Under Cabinet Lighting

Here are a few of the most commonly used under cabinet lighting systems. Kitchens are the biggest gathering room in most homes, good lighting is very important in your kitchen. Under cabinet lights add depth, dimension, are both functional and decorative. These are the finishing touches you do not want to miss in your home.

Photo found on Pinterest
 

 

Halogen, Xenon, and fluorescent bars or strip lights are popular under cabinet lighting options. All of these can be plugged into an electrical outlet or hardwired to a power source. These light systems will link together creating a continuous light source to illuminate any length of counter top.

Puck Lights

Puck lights are another option, more often than not pucks are a 12 volt system, so they require a transformer. Most pucks use halogen or xenon light bulbs and are 20 watts each. A puck light can be recessed or surface mounted. Pucks create a spot light effect although the effect can change by changing the glass lens; there are color filters as well as spread lenses and diffusers.

LED tape

There are many options in under cabinet lighting with LED tape being the most popular request as of late; it is a great option if you have a matte surface, if you do not like to change light bulbs and if you need a low profile option. There are a few things to keep in mind with LED, as this picture above illustrates on a high gloss (like most granite) surface the bulbs are reflective and will be very noticeable. If you have a lip under your cabinets I recommend mounting the LED tape to the side of the lip so that it does not shine directly onto the counter top. This will diffuse the harsh light so the reflection is less noticeable. I wish I had a good picture to show the difference, I will have to try to find one.

LED light requires a driver, most systems have drivers that can be hardwired or drivers that will plug into an outlet.