Lighting for new homes
Anyone planning a new home or refurbishing an existing one should give early thought to lighting. Timely planning of electrics pays off: it enables comfortable, energy-efficient lighting solutions to be taken into account in the design phase.
Utilizing ceilings, dry-lined walls and floors
Take advantage of the opportunities offered by a newbuild or extensive refurbishment project. Before floors are concreted, for example, allowance can be made for housings for recessed ceiling luminaires in hallways or bathrooms. LEDs (light-emitting diodes) recessed in the floor are both an elegant and convenient way to mark a route to the front door or in a hall. In a living room or bathroom, LEDs can be used to set coloured accents.
Suspended ceilings and dry-lined walls also provide excellent opportunities for stylish lighting solutions: transformers or ballasts can be conveniently concealed in their cavities. Space is also available for recessed spots and/or filigree plug-in luminaires.
Lighting management offers convenience and cuts costs
Anyone wishing to save energy in comfort can opt for a modern lighting management system for the home. High-end solutions can be incorporated into central BUS systems controlling all building services.
Lighting management systems activate and deactivate lighting automatically. Lighting control is provided by sensors, which are often integrated in the luminaires, in the switch or in a control module. A remote control, multifunction switch or computer controls the signal receivers and regulates the lighting as required. The data are transmitted either by cable or by modern radio systems.
The combination of motion detector and photoelectric lighting control unit – a solution in widespread use outdoors – can also be a practical option in the home: installed in windowless toilets, basement corridors or the entrance to the home, automatic lighting control saves the need to search for a switch in the dark – and automatically switches the light off again after we leave the room.
Garden and balcony lighting
Another tip. It is also worth planning the electrics for outdoor lighting at an early stage. Time and money are saved when patio and garden are developed later. Cables for outdoor lighting on a balcony or patio should have at least five conductors.
