Pros and Cons of Recessed Lighting
lisadlu
13 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (9)
David
13 years agoRelated Discussions
Garden lights..pro's and con's
Comments (3)We use the solar powered lights simply to light the front sidewalk and a couple places in the backyard like one near the pond and one near a walkway from the patio to the driveway. It is just enough so we can see the path if we're out there at night. I like the solar lights because they are inexpensive (we usually get them at Big Lots or Target) and no need to run any wires. The only cost involved is the purchase of the solar lights since they rely on the sun for energy. The only thing to watch out for is not to put them where a weedeater can hit them. We have plenty of geckos, toads and other night creatures that feed off any bugs that might be attracted to the lights. We also leave our front porch lights on all night, but that is just to deter any burglars. We use CFL bulbs in those lights to keep the costs down. They last for a long time....See Morelight or dark granite..pro's & con's
Comments (14)I brought home various samples of unsealed granite to play with. Different granites have different properties, so I would bring home any that you're serious about (or just go grab some random ones right now to do testing for comparison.) On the ones I tested, out of ketchup, mustard, soya sauce, red wine, lemon juice, olive oil, and anything else I could think of, the only stain I got was a light stain of red wine on a light, unsealed granite. I left the stuff on the samples for a couple days before wiping off. The dark ones looked like they'd be more streaky to me. Miraculously, after no effort on my part, the red wine stain has disappeared from the light granite (I don't know exactly how long this took, around a couple of weeks). So, I'd have to say the stuff is pretty darn resilient to staining, especially if you use sealer....See Morelight colored honed granite -- pros and cons
Comments (1)Hi nikit - Right this very minute, my honed super white/vermont white/nantucket white is being installed, and it's GORGEOUS! i can't wait to post pics. but, i can tell you that it was a polished stone and they honed it at no extra charge. they said it was very easily done. and i like the look and the feel so much better. also, my installer said that if it were polished, it would show scratches too easily. i'm in the nyc metro area, so can't help you with a vendor....See MorePros/Cons of Recessed Lights. Must decide now.
Comments (11)I really struggled with this, too. I think it's best to consult a lighting specialist, but even then we weren't happy with the results, probably because we didn't know what to ask. I can only speak to the cans, but I think the type of bulb and trim you use has a big impact on the type of light you get. Our lighting specialist recommended short neck halogen PAR bulbs - the kind that have the reflector covers that look like outdoor bulbs - with black trims. We knew the black trims weren't for us, so we looked into the alzak trims, both clear and wheat haze. In the end, since we couldn't decide, we told the electrician to put in the basic white trims with the halogen PAR bulbs. We HATED it. The light was more spot-light than ambient (although not all that spot-light). We could clearly see the parabola shape of the light on the upper cabinets and walls. The shadows were bad, especially the handles on the upper cabinets, and the lights were very harsh when looking at the ceiling (although maybe the alzak trims would have fixed that). So then I started googling. Turns out, we wanted more ambient light, which is sounds to me like what you want, too. But our cans were in, and I wasn't about to consider changing those to surface mount. We ended up going with LEDs, as suggested by Nancy_in_Mich, and we LOVE them. After lots of internet research, we got the Cree LR6 2700k cans for $80 each at polar-ray.com and put them on a dimmer. Polar-ray is local to me so I did not order them over the internet, but they were great - very helpful and knowledgeable, and I saw good reviews of Polar-ray on the internet. The LEDs spread the light more. There are still shadows, but much reduced. The come on immediately (no warmup) and dim, although not as much as the halogens did. They are very bright, at least as bright as the 75 watt halogens. I recommend a dimmer! Here's a picture with both bulbs - look at the two lights near the wall. The one on the left is the LED, right is halogen 75 watt. You can see the defined edge of the light for the halogen, but not the LED. Also, the LED light is higher up on the wall - more spread out and diffuse. You can also see a color difference - we prefer the LED because the halogen was quite white. There are two other bulbs in the pic - the front one is LED and the right one is halogen (see the shadows created by the one on the right). Good luck with your decision!...See Morejscout
13 years agosusanelewis
13 years agolisadlu
13 years agocinnamonsworld
13 years agoDavid
13 years agoroadbike
13 years agow M.
3 years ago
Related Stories
BATHROOM DESIGNBathroom Surfaces: Ceramic Tile Pros and Cons
Learn the facts on this popular material for bathroom walls and floors, including costs and maintenance needs, before you commit
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESGravel Driveways: Crunching the Pros and Cons
If you want to play rough with your driveway, put away the pavers and choose the rocky road
Full StoryFEEL-GOOD HOMEThe Pros and Cons of Making Your Bed Every Day
Houzz readers around the world share their preferences, while sleep and housekeeping experts weigh in with advice
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESConcrete Driveways: Poring Over the Pros and Cons
Concrete adds smooth polish to driveways and a sleek look to home exteriors, but here are the points to ponder before you re-surface
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNHouzz Call: Pros, Show Us Your Latest Kitchen!
Tiny, spacious, modern, vintage ... whatever kitchen designs you've worked on lately, we'd like to see
Full StoryMOST POPULARFrom the Pros: How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets
Want a major new look for your kitchen or bathroom cabinets on a DIY budget? Don't pick up a paintbrush until you read this
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGNShould You Get a Recessed or Wall-Mounted Medicine Cabinet?
Here’s what you need to know to pick the right bathroom medicine cabinet and get it installed
Full StoryARCHITECTUREAre Vaulted Ceilings Right for Your Next Home?
See the pros and cons of choosing soaring ceilings for rooms large and small
Full StoryBATHROOM VANITIESShould You Have One Sink or Two in Your Primary Bathroom?
An architect discusses the pros and cons of double vs. solo sinks and offers advice for both
Full StoryDESIGN PRACTICEDesign Practice: How to Pick the Right Drawing Software
Learn about 2D and 3D drawing tools, including pros, cons and pricing — and what to do if you’re on the fence
Full Story
DavidR