Electricity, Wiring & Lighting

Whether it’s wiring a new home or updating an old one, consumers can rely on their electrician for knowledge and wish fulfillment.

“You just basically need to know what you want to do,” says one local electrician. “We’ll tell you what code you must follow.” It’s as simple as that. If you want an outlet in a certain spot, your electrician will put it there—as long as it’s okay by the code. Consult your electrician for items as small as installing a garbage disposal or bathroom vent fan as well as for big items such as upgrading the electrical service in your old house or wiring your new one.

But that’s not all electricians will do for homeowners. Call on an electrician to perform any telephone or cable wiring inside the house. “The cable and phone people don’t fish wire through existing walls,” our expert warns, adding that the homeowner is generally responsible for interior wiring, not the utility companies.

Consumers who live on the Internet can get their fix in every room by hiring an electrician to wire their home for data. They will even wire your home for sound, although our expert usually prefers to refer clients to a sound professional for that.

Our expert believes in using the right person for the right job. That’s why when it comes to choosing lighting for a home he urges homeowners to consult a lighting designer.

Why? “Lighting designers will help you think ahead,” says one designer from a local lighting showroom. “It’s so important that people plan ahead so it (the lighting) will work for them.” Our lighting professional notes that the most effective lighting for any room is layered lighting because it fulfills many functions. These basic home functions include:

1. Accent lighting to showcase a piece of art or other important item;
2. Task lighting to make reading and work easier and lessen eye strain;
3. Ambient lighting to give general light in a room;
4. Up-lighting to add mystery, texture and depth to a room;
5. Wall-washing to produce artistic, paint-like effects on walls with light.

Our expert urges homeowners to make good use of dimmer switches to expand the look and feel of a room. “The master bath is the best place in the whole house to have a dimmer!” she notes.

In addition to the familiar everyday bulbs and halogen fixtures, she points out a lighting option called xenon. It provides a bright white light like halogen but lasts ten times longer and has no UV rays that might damage artwork over time. Equally new is the new fluorescent light technology. It provides better color, no flicker, no noise and is energy-saving to boot.

“There’s so much technology and (so many) new products,” she continues. “A lighting expert will help you see all the options. Lighting is more than just a fixture in the middle of the ceiling.”

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