The What's and Why's of cabinet lighting

Once overlooked in kitchens, under cabinet lighting has gone from an option to a necessity. Cabinet lighting increases the aesthetic value, sets the right mood and provides necessary task lighting for your daily work. With a properly lit kitchen countertop, you can distinguish sugar from salt with ease. Under cabinet lighting makes your cabinetry the focal point in your kitchen.

As you can see by the pictures above, lighting makes a dramatic difference in the illustrated kitchen. What kind of lighting and how you use it are up to you. The design possibilities are nearly endless.

Here is some information about the 3 types of lighting that CabinetParts.com carries. This will assist you in making an informed choice.

LED Lighting

This is the hottest technology in lighting today. Here are some of the many reasons to use LED lighting:

• Long Lifetime-LED lights can have a lifetime of up to 50,000 usable hours. Also, LED’s do not burn out abruptly, but fail by gradually dimming over time. This lifetime basically eliminates bulb changes
• Lower Power Consumption-LED lights require very little energy compared to an incandescent or halogen light. This results in lower energy costs.
• Virtually No Heat-LED’s produce minimal heat. They stay cool to the touch which makes them a safe light source in many environments. They are also great for illuminating heat sensitive products such as chocolate.
• Function & Appearance-LED fixtures tend to be very compact in profile and design. They don’t require additional ventilation space making it possible to install LED lighting just about anywhere

Halogen Lighting

Often used for task lighting situations, halogen lighting offers a number of benefits

• Color Rendition-Halogen lights produce a bright white light without being harsh
• Efficiency-Halogen lights are one third more efficient than a traditional incandescent lamp. They are offered in a low voltage version which reduces excess heat produced by the halogen bulb
• Long Lifetime-Halogen lights will last twice as long as a regular incandescent fixture with a lifetime of 4000 usable hours
• Style & Design-Halogen fixtures are produced in many different forms creating a virtually endless array of design options

Fluorescent Lighting

This is the most commonly used option in kitchen & other task lighting areas and also offers a number of benefits

• High Light Output-Fluorescent lights produce a diffused bright light very suited to task lighting, display cases and under cabinet applications
• Lower Power Consumption-Compared with a 100 watt incandescent fixture, fluorescents use 75% less electricity. This results in lower energy cost
• Low Heat Index-Fluorescent lights produce a low heat index making them ideal for display cases where heat sensitive materials are displayed

Have more questions? Call us. We would love to help with your lighting purchase. You can reach our customer service team at 800 857 8721 M-F from 8:30-5:30 EST or visit our 24-7 Cabinet Hardware and Accessories page for more information.