How to Chose and Install Under Cabinet Lighting

Under cabinet lighting is great for several reasons. It can provide an increased intensity of light, as well as removing shadows, over a work or study area. It can also be used to act as part of an accent point showcasing special objects on counter tops under the cabinets. It is very versatile in that it can be used to create calming or decorative effects or safer and more efficient work and study spaces. Because of this versatility, under cabinet lighting becomes more popular every day. As the sales of various types of under cabinet lighting increases I would bet so does the sale of headache remedies. Undertaking a home improvement project that involves adding this type of lighting to existing cabinetry is not the easiest do it yourself project. It's not impossible, but you must be properly prepared with a full plan of attack, the tools necessary to complete the job and perhaps skills in electrical work. If you have no skills in electrical projects you might consider consulting an electrician for a quote to finish the wiring part of your project. Do not waste your time until you have answered the following questions to yourself. You will need to be able to provide these same answers to any qualified electrician who would quote on the electrical part of the project. There are three main types of questions; what type of light source, what type of light fixture and what type of electrical control is desired.

Type of Light
Until recently there were only four types of light source but now there are five. The newest type of under cabinet lighting is LED lighting panels. These are like the panel on a flat screen computer monitor. They are thinner and now capable of providing more than sufficient intensity of light. There should be no reason why, in the future, you should have many options with this type of lighting such as various color choices, timed lighting and easily variable intensity lighting.