Q&A on LED Undercabinet lights

Q.
At 02:25 PM 8/29/2006, you wrote:
I am looking for under-the-cabinet kitchen task lighting via LEDs.
Do you sell such?
If not, can you direct me to a proper source.
Thank you very much.
Peter

A.
I do not sell product, just curiosity, knowledge and talent.
Permlight makes LED undercabinet fixtures.
You can buy them on the web, which means they will not be shown in any stores.
I don't think they are quite ready for prime time.
The concern is that they are sizing the fixtures to conform with Title 24 (California's Energy Code), to be interchangeable with fluorescents, without regard for the amount of LIGHT they produce for the comparable amount of wattage.
LEDs are assembled with arrays of tiny lights to make a lamp (light bulb).
I think they need to have enough LEDs in the array to produce a comparable amount of light.
Otherwise we designers need to put more fixtures up to get an adequate amount of light on the surfaces in a kitchen or bath.
I am still using fluorescents myself, though I am monitoring LEDs with great interest.
Randall Whitehead, the lighting designer in SF who inspired most of my interest in lighting, is using the downlights on some projects. http://www.randallwhitehead.com/
Nancy McCoy, another well known Bay Area lighting designer is currently not using them and, like me, waiting for further improvements.
She thinks they will be usable in a year or two.
Permlight has a new showroom in Martinez, CA...just opened last week. http://www.permlight.com/
Another maker is RSA (Cooper). http://www.rsalighting.com/common/CLProducts.cfm?brand=RSA&group=&category=LED%20%2F%20Linear
Other manufacturers in my file are Cree, LumiLeds, Nichia, Osram, Seoul Semiconductor.
Peggy

World Cup Pergola Construction

The Big Game is over, at least for another four years and so is our excuse to delay our outdoor living projects for this summer - so why not start to build yourself a dedicated World Cup Pergola Construction.

It could be a great place to sit with friends and talk over the best goals, near misses, red cards and what could have been - all around the barbeque in the afternoons and in your new outdoor space throughout idylic summer evenings !

It could also be a great place to hang up your football memorabilia... at least for a little while, until the climbing plants and hanging baskets start to bloom and take over.

Whether you are celebrating victory or commiseratating until your team gets another chance in four years time - this could be the perfect moment to channel all that energy into a solid pergola construction that you can all enjoy this summer and that will still be there for your celebrations during the next World Cup matches for years to come.

Building a World Cup Pergola Construction over one or two weekends could be a real team effort - more hands to help carefully measure out the space - dig post holes, cut the timber, notch the wood and put the pieces together, really make building a pergola easier and quicker.

A Deck and Pergola extend the living space of your home and providing a link between your home and your garden. They also provide an excellent space for outdoor entertaining and family get-togethers.

We have prepared a number of articles to help you get started:

• "Building a Pergola"
  
• "Free Pergola Design"
  
• "Free Pergola Plan"
  
• "Pergola Building Plan"
  
• "How to Build a Pergola"
  
• "Pergola Construction"
  
• "Pergola Footings"
  

and our...

• "Pergola Kit Review"
  

all designed to help make your own special World Cup Pergola Construction and easy build.

If you are planning to build both a deck and pergola construction - we have around a dozen indepth articles on all aspects Deck Building that will help you pull both these projects together.

Get your planning permission - pick up your timber and hardware and enjoy the build.

Keep up the team spirit by creating a World Cup Pergola Construction that will provide a very special space that you and your family can enjoy now and still have a quality construction - all ready for the next big games.

About the Author

Susan has written numerous articles on home improvement and financing to help you make the most of your home both inside and out - these free articles are now available to you at home-improvement-and-financing.com

D.I.Y. will never DIE

I am one hundred percent sure that D.I.Y. will never Die - but have you heard the recent reports that show people moving away from Do It Yourself trends of home improvement? - big stores are declaring staggering losses for the first time in many years on D.I.Y. products.

The buzz is that D.I.F.M. - Do It For Me (or D.I.F.Y. - Do It For You) is taking over many areas of the do it yourself home improvement industry.

One of the Biggest suppiers of timber, hardware, paint and all of the thousands of other great products available in this superstore - now provides around 40 different services that you can contract directly for someone (presumably well qualified) to come and do the improvements for you in your home.

Another of the biggest superstores already has 24 services and is racing to catch up on this latest trend.

While these services will provide professionals from your local area - and I guess you can believe that the workmanship and finish should be of a reasonably high standard - because important store names and reputations are at stake - D.I.Y. just isn't going to fade away.

Having experienced professional help is great - phew what a relief just to get the job done and done right - but there will always be projects that can be done successfuly BY YOU in your home - which will save you money, give you a great feeling of accomplishment and increase your knowledge ready for your next home improvement and financing project.

D.I.Y. will never DIE - forget electical work, plumbing and anything else that you don't have enough knowledge about to do safely and correctly - you can leave those projects to the experts - but what about those kitchen cupboards, your outdoor living area... your Deck Design, Pergola Construction or a great easy to put together Gazebo Kit!

Don't lose heart if you were just planning a new project when you heard these reports - remember... every experienced tiler once upon a time laid his or her first tile - so if you have gathered all the information you can get your hands on and are ready to have a go - go for it (if in doubt - try tiling your laundry room or store room first - give yourself hands on experience in a less visable area.)

Decking is another great home improvement project - you can build a simple ground level deck in your spare time and later build onto it and expand your outdoor living space. (the wonderful smell of freshly cut timber is right up there with freshly cut grass)

Pergolas are just about the quickest, easiest and most economical way to totally change the look of your home - a plain back wall of a home can become a mediterranean paradise in a matter of hours - not ready to dig deep pergola postholes and get started? - why not try an nice small garden arbor first - to build on your experience.

Without a doubt it's easier to contract your project out - the services these superstores offer is a wonderful addition and will provide many people without the inclination or time to renovate or build - the opportunity to also improve their homes and quality of home life...

But, hey - another great reason why D.I.Y. will never die is that if there is no longer any D.I.Y. then there won't be any I.D.T - isn't it wonderful when you actually finish a project to a high standard and you can say "I Did That"

I am ready to stand up and shout - I'm a BOOMER and I LOVE D.I.Y.


About the Author
Susan Eland writes home improvement articles, tips, plans and ideas on the different ways you can improve the value of your home or simply improve the quality of your home life - you can read more articles at Home Improvement and Financing.com