incandescent era, claiming that 25 percent of our total home energy bill is generated by lighting. Compact fluorescent bulbs, reports the California Energy Commission, should not only reduce energy use by 75 percent, but should last 10,000 hours.
To consumers concerned about the quality of light produced by compact fluorescent bulbs, the Federal ENERGYSTAR team claims that newer models of compact fluorescents will come with “warm” colors to match the yellow tint of incandescent bulbs. The new bulbs will be offered along three settings in the Kelvin scale: yellow, white, and blue.
In the end, we may have to settle for some discomfort until manufacturers dial in the colors. But we’ll probably be stuck with fluorescent bulbs.
When it comes to lighting in your bath, all is certainly vanity. Kidding aside, the kind of lighting you install in your vanity ultimately has more to do with how you look than how your bathroom looks to others.
Uneven lighting over the make-up table or sink can cause your eyes to look like you haven’t had sleep in weeks. Poor vanity lighting can dramatically alter how you look when in the office or out on the town. If you’re the handyman/woman, you don’t want to skimp on providing adequate overhead lamps, mirror-side sconces, and light bars.
Getting Your Bathroom Lighting Right
Ultimately, the correct lighting around the mirror will light up the subject’s face from all sides. It doesn’t have to be flattering in an inaccurate way, but take it from the hospitality industry: warm, full lighting provides a satisfying experience. Experts at This Old House warn consumers that overhead, recessed lighting fixtures cast shadows of the undead on a subject’s face.
Fill-in, accent lighting can make the entire bath a comfortable place, and lighting above the mirror with sconces at eye-level can complete a satisfying effect. You’ll also prosper from an aesthetic standpoint by using halogen bulbs that illuminate the subject with natural tones. Some homeowners love the effect created by installing a bathroom chandelier just above the vanity.
Low-wattage track lighting angled just right projects lighting into the mirror, and diffusers prevent glare. You may want to experiment with LED track lighting for effect.
Using Sconces in the Bath
You can create a warm and well-lighted effect by using a row of sconces above the mirror. Or, if you’re settling on single sconces, align them on the side of the mirror. Lighting suppliers recommend that your above-mirror vanity fixtures should be at least two-feet long and provide 150 watts at the minimum.
If you really want to dial in control of your bathroom lighting, consider installing an incandescent dimmer on a halogen light. You can save energy when you’re lighting the bath just to find your way around or to use the shower. A combination of ambient lighting and direct vanity lighting on separate controls can provide the most-flexible solution.
If you’re working with a contractor, discuss options to install lighting directly in the mirror set. It can be expensive and risky to try it on your own.
In improperly installed or poorly maintained ceiling fan may become more ornamental than useful. You may have selected your kitchen, bedroom, or living room fan based on appearance, choosing it for blade design or lighting options. But unless you’re just going to turn it on when company comes, you should make sure that your fan is not costing you more to operate than the potential energy savings it can bring to your home.
Let’s say you’ve included quotes for having a fan installed when renovating a bathroom. According to Home Energy Magazine, a standard ceiling fan with a light fixture uses about 300 kwh/year to operate, while a certified Energy Star model fan uses less than half of that amount without compromising light and airflow capabilities. Makes sense to help distribute your HVAC load with an appliance that also runs efficiently.
Do You Need Lighting in the Ceiling Fan?
If your main reason is to curb heating or air conditioning costs, you may not need to buy a ceiling fan with a central light. It’s the light itself that draws the most power during operation and it generates heat. Halogen and incandescent bulbs typically use the greatest amount of energy.
The government’s Energy Star website provides downloads of tools to help you select the most energy-efficient fan based on the size of your kitchen or bathroom, on your regional heating and cooling requirements, along with installation tips. The agency also has suggestions in choosing the correct fan mounting system for your room: standard, extended, sloped, or flush mounts.
Fan Adjustments: Working Out the Wobble
There’s nothing glamorous about a wobbly fan. The noise or visual flutter in the spin can drive you to distraction. Worse, a wobbly fan can have a shorter effective life as well as use additional energy to run without providing circulation.
If you’re installing the fan in your bathroom or kitchen–or having someone do it for you–be sure the unit is fastened securely to a mounting box in the ceiling. This is a pivotal part of the procedure. Most manufacturers balance the fan blades before shipping, but there’s no guarantee your unit will come that way.
A good method of diagnosing the fan is to run it without the blades installed to see if it still wobbles. If it runs smooth, you’ll need to balance the blades. Be sure to ensure that all the set screws and mounting screws are tight. Then measure the distance from the top of each blade to the ceiling. Adjust each blade as necessary until all of them are true and even.
The use of natural elements in home remodeling and energy-efficient products are more than a passing fling. Homeowners are looking at protecting their investment and the environment at the same time. And while some so-called “green” lighting and flooring products can warm up the atmosphere of your home, they can help you save money on your annual energy bills.
