Track lighting by definition has its circuit and mounting elements exposed and many would sooner not use them at all in a home setting, especially if the home has fairly low ceilings. However this would be selling track lighting short because it does have certain advantages over comparable lighting methods like recessed lighting, single fixture spotlighting, sconces, and other fancier decorative lighting fixtures. For one, track lighting is highly configurable. You can run the tracks in the areas where light is needed and with flexible tracks you can bend tracks in different shapes to the configuration you need and at the same time the track can become a decorative element as well. Certain areas of your home are better suited than others for track lights, the first one coming to mind is the kitchen.
Since track lighting is primarily used as an accent lighting or task lighting source, the kitchen is a part of the house where track lighting can be a great aid while performing the many food preparation, cooking, chopping, processing, storing, and cleaning chores. We can bring focused light to bear on any kitchen task no matter how mundane by simply focusing the light fixture on the area or changing the light fixture for one that has more power, more focus, or one that simply suits a given need. You can mount pendant track lights for your sit up counter or you can mount a small pinpoint halogen and really focus it on a small picture or custom tile. You can create different lighting scenarios for the different areas that you need them in without having lights stuck in one spot. Another area well suited for the flexibility of track lighting is the recreational area.
Home track lighting can be used in virtually any room in the house. A popular room to use it in is a recreational room or game room. These are larger than normal home areas like the family room and benefit enormously from a flexible and configurable track lighting system. Billiard tables and ping-pong tables always need focused lighting from multiple directions so that body shadows are minimized. This can be accomplished handily with several modular track lighting systems that have the right type of light pointed in all the areas of the tables. It is basically additional task lighting to the lighting already in the room from recessed lighting, table lamps, chandeliers, sconces, and other forms of ambient light.
Sometimes there are certain rooms in an older home where we don’t want to mess with old ceiling wiring or make modifications to the fuse box in order to light the area. Instead, surface-mounted track lighting can be used whereby the tracks can mount directly on to the ceiling. The track can also be mounted to a wall, a beam or dropped from the ceiling on stems or cables. Power is supplied to the track from one end but power can be introduced anywhere along the channel with special adapters. This type of track is particularly easy to install, especially if one is remodeling. Track lighting from this perspective of ease of installation is also suitable for small rented apartments, dorms, or any accommodation where we have no plans to stay permanently and don’t wish to mess with the internal wiring scheme.
Track lighting definitely has its uses in certain living situations and parts of our home. The advantage of a track lighting system is its versatility. The track layout can be expanded or reconfigured and the light fixtures are easily and seamlessly moved around. You can add more track, change the fixture types, and point them in different directions. All these features are quite suitable for task or activity intensive areas such as the kitchen and the games or recreation areas of your home. Track lighting is also a good secondary or backup lighting for temporary living arrangements because they can be installed and dismantled with minimum fuss and interference with the formal electrical system.
If you’re looking for some great new ways on lighting your home, visit my site at http://homelightingideas.net where I discuss home lighting in general. Here you’ll find an important corollary to home track lighting where I discuss home track lighting
Ted Gambel has been an electrical tinkerer for as long as he can remember and his favorite topic is the area of home lighting and home lighting fixtures for better living.
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