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Fluorescent Lighting
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Published: September 28, 2006
When you think of fluorescent lighting, a jarring, bright blueish-white light of an office probably comes to mind. However, in recent years fluorescent lighting has improved and now has the greatest range of light colors. The colors range from cool to warm, with everything in between. Fluorescent lighting, known as full-spectrum bulbs, resembles incandescent light.
Fluorescent lighting is defined in Kelvin color temperatures which determine how cool (blueish) or warm (reddish) the light appears. The higher the degree number the bluer the tone, the lower the number the redder the tone.
When looking for lighting for your home, indoors or outdoors, it will be either incandescence or fluorescent lighting. Incandescent light is produced with an electric current through a wire filament. Fluorescent lighting is a tube filled with mercury vapor and coated on the inside with phosphors. Light occurs when the chemical turns from invisible radiation to visible. Incandescent is popular because it is readily available and cheap in price. Actually, incandescent lights will cost you more in the long run because they are the least energy efficient and do no last long. Most fluorescent lighting is readily available or can be ordered. There initial cost is more at first, but they will pay for themselves in reduced energy bills.
A bulb’s wattage shows how may units of power it transfers per second; it does not measure the amount of light it gives off. Light output is measured in lumens, which can be found on the packaging. Fluorescent lighting has the most lumens per watt. The chart below shows the advantages fluorescent lighting has over incandescent when comparing power, light, and life.
Incandescent:
60 Watts
840 lumens
1,000 hours
75 Watts
1,170 lumens
750 hours
Fluorescent lighting is nice in kitchen or workshop areas for even lighting. It is also great for accenting as well because the bulb does not get hot when it burns allowing it many unique and decorative uses. There is so much fluorescent lighting can do to highlight areas. It can be used to light under cabinets, behind shelves, in vases; the possibilities are really up to personal style. Some common ways fluorescent lighting is used is for cove, valance, or cornice lighting. Cove lighting highlights an area like the ceiling by lighting along the crown molding. This creates a soft light, making the ceiling look like it is floating. Valance lighting shines both up and down from behind a decorative board or drapery. Cornice lighting shines from underneath, commonly from behind a decorative board or onto drapes and works great for highlighting a specific painting or drapery. To get the best fluorescent lighting coverage, choose the longest bulb that will fit the space.
Fluorescent lighting works great for outdoors. To light up a garden space, fluorescent lighting can really add accent and style. They come in all types of lanterns. It can also be done with tubes placed underneath the garden edging or behind a tree. Some lights are bright and direct which can really highlight an area. For a more subtle look, lots of smaller fluorescent lights can create a calming mood.
Better Homes and Gardens: Decorative Lighting Ideas and Projects. 1st ed. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Books, 2003.
Grosslight, Jane. Lighting Kitchen and Baths. Tallahassee, Fl: Durwood Publisher, 1994.
House Beautiul: Lighting. 1st ed. New York, New York: Smallwood and
Stewart Inc., 2002.
Katz, Cheryl, and Jeffrey Katz. Chandeliers. Gloucester,
Massachusetts: Rockport Inc., 2001.
McCloud, Kevin. Lighting Style: the Complete Guide to Lighting
Everyroom in Your Home. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995.
When looking for lighting for your home, indoors or outdoors, it will be either incandescence or fluorescent lighting. Incandescent light is produced with an electric current through a wire filament. Fluorescent lighting is a tube filled with mercury vapor and coated on the inside with phosphors. Light occurs when the chemical turns from invisible radiation to visible. Incandescent is popular because it is readily available and cheap in price. Actually, incandescent lights will cost you more in the long run because they are the least energy efficient and do no last long. Most fluorescent lighting is readily available or can be ordered. There initial cost is more at first, but they will pay for themselves in reduced energy bills.
A bulb’s wattage shows how may units of power it transfers per second; it does not measure the amount of light it gives off. Light output is measured in lumens, which can be found on the packaging. Fluorescent lighting has the most lumens per watt. The chart below shows the advantages fluorescent lighting has over incandescent when comparing power, light, and life.
Incandescent:
60 Watts
840 lumens
1,000 hours
75 Watts
1,170 lumens
750 hours
Fluorescent:
15 Watts
925 lumens
10,000 hours
20 Watts
1,200 lumens
10,000 hours
15 Watts
925 lumens
10,000 hours
20 Watts
1,200 lumens
10,000 hours
Fluorescent lighting is nice in kitchen or workshop areas for even lighting. It is also great for accenting as well because the bulb does not get hot when it burns allowing it many unique and decorative uses. There is so much fluorescent lighting can do to highlight areas. It can be used to light under cabinets, behind shelves, in vases; the possibilities are really up to personal style. Some common ways fluorescent lighting is used is for cove, valance, or cornice lighting. Cove lighting highlights an area like the ceiling by lighting along the crown molding. This creates a soft light, making the ceiling look like it is floating. Valance lighting shines both up and down from behind a decorative board or drapery. Cornice lighting shines from underneath, commonly from behind a decorative board or onto drapes and works great for highlighting a specific painting or drapery. To get the best fluorescent lighting coverage, choose the longest bulb that will fit the space.
Fluorescent lighting works great for outdoors. To light up a garden space, fluorescent lighting can really add accent and style. They come in all types of lanterns. It can also be done with tubes placed underneath the garden edging or behind a tree. Some lights are bright and direct which can really highlight an area. For a more subtle look, lots of smaller fluorescent lights can create a calming mood.
Better Homes and Gardens: Decorative Lighting Ideas and Projects. 1st ed. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Books, 2003.
Grosslight, Jane. Lighting Kitchen and Baths. Tallahassee, Fl: Durwood Publisher, 1994.
House Beautiul: Lighting. 1st ed. New York, New York: Smallwood and
Stewart Inc., 2002.
Katz, Cheryl, and Jeffrey Katz. Chandeliers. Gloucester,
Massachusetts: Rockport Inc., 2001.
McCloud, Kevin. Lighting Style: the Complete Guide to Lighting
Everyroom in Your Home. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995.
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