Let’s Talk: Light Fixture Installation
Whether you need task lighting to illuminate your kitchen counters or accent lights to set the vibes, there’s no denying that good lighting installations can completely transform your space. While some kinds of lighting installations can be DIYed, the most sophisticated fixtures typically call for the help of a professional electrician.
Keep reading for our team’s advice to brighten your home and what to expect when working with a licensed residential electrician. When it comes to creating a radiant home, these tips are powerful!
Home Lighting Installation 101
If done incorrectly, light fixture installations can quickly turn into a disaster. That’s why it’s so important to work with a licensed electrician when you find the perfect fixture for your house. These installs are no easy task for someone without the knowledge, experience, and proper equipment.
From cables to boxes, many obstacles can impact lighting installation. You need to ensure the different parts of the “electrical flow” are compatible and wired correctly.
If you’ve found the perfect chandelier or set of sconces but don’t know how to wire them, that’s what we’re here for! Call our residential electricians at Axiom Power Today!
Types of Lighting Fixtures
Several kinds of lighting fixtures typically require professional installation. Layering the rooms in your home with these different kinds of lights can add comforting depth and dynamics to your home.
Layered lighting gives you the freedom to curate your environment depending on your mood and the time of day.
The main categories of lighting fixtures to consider include:
1. Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting, also referred to as general lighting, is meant to mimic natural light. Some characteristics of ambient lighting include:
Gentle and relaxed
Bounces off the space to illuminate as much space as possible
It doesn’t call attention to one specific area
It is best suited for general activity
Custom chandeliers, LED downlights, wall sconces, and recessed fixtures help create the ambiance in a room. These fixtures can elevate the entire look and feel of your home but can be difficult and dangerous to wire on your own. Plus, you may end up spending excessive amounts of money buying the wrong kinds of equipment
Don’t get caught up making the wrong wiring moves. Reach out to our electrical experts today.
2. Task Lighting
This kind of lighting helps you perform specific, detailed tasks. These lights:
Provide focused lighting
Helps you see smaller objects or items with low contrast
Helps with accuracy when performing tasks
These are often installed near workspaces such as the kitchen, office, or studio.
Pendant lights, recessed fixtures, and under-cabinet lighting can all help you get the job done, whatever the job may be.
3. Accent Lighting
Accent lighting creates visual interest in a space. These can jazz up your space by drawing the eye to a focal point, such as art, bookcases, wall textures, outdoor landscaping features, or sculptures.
The lighting should be at least three times as intense as the surrounding ambient light to be effective as accent lighting.
Track lights, under-cabinet lighting, sconces, and picture lights can all be effective to spotlight an accent feature of the home.
The Steps to Install New Lighting
Installing a big fixture, such as a chandelier, takes a lot of know-how. Before completing any other task, your electrician will turn off the power to the fixture at the electrical panel. They’ll consider the weight of your lighting so that any necessary support systems can be installed.
An extremely simplified version of the process looks like this:
Remove the existing fixture and wires
Assemble the light fixture – this can quickly become a huge task on its own!
Wire the new fixture with any hot, neutral, and grounded wires
Hang the fixture with the necessary mounting materials
Add the canopy to cover exposed hardware and screw in the bulbs
Test the lights to ensure everything is working
This may seem like an easy task when it’s broken down into steps, but it can quickly become a stressful and confusing task for inexperienced hands.
Always Hire a Professional Electrician
Because of the complexity of lighting installation, we strongly suggest hiring a professional. Not only can wiring a fixture incorrectly cost you time and money, but it can also be dangerous and even fatal.
While you may think it costs hundreds of extra dollars to hire an electrical contractor for the installation, the opposite may prove to be true.
You’ll likely end up saving money!
We strongly urge you to not try tackling a lighting installation on your own. If you’re tempted to DIY, be sure to ask yourself the following questions:
Do I have strong knowledge of my property’s electrical system and wiring?
Does my lighting fixture include all of the necessary installation materials?
Are there clear installation instructions included with my fixture?
Do I know what specialized tools I need? Do I own them and know how to safely use them?
Am I able to perform complex electrical work including wiring, rerouting wires, and more?
If you answered no to at least one, you truly are better off leaving this task to the pros. Even if you have experience tackling home improvements, electrical work is a different story because you risk housefires, electrical shock, and even death. Moral of the story? Hire a licensed electrician.
Learn More > Brilliant & Trendy Chandeliers for Your Home
Transform Your Home with Axiom Power
New light fixtures are transformers of your space. We aren’t talking about electrical transformers... new lighting will make your home environment feel good as new!
Although you may feel enticed to do the job on your own, this probably isn’t the best idea. Even if you are experienced with electrical work, you likely don’t have the insurance to protect yourself and your house in case you make a mistake. You’re much better off hiring an electrician.
Upgrade your home with the help of Axiom Power! We install with No Problems, Just Solutions.