5 Advantages of LED Track Lighting In Your Home

Track lights have traditionally been used to highlight art or other noteworthy heirlooms. However, in recent years, they’ve become more integrated into the average American home. When used in conjunction with LED lighting, they offer the consumer a contemporary, energy-efficient choice for lighting newer homes.

To save some money on purchasing costs, consult with an LED manufacturer and retailer directly to get deals on larger bulk purchases. This is the ideal way to go if you have a large renovation project on the horizon.

Read on to learn the advantages of installing LED track lighting in your home!

1. Energy Efficiency
This is the main reason people choose LED lights nowadays. They are energy efficient, not only because all of the lights are connected in one sequence, but also because they require less energy and emit less heat than traditional incandescent light bulbs.

This can save you 70% to 80% on your electric bill compared to other types of lighting, making them popular for businesses that want to cut costs and homeowners who want to slash their electric bill.

2. Many Style Options
Track lights allow for a great variety of design options. They can be arranged to fit the style of every room in your home. Consider this - you can slide the lights over by the Christmas tree or menorah to highlight holiday decorations in the winter, then by springtime, slide them back to showcase new art.

Each lamp and every bulb can be customized for your needs. You can mix and match different colors and styles if you want. The choices are limitless!

Keep in mind that with some track lighting systems, you can’t have certain lights on the track turned off while others are on. They will all either be on or off in this case. Though, you should be able to find track lights that can be dimmed to make up for this.

3. Save on Space and Electricity Costs
Installing individual lights throughout a room can take up a lot of space and require a lot of wiring, especially if they’re installed in the ceiling. Track lights are all installed along one track that’s outside of the ceiling and walls, and connecting them to power is simple.

This will save you time, money, and space while providing you with plenty of light in the places you need it.

4. Add Task-Specific Lighting to Different Rooms
Since you can put different lamps along the track, you can have lower-hanging lights in one area of your kitchen, including a central island, and higher lights throughout the rest of the kitchen. You can swivel the lights toward your workspace as needed, or shine them on a kitchen countertop when rolling dough or chopping veggies.

You’re only limited by the length of the track, and you can get tracks in many different shapes to fit your needs. You can even install a track with two circuits so that you can control the central lights and outer lights separately.

5. Highlight What’s Important
Want to show off your collection of art or important certificates or degrees? Track lighting can also function as spotlighting for art or display pieces. They are a great option for highlighting anything from a priceless family heirloom to your kid’s kindergarten artwork.

Get Busy!
Whether you’re looking to add some directed light to an already lit room or using track lights as your main source of light in a kitchen or bathroom, track lights will get the job done efficiently and easily. They’re great for someone who can’t settle on one design for their house because they allow for changes so easily, and they free up valuable power outlet and ceiling space.

If you are remodeling your home electrical system and want to move from recessed or drop ceiling lighting to track lighting, it is best to consult with a local electrician to discover your best options. Once they’re properly installed, you can adjust them however you like to fit your needs.

Paired with other types of lights, track lights can help to fill in any gaps that might be missing, and they give you light where and when you need it. Even better, they help the environment when paired with LED bulbs and help your wallet.

Jennifer Bell is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast and avid beachgoer operating out of Southern New Jersey.

Making Home Modifications for Children with Disabilities: 5 Things You Need to Know

Having home mobility and being comfortable in your own home is important, especially for children with disabilities. Take on the home modifications that will make your child more comfortable.

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It is important to be comfortable in your own home. This is especially true for children with disabilities. The good news is, there are home modifications that will allow your child the ability to move around freely and perform everyday tasks with ease.

Universal Modifications

When making home modifications for disabled children, you must always keep in mind that the modifications should also be appropriate for the other people who live in the home. Even a modification as small and moving light switches can affect everyone in the home, especially if you are trying to turn on the lights in a dark room!

Multipurpose Rooms

Sometimes it is easier to make rooms multi-purposed for the sake of mobility. When you’re thinking of your modifications, keep repurposing in mind before rebuilding. For instance, if there is a television room downstairs where the child has more access to the bathroom and the kitchen, that room can also double as a playroom.

Additional Safety Features

Adding additional safety features like non-slip rugs or slip-proof concrete work will lessen the likelihood of your child suffering from a fall. There are bathroom modifications such as grab bars and raised toilets that are simple and easy to do yourself to keep your child safe.

Low Physical Effort Modifications

Keep in mind when making your modifications that your little one may benefit from modifications that require low physical effort like lighter-weight doors and drawers that move on rollers with ease. You can easily patio doors and closet doors to sliding doors so that it is easier for your child to open and close them.

Non-Permanent Modifications 

If your little one is growing, your home may need to be modified again over time. When placing electrical switches and adding modifications to your home, keep in mind that modifications may need to be moved or enlarged again as your child grows.

When you’re making modifications to your home for children with disabilities, always keep in mind that other people living in the home must be accomodated. Even though it may seem easier to rebuild your home to accommodate your child, it may be easier to add simple modifications. Rethink and redesign before you make any permanent changes.

