Hi all,
I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot. Is
it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light sources
availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets lighted
with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on how to do
that?
Any hint is welcomed
Thanks in advance
Sammy
This sounds like a great upgrade. I'm sure it will make your kitchen
look very high class!
How do you plan to recess them in? My cabinets all have 3/4" board for
their bottoms...is there a special bit for hammer drills or something
that will cut the 3" (or whatever the diameter of a halogen lamp is)
recess?
SammyBar wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot. Is
> it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light sources
> availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets lighted
> with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on how to do
> that?
SB:
Aside from the possible fire hazards (which I don't know enough
about to speak on) you might want to avoid halogen or recessed
under-cabinet lights. First, kitchens can get pretty warm anyhow,
and it might be uncomfortable to work with the hands and arms
close under a hot lamp. Second, the recessed cans will take up
space inside the cabinets. How about surface-mounted fluorescents?
> How do you plan to recess them in? My cabinets all have 3/4" board for
> their bottoms...is there a special bit for hammer drills or something
> that will cut the 3" (or whatever the diameter of a halogen lamp is)
> recess?
My initial idea is to make some special small box to contain the lamp and
screw that box to the bottom of the ceill of the cabinet. If the cabinet
does not contains a drawer I can screw the box to the countertop bottom . If
it is a drawer, I should put an additional horizontal division below the
drawer to hold the "lamp box"...
Second fluorescents idea. Just pulled little circular units from
under side of upper cabinets and found hot telltale signs on the bare
wood, brown scorched spots. Put long fluorescents in and have MUCH
more pleasant light.
On 10 Nov 2006 10:27:31 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
>SammyBar wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
>> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
>> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
>> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot. Is
>> it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light sources
>> availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets lighted
>> with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on how to do
>> that?
>
>SB:
>
>Aside from the possible fire hazards (which I don't know enough
>about to speak on) you might want to avoid halogen or recessed
>under-cabinet lights. First, kitchens can get pretty warm anyhow,
>and it might be uncomfortable to work with the hands and arms
>close under a hot lamp. Second, the recessed cans will take up
>space inside the cabinets. How about surface-mounted fluorescents?
Xenon is the current rage in under the counter lights...
Pretty light and less heat...
http://www.pegasusassociates.com/products/Undercab/undercab.html
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=64054-1390-GLC9282-WHX&lpage=none
Yepp
SammyBar wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot.
"SammyBar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot.
Is
> it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light sources
> availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets lighted
> with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on how to do
> that?
>
> Any hint is welcomed
> Thanks in advance
> Sammy
>
>
How about rope lighting abound the edge?
Malcolm Hoar wrote:
>
>
> I agree. But I think the LED suggestion is *very* interesting.
> That should offer the advantages of low power, low heat and
> a low profile, if one can find a suitably configured product.
>
> And if anyone does find such a beast, I too would be very
> interested indeed!
>
Depending on the amount of light you desire you might also want to
consider "rope lighting:.
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/ropelighting
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]
Home Depot and Lowes (and others) sell halogen puck lights that can be
recessed or installed with their trim ring. If the apron around the bottom
of the wall cabinets is deep enough it will hide the trim rings (no
cutting). They are reasonably priced and easy to install. I couldn't find
them on the Lowe's or Home Depot web sites but I believe they go by a brand
or type name of EZ halogen lights.
They do get warm. When installed flush, they require an inch or two of free
space above. I installed two in a curio cabinet a year ago and they work
well. They are mounted flush in a false top about 2" below the cabinet top
and heating is not a problem.
RonB
"SammyBar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot.
> Is it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light
> sources availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets
> lighted with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on
> how to do that?
>
> Any hint is welcomed
> Thanks in advance
> Sammy
>
Look for the LED lights. They are very low power and no heat. Downside: A
slightly blue cast.
Jim
"SammyBar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi all,
>
> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot.
> Is it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light
> sources availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets
> lighted with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on
> how to do that?
>
> Any hint is welcomed
> Thanks in advance
> Sammy
>
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:
>
>SammyBar wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
>> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home Depot
>> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
>> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot. Is
>> it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light sources
>> availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets lighted
>> with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on how to do
>> that?
>
>SB:
>
>Aside from the possible fire hazards (which I don't know enough
>about to speak on) you might want to avoid halogen or recessed
>under-cabinet lights. First, kitchens can get pretty warm anyhow,
>and it might be uncomfortable to work with the hands and arms
>close under a hot lamp. Second, the recessed cans will take up
>space inside the cabinets.
I agree. But I think the LED suggestion is *very* interesting.
That should offer the advantages of low power, low heat and
a low profile, if one can find a suitably configured product.
And if anyone does find such a beast, I too would be very
interested indeed!
--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| [email protected] Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Malcolm Hoar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] wrote:
>>
>>SammyBar wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing for my kitchen. I'm
>>> looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on my local Home
>>> Depot
>>> and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps, the same that are
>>> usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this lamps get too hot.
>>> Is
>>> it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there other light sources
>>> availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on wall cabinets
>>> lighted
>>> with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base. Any ideas on how to
>>> do
>>> that?
>>
>>SB:
>>
>>Aside from the possible fire hazards (which I don't know enough
>>about to speak on) you might want to avoid halogen or recessed
>>under-cabinet lights. First, kitchens can get pretty warm anyhow,
>>and it might be uncomfortable to work with the hands and arms
>>close under a hot lamp. Second, the recessed cans will take up
>>space inside the cabinets.
>
> I agree. But I think the LED suggestion is *very* interesting.
> That should offer the advantages of low power, low heat and
> a low profile, if one can find a suitably configured product.
>
> And if anyone does find such a beast, I too would be very
> interested indeed!
The local Lowes has several LED models in stock. They aren't shown on the
Web site though. They have both puck and strip models. Not sure how bright
they are compared to fluorescent though--it's hard to tell in the store.
Under cabinet fluorescents.
Thin GE fluorescents units (not low-voltage) make great
task lights. We got ours from Home Depot. We put them
in when we remodeled our kitchen. We had also modeled
Halogen and Xenon under cabinet pucks and rope lighting
before we decided to go with the fluorescent lighting.
We were looking for task lighting not accent lighting.
We ended up with a lighting strategy of flood light
cans in the ceiling and under cabinet fluorescents for
task lighting. The combination eliminates distracting
shadows when working on the counters. The GE
fluorescent units, which come in different thicknesses
(heights) and lengths, light the counter tops,
including a corner and over the sink. The under
cabinet lighting is on one wall switch. The ceiling
flood lights are on two other switches.
We have an interior kitchen with no windows that could
supplement the artificial lighting.
Us old farts need all the light we can get and we are
extremely pleased with the results!
John
Jacksonville, Florida
--
Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine
until you start opening windows.
"SammyBar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
| Hi all,
|
| I want to light the base cabinets I'm constructing
for my kitchen. I'm
| looking for ideas on how to do that. I was looking on
my local Home Depot
| and my initial idea is to use reccessed alogen lamps,
the same that are
| usually installed to light rooms. But I'm afraid this
lamps get too hot. Is
| it safe to reccess these on particleboard? Are there
other light sources
| availables specially for this? I've seen pictures on
wall cabinets lighted
| with lamps but never I've seen them inside a base.
Any ideas on how to do
| that?
|
| Any hint is welcomed
| Thanks in advance
| Sammy
|
|