Please shed some light on how to best illuminate my kitchen counter work space.
Finishing up the cabinet installation on my kitchen re-do. I want to install undercabinet lighting. This is a u-shaped kitchen. The countertops are currently ordinary laminate, but we hope to upgrade to stone in the future. The backsplash is 17 inches and is currently unfinished (planning to tile it). Not counting the sink and cooktop area, I have about 18 linear feet that I’d like to illuminate. Typical 12″ deep wall cabs. Light rails will be attached, so the appearance of the fixtures is not an issue for me. I’ve roughed in a switch and a run of cable to both sides of the room. All light strips will be connected to a single switch via junction boxes and hard-wired to the 15A kitchen lighting circuit.
We’ve never had undercabinet lighting before. I’ve done some preliminary research on them and concluded the following:
1. LED’s are cooler and more efficient, so they’re the preferable choice of lighting.
2. They ain’t cheap!
3. Mount the lighting towards the front of the cabinets.
4. For the best coverage, keep the run as continuous as possible, rather than buying just a few fixtures and spacing them apart from one another.
5. Don’t use corded fixtures for hard-wire installations.
Am I missing anything? It looks like this will be a significant investment, so I really need to get it right. I’d appreciate any “enlightenment” you can offer me on the topic of undercabinet lighting.
Michael
Replies
Rope lights
Using rope lights is efficient and in expensive. The better ones can be strung together. Use a cord to a switched outlet hidden somewhere. They can be strung through glass doored cabinets for internal illumination.
Retrofitting T-12 troffers for LEDs
Take a lookee here: http://forums.delphiforums.com/breaktimeclass/messages/?msg=11557.1
I like the xenon bulb units. They are typically 1" thick so they be easily hid by a wood strip. They have two on positions: high and low, which is useful. i like the color of the xenon bulb better than the led units... cool but not bluish cold.
alright
Show the kitchen drawing or at least pics of the layout (include cab size and if you have flat bottom cabs or the recessed bottoms.
This will help us understand how much light and the configuration you need.
What's the rest of the fill light in the kitchen?
Just an fyi-you don't need to pull the lights to the front-especially if you are using "LittleInch" type fixtures. And, they don't have to be continuous (if you use the fixtures). Even yes, but spacing between fixtures are not a problem.
Sure wish you had figured this b/4 you finished the drywall and mounted the cabs.
LED strips are available in any color temperature you want.
They are very cheap, typically a 16' strip is under $15.00 on Amazon and the power supply is another $10.00. If one doesn't supply enough light use two.
Mount them front and back
They are self sticking and very easy to install.
The tube of a rope light wiill eat half the wattage, don't use them
Until the last few weeks I'd say LEDs are not the best choice, however that has changed and there are now strips available that put out great light, are UL listed so they pass inspections, and the cost has come way down. I don't have a brand or manufacturers number, but the electrican I spoke with said he just picks them up at the local electrical supplier. They are about 1/4" thick and are chained together so one LED is about every 4" - it puts out light equal to many of the thin undercabinet florecesnts.
Just be sure you understand that no light is permanent -- even the LEDs will eventually burn out, so design things so they can be replaced in the future (and don't count on an exact replacement being available).
Thanks for all the helpful feedback. I'm definitely going to shop around before making this purchase.