How to Buy Track Lighting

Опубликовал Admin
1-10-2016, 00:35
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Track lighting is one of the most versatile choices in lighting fixtures. This type of lighting, which consists of individual lights mounted onto an expandable rail, can be used as ambient lighting, accent lighting, or task lighting. Track lighting takes up minimal space, and can be easily expanded as desired. In addition, each light is powered through the rail itself, so the entire setup only needs to be tied into your electrical wiring in one place. Learning how to buy track lighting for your home requires assessing your needs and designing a setup to meet those needs.

Steps

  1. Determine the purpose of the lighting you want to install. Designing a proper track lighting setup begins with evaluating the type(s) of lighting you need; track lighting is generally able to handle each of the following 3 types of lighting with ease.
    • Ambient lighting is general light used to illuminate an entire room or area. When using track lighting for this purpose, it is best to limit yourself to small rooms like bathrooms or small kitchens. Alternatively, you can install several sets of track lighting or use a track light fixture in conjunction with another fixture. Achieving adequate brightness in a large room can be difficult with track lighting alone.
    • Accent lighting (sometimes called "wall washing") is light used to illuminate a picture, piece of furniture, or special architectural detail in your home. Track lighting is ideal for this application, as each light along the rail can be adjusted to highlight a different feature.
    • Task lighting is light used to illuminate a working area, such as a desk or kitchen work surface. Track lighting works well in this application as well, because its small, focused light fixtures allow you to illuminate only the area you need. This is generally more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than using general lighting to light the entire room.
  2. Plan the locations of your track lighting fixtures. After assessing your required type of lighting, you can plan the locations of each track and its individual lights. Performing this step allows you to determine how many lights and how much rail to buy; it also allows you to determine how much new wire (if any) you will need to run to install the lights. You may want to write down your plan on a piece of paper.
  3. Decide whether to purchase a kit or individual components. Track lighting is often sold in kits that are designed for specific, common applications. If one or more of these kits fits your needs well, it will generally be cheaper and more straightforward to buy it. Otherwise, you can buy the tracks and light fixtures individually to design a setup according to your plan.
    • When buying components individually, buy from the same manufacturer. Parts from different manufacturers are often not interchangeable.
    • Connectors, such as L-shaped or X-shaped pieces, can be used to join together several rails. You can also buy these connectors separately and use them to join 2 or more kits.
  4. Choose a style of track lighting. Track lighting is a contemporary fixture by nature, but is available in a wide range of styles. You can browse different styles of rails and light fixtures either at the hardware store or at lighting supply stores. Consider mixing and matching styles for a more eclectic look.

Tips

  • If desired, you can buy low-voltage track lights that use a transformer to convert the standard 120V current in your home to 12V. These lights generally cost much less to run.
  • Suspension kits are available that allow you to hang the track light rail from the ceiling rather than mounting it directly. This is ideal for spaces like lofts that have high ceilings, as suspending the tracks brings the light source closer.

Things You'll Need

  • Pencil
  • Paper
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