Importance of Workplace and Residential Lighting

Too many times, homeowners ask designers just how important lighting really is. Why can’t they just buy a few couple of bulbs and have them installed? Why bother shopping for other options? Yet whether you are looking for industrial or residential lighting, it really pays that you install only the right kind of lighting. If not, you fail to incorporate a crucial design feature which can actually make or break the overall look of your home.

So, why is lighting so important anyway?

People receive information – about a whole 85% – through their sense of sight. Therefore, without ample lighting, you know what the effects would be to the workplace or to the kitchen where the family’s meals are actually prepped.

It is also important to take into consideration the factors such as less glare, lighting that could cause eye fatigue, safety hazards, etc. Quality lighting can significantly reduce a whole bunch of injuries that could happen all because of momentary blindness.

Other reasons why you should install the correct kind of home lighting are these –

The need to focus on a decorative object or an architectural feature.

Emphasizing the size of objects. Smaller objects are, of course, more difficult to see.

Contrasting between the background and the featured object.

Brightness or dimness according to the need during a specific moment.

There are different sources of light and these are –

Daylight. The amount of daylight that goes inside a residence or a building all depends on the architectural parts of those structures. The more windows installed, of course, the more light that could come in. Yet there are also other factors that could affect the flow of natural light such as the placement of the windows and whether there are awnings and window treatments.

Daylight can also pass through materials such as glass but it is hampered by curtains, window blinds, and other window treatments. Having less light coming into your home could present some health issues so you must be careful in planning the placement of windows and how many you assign to specific rooms in your home.

Electric Lighting

There are many choices for electrical lights. These are the incandescent bulbs, fluorescent, mercury, high pressure sodium, low pressure sodium (for factories), and metal halide.

The most common reference to bulbs are lamps especially when they are applied to technical publications. These bulbs also come with different color rendering or how the light affects the color of the objects that they shine on.

The general types of artificial lights are – general, localized-general, and task.

General lighting offers uniform lighting such as that is provided by ceiling fixtures which light up larger spaces. The second type which is the localized-general lighting makes use of overhead fixtures which are added to ceiling fixtures. These are used to increase the levels of lighting for specific tasks.

The last type which is known as the task light is known to increase the levels of light over the work area as well as its immediate surroundings. Also known as local lighting, this kind of lighting allows users to adjust or control the lighting levels so that flexibility is enjoyed.

Different Light Fixture Types

The lighting fixture is the complete lighting component. It comes with controls, the bulb, and the framework. Fixtures are also referred to as luminaires on many technical publications.

The different kinds of lighting fixtures are – direct, direct-indirect, indirect, and shielded.

There isn’t a single kind of lighting fixture that can be considered as appropriate or most correct for any given situation. The quality as well as the amount of lighting that are required both determine the kind of lighting fixture that will eventually be installed.