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Task Lighting- Illuminating your subject
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By Karen Hughes
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A major problem with central room lighting is that it is oftennot bright enough to illuminate the task you are trying toperform. There is often something between you and the source ofthe light, casting a shadow over what you are trying to do,making everything more difficult. The easiest way to eliminatethis problem is to increase the light emitted by your currentroom light fixture by putting in a brighter bulb. Unfortunatelythis permanently increases the light in the room and can beoppressive when you do not need to see things close at hand. Thesolution is task lighting.
The most common form of task lighting is found in kitchens.Undercabinet lights are installed behind a facia panel andprovide direct light onto work surfaces. This eliminates theproblem of shadows falling across food preparation surfaces andgreatly reduces the risk of accidents when using kitchenimplements. Undercabinet lighting is available to purchase bothonline and at regular "offline" outlets.
Task lights are also extremely useful in other rooms of thehouse. A clip-on spotlight can be moved around a room to whoeverneeds it and wherever it is needed. An angle-poise lamp can bepositioned differently depending on the particular task you areundertaking, whilst a floor standing lamp can be morepermanently positioned to provide backlighting to compliment theprimary source of light in a room.
Many manufacturers offer bathroom task lighting, mainly in theform of a light above a mirror with a shaver socket incorporatedin the design. Be aware that these need to be fitted by aqualified person, water and electricity are notoriously bad bedfellows and there are many regulations governing light fittingsin bathrooms.
The bedroom is another location that task lighting has manyadvantages over central room lighting. A couple can have a tasklight each, allowing one to continue to read when the otherwants to go to sleep. A room that contains a display of somedescription will benefit hugely from the addition of tasklighting. Whether it is a low voltage track lightingarrangement, that allows spotlights to be directed onto adisplay cabinet, or a small uplighter that bathes a painting ina natural glow both will have the desired effect. They willnaturally draw the eye of the onlooker to the item or items ondisplay.
An easier way of bringing task lighting to a room that is litonly by a central lighting fixture is to change that fixture forone that is itself a task light. Many companies offer centraltask lighting, a three way spotlight fitting or a track lightwith a central feed are just two ways of changing the whole feelof a room without great cost or expense.
As with any electrical work always ensure that it is completedby a competent person, A badly fitted light is as dangerous asno light at all.
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