An Excellent Option For Your Kitchen - Under Cabinet Lighting

By Tom Sanderrs

If you have ever worked in a kitchen and found yourself having trouble seeing what you were working on, chances are the cabinets were the problem. Since eliminating kitchen cabinets is not really a good option, you may want to consider installing some under cabinet lighting. This lighting is designed to be placed on the bottom side of cabinets, directing light downward to illuminate the counter tops where you are working.

While you can buy cabinets that come pre-installed with these lights, for most of us, this isn't an option. The price of replacing kitchen cabinets is not something that fits in the budget. However, if you are remodeling or building your own home, you may want to consider getting the lighted cabinets.

In the case that you already have the cabinets, then it is a better idea to just add under cabinet lighting to them. These lights can be purchased from home improvement and lighting stores, as well as in larger retail stores.

Lights are available for all skill levels and needs. If you are the type that can't hammer a nail without banging your thumb, you may want to consider stick up lights. With these, you just peel the paper off the adhesive back and press it against the cabinet bottom. This type of light is almost always the type you press to turn on and typically runs off of batteries. Keep in mind, though, that these lights tend to provide softer lighting.

For those who can manage small tasks there are lighting mounts that you screw and plug into an outlet. This works fine for a small area but not recommended for a large area to light because outlets will be sacrificed that you may need to plug in small appliances.

The best choice in under cabinet lighting is the type that is hard-wired directly into your electric system and controlled via a wall switch. This is not a do it yourself project for everyone though. If you are comfortable working with electricity, it should not be difficult to do. However, if you are an amateur or accident-prone, it is best to hire a professional for the job.

Although more difficult to install, there are many advantages of hard wired lighting over the other styles. It provides better light than those that run on batteries and you also don't have to worry about the batteries weakening or being replaced. You also won't have to use up outlets and no cords will be visible. Of all the advantages, though, the biggest is probably the fact that a dimmer can be attached to this type of under cabinet lighting. A dimmer is a great thing to have and many use them to keep the lights dim when it is late so that if they get up there is enough light in the kitchen to see, but not enough to completely wake up the person.

Whichever type you choose to use to illuminate under the cabinets you will, I'm sure, be very pleased with the results it will bring to your kitchen and how you no longer will have to squint looking for something. Don't forget how appealing it will be to the eyes, also! - 29956

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