LED Lighting – The New Must Have For Any Home Project

Light emitting diode or LED is a semi conductor light source with two leads. These light sources can be found in everyday life and surprisingly surround us in many ways throughout the day. The red, green, and yellow of the stop light, or the lighting of the aisle in movie theaters or planes, and the reminder that your turn signal is on in the car, led lights are everywhere. The thousands of variety of size, style and color allows for personalized touches to be added to any room of the home. The versatility of LED lighting and the shock resistance are great for outdoor use as well. Under counter LED lights can easily be added to any kitchen, bathroom, or family bar area for added illumination or a soft splash of color. The outdoor use of this type of lighting is limited by imagination only. One of the most popular additions to any backyard is an outdoor kitchen, adding under counter LED lighting is a perfect multi function tool to accent the cooking area and of course provide additional light.

A comparison between the light that is emitted and the power required to generate that light is a Lumen and lumens per watt is the standard measurement of light bulb efficiency. LED lighting delivers a significant reduction in carbon emissions by having more lumans than most incandescent light bulbs. To add to the green factor most LED lights are recyclable and often the local Home Depot or IKEA stores have recycle bins available. The length of use also adds to the eco-friendly design of LED lights. Although initially the cost of installation can be more upfront the minimum use of electricity, the ability to last longer, and pound for pound emits more light than a traditional light bulb, LED lighting is becoming more popular with designers and consumers of green technology.

Unlike fluorescent lights that will fail faster or high-intensity discharge lights that require a long time before restarting, LED lights will hold up to frequent on and off use. These lights will also reach complete illumination immediately and do not require a warm up time. This feature is very popular if using a dimming switch. The ability to achieve the right soft light is easily controlled through adding a dimming function, and with modern technology this can be done on your computer or smart phone. Changing colors, dancing to music, or slow repetitive flows of color can be programmed and added to almost any decorum. LED lighted rain fall shower head with heat changing colors will add a modern touch to any bathroom. In the kitchen a soft under counter LED strip of light can provide additional illumination for cooking, as well as, change the ambiance of the room.

LED lights are made with a durable solid state component, unlike the fragile fluorescent or incandescent bulbs, therefore are shock resistant and difficult to damage with external shock. They are also cool to touch and do not heat up with use, making them great to use with fabrics and sensitive material. The wasted energy is dispersed through the base of the LED light not as additional heat through the bulb itself. With the correct casing LED lights can be waterproof and used in most outdoor weather conditions. For years outdoor commercial swimming pools have been using LED illumination to provide additional safety uses. Today LED lights are being added and used as decorative personal touches in backyard pools and surrounding areas. The upgrade of colored lights to the backyard pool will always be a conversation starter for adults, and something children will always remember.

In May of 2008 to encourage the shift to high efficiency the US Department of Energy created the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize known as the L Prize, and in August of 2011 the first award was given to Phillips for the creation of a LED lamp using less than 10 watts yet emitting light the equivalent of a traditional 60 watt light bulb, amounting to an 83% energy savings. LED lights also are very slow to fail as opposed to sudden failure by other light sources. This allows for a focused light which is great for backlighting. Currently the LED-backlit LCD flat screen display TV is one of the most popular purchased items for the home, also the same type of lighting is becoming popular for art, and photo displays. Again with the addition of color illumination the variety of display options is limited by imagination only.

If a remodel, upgrade, DIY project, or just a simple change of décor is in your future, a look at LED lighting options or accessories are a must. Adding some backlight to black and white photos can provide elegance to a hallway. Soft illumination of bathroom counters or cabinets will change the overall ambiance of a small room. A master bedroom can be immediately enhanced by adding a green, red, or blue soft light to a baseboard. The children’s room will be the envy of the whole neighborhood with a wall full of dancing lights, or a color changing rainbow. Place multicolored LED lights inside old wine bottles or standard LED lights inside a mason jar and indoor or outdoor center pieces are created. If it can be imagined it can be enhanced with LED lighting.