undercabinet lighting
Under cabinet lights are excellent for kitchen counters, and for some work areas and shelf lighting.
Advantages
Undercabinet lights provide bright light, evenly distributed and shadow-free (contrary to what happens to solutions where light comes from behind).
Many undercabinet lights can be dimmed in order to provide proper moods, and energy-efficiency.
Choices
Between the best undercabinet choices are the slim fluorescent T2, T4 and T5 fixtures or the more standard fluorescent T8 and T12 sizes.
LED mini-bar, xenon mini-bar, and LED and xenon round-recessed and puck lights are also very common (they last much longer than halogen, and run cooler).
Other choices, less energy efficient, include halogen and other incandescent lights…
See: Types of under-cabinet lights
Choosing
When shopping under-cabinet lights, cost and style isn’t everything. The type of light source, its lifespan and its energy-efficiency are major features, more important than the initial investment. The ease of installation or wiring considerations should also be taken into account.
Installation
There are now several easy to install under-cabinet light fixtures, namely those using xenon and LED lamps. Wiring issues make it advisable to hire the services of a skilled electrician.
Energy efficiency
Fluorescents are often the best price-quality option in under-cabinet lighting, followed at short distance by LED and xenon bulbs.
See also: