[747]

Got any thoughts on undercabinet lighting to make a quartz countertop and a ceramic back splash look awesome thats not a budget breaker. Would love to spend 500 installed. But i guess i might being willing to go a grand. Lighting that would make the countertop and backsplash look warm and inviting but not reflective at night. If that makes sense.

Ps everybody feel free to jump in. :Thumbs:

 

[mdshunk]

You've got 3 main options with regard to undercabinet lighting. Halogen, xenon, and fluorescent. Halogen and xenon have about the same color and type of light, however xenon does run cooler. We all know what fluorescent looks like.

Your "warm and inviting" and "not reflective at night" seems like it can best be met with fluorescent under cabinet lights. Halogen and xenon are quite harsh and not diffuse at all, but they are quite bright. There is some LED stuff making it to market now for this application. I have a feeling that it's expensive, and I have no idea what the color temperature and color rendering will be like. A great deal of other "white" LED stuff on the market now is remarkably blue in appearance.

Unless you have miles of countertop, you should be able to have this done within the 500 dollar budget. Just depends on your layout and how hard the fishing will be. Wait... I'm think you live in conduit land, right? Double everything. :cheesygri

 

[Teetorbilt]

Hang tight, I'm working with someone on the coolest idea in a while. Should come out soon.

 

[747]

no conduit required here by code md. But i know its required in chicago. Have you ever heard of a manuf. called juno. Could you please tell me what manuf. you like for Fluor. undercabinet lighting. Maybe something thats slick but not budget breaking. One other question that your definately going to find stupid. Hocky pucks would be which one of those 3. LOL don't hurt yourself from laughing so hard. I'm not a lightening expert. Also i don't have a lot of countertop like you said. But my new countertop and backsplash is getting deep into my wallet so i would like them to look warm and inviting at night. Thanks.

 

[datafan]

Hockey pucks are usually halogen, I installed some under my kitchen cabs years ago, before I was in the electrical field. They are cheap and still working today but I don't like the heat they put out. I set a tall thermos too close to one on the counter once and melted both the cup and lid real bad on it! :cheesygri

 

[747]

Md i don't think fluor. Are going to work because i don't have the long length under my cabinets to make them work. Is there like any new improved puck lights on the market. Maybe something that doesn't get as hot. I didn't realize puck lights got so hot.

 

[Teetorbilt]

Check out what they are doing with LED's today. They are getting brighter, use next to no juice, create very little heat and can be tiny. Google 'LED Lighting' and have a look around.

 

[mdshunk]

If fluorescents are out because of the physical constraints, and you don't want halogen because of the heat (they do get friggin hot), then you have two options left. Xenon and LED. If cost is a concern, the LED fixtures are out. It seems that you might be left only with xenon. They are similar is lumen output per watt and color temperature as halogen, but don't get nearly as hot. They are fitted in both hockey puck and rectangular style undercabinet fixtures.

Juno is a fine brand, but I don't install much of it because my normal supply houses don't stock Juno. I lean towards Progress for most all of my fixtures. These are the style of fixtures I'd tend to use in your case http://www.nslusa.com/xenontask.html (or something like them).

Something like a rope light or "bright strip" would give you the "warm and inviting" feel you want, but would provide little to no actual task lighting. Look at that here http://www.nslusa.com/brite.html

Here's a picture of what you get when you use puck style lights. http://www.nslusa.com/halogenmini.html Note that you get uneven lighting across the counter surface, due to the localized lighting source from the puck light. Some people don't mind or actually prefer this effect. I prefer the more even lighting garnered from rectangular fixtures.

 

[747]

Md what is the story on something like this.

www.progresslighting.com/search.cfm?search=search&product_id=2431

 

[Mike Finley]

I would go with the pucks if you want task lighting. Task lighting is supposed to be bright and highlight an area, not give you a romantic glow. The halogens will pop the quartz particles in your counter top like nothing else.

If you want a romantic glow at night I would either do two switches with maybe 8 pucks on one switch and 2 on another, when you want task lighting, turn on both switches, when you want just night light turn on the other switch only. The other alternative is to have 2 light sources, the Halogen pucks for task and some rope type lighting for night time glow, on two switches again.

 

[747]

I would go with the pucks if you want task lighting. Task lighting is supposed to be bright and highlight an area, not give you a romantic glow. The halogens will pop the quartz particles in your counter top like nothing else.

If you want a romantic glow at night I would either do two switches with maybe 8 pucks on one switch and 2 on another, when you want task lighting, turn on both switches, when you want just night light turn on the other switch only. The other alternative is to have 2 light sources, the Halogen pucks for task and some rope type lighting for night time glow, on two switches again.

Thanks michael. I have to go with something that will fit under all the cabinets not just a couple. I do like that suggestion. Hit one switch for romantic and the other when cooking. Thats perfect. :cheesygri Not spending all that money not to show off the countertops and backsplash when i'm not cooking. Ya the pucks i think are the way to go. And i bet that would be around 500 installed. Maybe change left. :cheesygri

 

[macmikeman]

Have you looked at tivoli lighting?. It is the stuff used to light the aisle in theaters. I don't know if it would fit your budget, it would depend on how many feet of it is required.