A great example is Toolbarn’s recommendation to replace existing light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. Theenergy efficient bulbs can use as much as 75 percent less electricity, lowering your costs nearly $60 over the seven-year life of the bulb. You can also cut your power costs by installing motion detector bulbs indoor and outdoors. You don’t have to leave the lights burning all night on your patio to scare off burglars.
Looking at Green Homes
Contractors are now offering so-called green homes in special subdivisions. That means you can borrow their ideas and retrofit your home with devices to lower your bills. A new home in Northern California’s “Carsten Crossings” neighborhood offers $1,400 in annual energy savings, according to developers. Flooring products and sustainable paint materials feature materials that don’t release volatile organic compounds.
Today eco-sensitive homeowners are choosing natural fibers like wool or sisal for their rugs, linoleum in place of vinyl, recycled wood, cork, and bamboo for flooring. HGTV has a nice pictorial presentation of green flooring products on its site. Bamboo is known throughout Asia for its durability and easy maintenance. Like bamboo, cork can be expensive to install, but it is also easy to clean with homemade water and vinegar solution. Both products lend a nice look and are efficient in baffling noise.
HGTV also recommends using recycled wood and reclaimed glass flooring products. Recycled tiles are bright and you can choose colors that complement your decor. You can even find ecological carpet flooring constructed out of recycled plastic bottles and corn sugar.
Don’t Forget Green Appliances
Green Home Guide authors recommend that you install “smart ceiling fans” during your home remodeling project. Fans that cost under $70 with retrofit materials that cost under $40 can curb your heating and cooling costs. What makes these fans “smart” are the sensors that detect when people leave the room, shutting down the fan until occupants return. By using a fan, you can easily raise the thermostat on your air conditioning by 5 degrees or, conversely, drop your furnace temperature by 5 degrees in the winter.
You don’t have to spend a fortune to change the way you live.
Here’s some highlights of what I’ve been reading on the web this week:
Rejuvenation Contest for $1,000 Worth of Products:
Enter to win $1,000 worth of Rejuvenation products? Now that’s something I can get excited about. If you live in Portland and have been to their showroom you know what I’m talking about. If you’ve never seen their amazing hardware and lighting products, this is a good time to get familiar with them via their website.
To enter, you need to submit up to three photos of a your recently remodeled space (with or without Rejuvenation products). Projects will be posted on their website and users can vote on their favorite update. The homeowner with the most votes wins!
I just signed up for the Apartment Therapy Kitchen Cure. Six weeks dedicated to working along with hundreds of other fellow readers to put new life into our kitchens.
The cure starts this Monday, and I’m excited to see what Sara Kate has planned since the cure is coinciding perfectly with my move into a new home and new kitchen. With tips on everything from reorganizing your pantry, to working on knife cutting skills planned for the “syllabus”, the next six weeks should be fun. Sara Kate is also suggesting a dinner party as a “graduation” ceremony at the end. We’ll see if I actually get that organized…
Thinking your kitchen could use a cure or two, sign up for the Kitchen Cure by Monday to start with the rest of the class.
Home Depot Printable Tax Credit Eligible Product Lists:
Everyone these days wants to know how they can benefit from the recent stimulus package and the slew of projects and tax credits that went into effect with it. Home Depot posted on their Twitter this week with links to printable lists of tax credit eligible products. If this doesn’t make it just plain simple for homeowners to update their home and get money back, I don’t know what does.
There was lots more great stuff on Twitter and around the web this week…but there’s just not enough hours in the day to list them all here. Hope enjoy this quick selection.
Great lighting can really make or break a home. So, choosing light fixtures that make a statement, or updating boring and dated fixtures can be a fun project to undertake, and one that is pretty affordable.
Here in Portland we have some cool lighting stores to choose from, including Schoolhouse Electric.
Specializing in handmade period lighting peices, Schoolhouse Electric adds the artist’s touch to vintage inspired fixtures, shades and hardware.
If you want to update your older home with traditional lighting from the era, or you’re a vintage decor junkie, their products will definetly inspire you.
Don’t live in Portland? Don’t worry, you can order from their shop online.
November, for me, means one thing: Thanksgiving! The food, the friends, the wine, and of course, the assortment of delicious pies.
Nothing makes Thanksgiving more enjoyable than the perfect space to enjoy it in. This week we’ll look at ideas, both big and small, for making the most of your dining room.
Some projects you can finish before your family arrives on the 27th, and others will take longer to plan and execute, but will bring greater, more noticeable results. This week we will look at major and minor ways to change up your dining room.
Part 1: Quick Dining Room Fixes
1. New Lighting : Adding a new light fixture not only adds a new focal point, but can also brighten up a room.
2. New Paint: Add a new coat of paint to a room. A new color scheme can dramatically change the look and feel of a room. Painting can be a great DIY weekend project, or just paint half of the room as seen here to make it an even quicker project:
3. A New Table: A dining room table can make or break your space. Make sure you have a table that fits the space you’re in, and that functions for your purposes for it. If you’re less than happy with your table, maybe it’s time to start scouting out a new one before the family arrives.
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(Photo Credit: 
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