Daylight harvesting, once deployed only in large commercial and industrial settings, is getting lot of airtime with home builders and renovators. The process is just like it sounds: You install a combined window treatment and lighting system that coordinates the amount of heat and light that comes through your windows into living spaces. It’s not [...]
Are all light bulb products interchangeable? Not so, according to Consumer Reports. The product evaluator and watchdog recommends that you match the replacement bulb to your lighting fixture. Even if you buy a bulb made for energy efficiency, using it in the wrong environment can shorten its life and negatively affect its performance.
Selecting your bulb
First, [...]
With Christmas just around the corner, why not consider making home improvements that decorate for the holidays and last for the entire year? One of my favorite improvements is to add exterior lighting that you can deck with light strings, vines, wreaths or bows. But this year, put in doorway lamps, entry overhangs, walkway lighting, [...]
Energy efficiency in household lighting continues to advance in the green commercial marketplace. Royal Philips Electronics has launched sales of the world’s first light-emitting diode (LED) product designed to replace the conventional 75-watt incandescent bulb. The manufacturer claims that, in using only 17 watts of electricity, the Philips AmbientLED 17 produces 1,100 lumens of light.
The [...]
Another prudent remodeling project to consider these days when cash is tight is a plan to revamp your lighting. Kitchen lighting focuses on energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness today with new -generation light-emitting diode (LED) and compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. Add a strategic dimmer or two, a set of spot lighting fixtures and you’re on your [...]
As much as we appreciate dimmer switches, they can make low-quality light bulbs flicker and buzz when you turn down the juice. Often the problem is with the bulb and you just need to swap it out for one with a heavier filament. I’d suggest switching to a newer, energy efficient compact fluorescent bulb. Or [...]
If you’re feeling squeezed in your home or simply want to present a larger-looking house to would-be buyers, there are ways to maximize your square footage without knocking out a wall. Professionals who stage homes for sellers know that removing clutter can make rooms feel more spacious than the square footage might indicate. Now you [...]
Here in the winter California rains and winds, it’s a challenge to walk safely across the patio at night at my friend’s house. There’s a series of overhead floods that splash light across the patio, and if you turn on the pool lights, chances are good you won’t take a tumble into the depths. But [...]
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