10 electrical and lighting things to consider when building
10 electrical and lighting things to consider when building
1. Do not over-light your interiors. Think about understanding the function of each room before deciding how much and what type of light to fill it with. As you go through room by room through the house, you should constantly ask ‘What will I do in this room?’ and ‘How will I configure my furniture?’ before suggesting any lighting options. Start with function and adapt your lighting depending on the needs in the space to avoid over lighting your home — if needed put dimmer on you interior lights!
2. Consider mixing lighting solutions. Think about above lighting such as ceiling light but also other lighting solutions — wall washes, low hallway wall lights, floor lamps, pendants, step lights . With ceiling lights think of new sustainable new products, like ‘extrusion’ lighting which is a more sleek and commercial looking product. If you won’t have an expert to help you plan your lighting, suggest taking the time to research all the lighting options out there before meeting with your electrician so you can develop a plan that works and will add interest to your home.
3. Be careful not to date your house with lighting that’s so 2015! Think about the style of your home and the lighting choices you are making. So when asking whether or not strip lighting along the kick of the kitchen was a good idea, or if you should put some under the island bench, think about the year it was fashionable in and whether it will last the lifetime of your home. You could do whatever you want — it’s our house after all — but don't recommend putting lighting in these places where it serves no real purpose as lighting can trend quickly and will date. In a few years time you don’t want people to say ‘That’s so 2015!’.
4. Automate lighting. Suggest adding some automatic lights — having a sensor when you open the butler’s pantry and in the garage — so you don’t need to fumble in the dark. Small thoughtful details like this can make living in your home more comfortable.
5. Power point placement matters. We often see The Block judges giving the contestants flak for positioning power points in sight but truth is, sometimes they need to be. For example, in the dining area I asked for a power point behind where the sideboard will be but think practically ‘What if you want to work on a laptop or charge a phone?’ — so add some additional power points that were close to the dining table and wouldn’t be a trip hazard.Skellec Electrical advices to place the power points where it’s most practical and to make them discrete by choosing nice covers which takes Skellec Electrical to the next tip..
6. Consider the switches. Lighting switches have come a long way and there are some truly stylish options on the market now. Skellec Electrical says the new favourite is the Saturn Zen with LED range which comes in matt black and white, and you can even replace the buttons with personalised images like a laundry, garage etc so you won’t be flicking every switch on until you find the right one!
7. In-wall vacuum systems need to be planned early. Vacuums are great but what’s even more powerful are those in-wall systems. These systems need to be put in before the walls are plastered so if you’re thinking about one, plan early. Skellec Electrical can help you decide where to put the outlets, measuring the distance from each outlet to ensure the vacuum hose would reach every room, in and around the furniture that would be placed there.
8. Decide where to place control panels. There are all sorts of control panels that you may need in your home — heating and cooling, lighting, home security etc. It’s a good idea to decide early what kind of technology you intend to use in your home so you know exactly what control panels you will have, and can decide on the most practical and least obtrusive place to position them — last thing you want is a panel right next gorgeous artwork!
9. Make provisions if you’re unsure or budget restricts. Building is so darn expensive and unfortunately by the time it comes to lighting and electrical, the budget can be blown and those ideas of an integrated sound system, theatre room or statement pendant light might be in the air. Skellec Electrical's advice is to make provision for these things by running the cabling you need to those areas — that way you can add them when the timing is right.
10. Walk through your decisions if you can.. Do a walk through the house room by room and see exactly where light switches, power points and lights would be positioned and spot any potential issues. For example, there is a beam running straight down the centre of the ceiling at the entry so if you would have locked in downlights at the planning stage, you would have had to position them off centre, making them too close to the wall which would have created shadows. To avoid this issue so you can decide to go with low wall lights instead. Walking through your decisions can help you spot and overcome issues early and see new opportunities that you just can’t visualise from a plan.
If you need help planning the electricals in your new or existing home today then call Skellec Electrical now to start planning!
