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Rope Lighting in the Home
There was a time when so-called “Christmas lights” were
considered costly, inconvenient and impossible to maintain.
Poorly constructed bulbs wired in series practically guaranteed
frequent outages, especially in homes where storage was the norm
for eleven months a year. Today the design, materials and
manufacturing standards for rope lighting have increased
tremendously, and with such innovation has come a quantum leap
forward in reliability. Perhaps this is why a growing number of
homeowners today employ rope lights in a wide variety of
locations. Simply put, the versatility of rope lighting speaks
for itself. |
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Where can rope lighting
help? Some of the most common uses are also the most practical.
Because rope lighting offers an even line of illumination without
any hotspots or gaps, it can be used to create a subtle glow in
places traditional bulbs cannot reach. One of the most common
nowadays is inside cabinets, particularly those whose cramped
dimensions make a traditional socket impossible. Line the back
corner or clamp a row within the front lip and you can enjoy full
lighting in a matter of minutes, saving yourself the expense and
trouble of having an electrician out to the house. Better still,
because rope lighting comes in expansive sections, you may even be
able to snake that line through multiple sections of modular
furniture for a complete lighting solution.
Another common locale for rope lighting is the closet. Walk-ins tend
to come with their own overhead illumination, but not every inch of
that space gets the kind of illumination it needs. Hanging clothes,
lines of shoes and countless other obstacles can foil the most
dedicated attempts at lighting, rendering your sartorial decisions
questionable at best. If you’re looking for a clean and effective
lighting scheme that puts all the colors and materials in context,
you may want to look into white rope lighting for those
hard-to-reach spots. When installed on shelving, such illumination
schemes may even give your closet the jolt of style it needs –
perfect if you love compelling design.
Rope lighting has also found its way into corridors and stairwells,
offering safety and convenience in a single package. Because most
home accidents occur in dark places, it only stands to reason that
homeowners would search for efficient ways to keep the shadows at
bay. Rope lighting can work as a runner or along banisters to give
every resident and guest a better shot at clear vision. Couple rope
lighting with an overhead bulb and you have options for day and
night – essential if you don’t want to wake the house on every
midnight trek to the kitchen.
Of course, you may be looking for a dazzling way to illuminate your
home’s exterior. It may not surprise you to learn that most rope
lighting is employed in this way, lending decorative touches to the
façade during holidays and special occasions. The good news is that
this industry has kept pace with some of the greatest innovations in
festive lighting over the years, and today rope lighting comes in a
wide variety of colors, materials and wiring schemes. You can set a
line to subtly change color over the hours or command the bulbs to
illuminate in snaking waves – it’s your choice. Pioneering
homeowners have even combined rope lighting with other yard elements
to create nothing less than luminous art.
If you’re looking for something subtler, a number of designers also
recommend rope lighting for docks, decks and pathways. Hang a line
under the railing of your outdoor deck and you get a clean line of
illumination that is cool to the touch. String a rope along hedges
or around landscape features and your home’s exterior transforms
into an avenue of color. You may even want to line your home’s roof
with subtle rope lighting as a security precaution and deterrent to
criminals.
The good news is that rope lighting is inexpensive and easy to
install. Today most kits come with splicing tools and brackets to
customize your fit, and you can always add to the line when needed.
One word of warning, however – every ten feet typically draws the
power of a 60W bulb, so you may want to exercise caution if you are
trying to live green and save on bills. |