Tips To Consider Before Kitchen Remodeling

Is your kitchen looking monotonous, has it become boring and old and you would like to change everything, then a kitchen renovation is the solution to your woes. A kitchen renovation is just changing how your kitchen looks, you can decide to change the position of a few things or you can decide to change the whole kitchen and build a new setup based on your new preferences. Many of us have ideas on how you want your dream kitchen to look like and due to new inventions, the dream continues to develop to include new technologies. Doing a kitchen remodeling project requires a lot of work and it is costly, a lot if stakeholders are involved. Kitchens remain the most popular room that people decide to renovate. Before you get feet deep into renovating and bashing down walls, there are important things you need to consider before initiating the kitchen remodeling project, this includes planning, creating a budget and how to actualize your vision. Here is a list of things to consider before starting to renovate your kitchen:

● Do Some Research

Before you go deep into renovating your kitchen, take your time and do some research, figure out the rough cost of items, figure out what you will need and what can fit in your budget. Take time and go take tours in already built kitchens in your neighborhood or kitchen showrooms  built for  display purposes. Look into various kitchen layouts and look at other kitchens that have been renovated and get to know how the renovation happened. Doing this research will get you acquainted with information about your kitchen and you can use the knowledge to achieve your dream kitchen.

● Set A Budget 

When you decide to do a remodel, first and foremost, create a budget. Set aside some funds that you consider worthy to fully renovate your kitchen. After doing some shallow research, you can come with a rough figure of the cost of  renovation. The price should be pretty consistent state to state whether you're doing West Des Moines kitchen remodels or Los Angeles kitchen remodels. Set a budget limit and be disciplined enough not to surpass you limit. Be realistic with the costing and know that large projects will require large amount of cash and time to finalise. Finally, put a contingency plan, put aside some extra funds that will cater for any extra costs that may arise that you didn't budget for, don't be caught off guard leaving yourself in debt in order to finish the project or leave you with an unfinished kitchen because funds ran out.

● Look Into Hidden Costs 

When building a budget, do not forget about hidden costs. Factor in cost of labour, materials, taxes and delivery costs. These costs can add up and result in a huge bill that you didn't anticipate and can blow up your budget. It is important to make these considerations so as not to be jb trouble when it comes to finances.

● Get Quality Materials 

When shopping for materials or when you are making a budget for the materials, make sure you get the best quality materials that are worth the cost. A renovation is an expensive affair that you will likely do once in a blue moon, this means you have to choose materials that will last for a long time. Get high quality, functioning items that will serve. High quality cabinets and countertops are jit only durable but they also look good making your kitchen still look as new years down the line.

● Plan The Layout 

When planning a kitchen remodeling project, its best that you consider whether you want to change your layout or stick with the previous layout. The layout needs to be practical and functional. Take time and think about how you use your kitchen and plan a layout that coincides with your daily use. Prioritize on what works for you as an individual since the kitchen is yours. Make use of the classic work triangle, this is where you arrange the fridge, stove and sink in a triangular pattern since these are the items mostly used in a kitchen.

Quick Step Classic from Lifestyle Flooring UK is your perfect flooring solution

If you’re looking for an affordable and long-lasting flooring solution, the Quick Step Classic series from Stories Flooring may be the ideal product lie for you.

The Quick Step Classic series comes in 16 finishes for you to choose from and those finishes range from the Enhanced Oak Natural finish in the photograph above to grey-finished oak, to bleached white teak, to enhanced natural beech and beyond. Within the Quick Step Classic line, there’s a finish to compliment your home and good taste.

The secret to these beautiful floors is a finish layer that’s actually a high resolution photograph of the wood species featured. That photographic layer is topped by a durable layer of melamine resin. This resinous layer leaves a floor that’s highly resistant to stains, scratches, burns, impacts and harsh detergents. These floors will not fade and they produce a solid sound underfoot. In fact, these floors are so resilient they’re backed by a 25-year warranty.

While they’re certainly beautiful to see, it’s what you can’t see that makes these floors such a quality product. These are highly engineered laminate floors. All of that beauty rests atop a multi-layer HDF core that won’t cup, warp or shrink.

Installation is simple and fast. These floors snap together and leave no gaps. No gaps means there’s nowhere to trap dirt and clean up is a breeze. Once installed all you have to do is sweep them when they need it and damp mop them weekly. Simple housekeeping you do already will keep these floors looking fantastic for years to come. The Lifestyle Flooring UK website has all the information you need and you can purchase these floors from Lifestyle Flooring UK directly.

Standard delivery times will have these floors arriving on your doorstep anywhere in the UK in two to three days. That delivery is free on larger orders.

These floors are also affordable and right now they’re reduced to prices as low as £15.99 per m² and that price includes VAT and bulk discounts are available.

So if you’re searching for quality flooring that’s as beautiful as it is easy to live with, look no further. Quick Step from Stories Flooring is a great choice.

How To Do Garage Floor Coating Effectively

If you want to create a new look in your garage, it is essential that you understand how the coating is done. You might choose to do it yourself or employ someone to do it for you. There are several coatings available for garage floors. One of the ideal options is the use of epoxy on garage floors. Not only is epoxy durable, but also, it is resistant to any stains including oil spills, chemicals and even massive machinery impact. Floor coatings in garages are essential because they help to protect the concrete beneath, which is prone to damage. They also bring that elegant and exciting touch to your garage. No one wants to have a dull and traditional garage. Take a look at some of the tips you need to know before coating your garage floors.

Prepare Your Floor

The first thing you need to do before coating your garage floor is to prepare your floor. For example, if you choose to coat your floors with epoxy, and you fail to do a thorough preparation, you will waste a lot of your time and money. The reason for this is that a poorly prepared surface will cause the garage floor coating to fail. Take time to prepare the floor. Ensure you spare a day to clean the floor, and remove any stubborn stains. If you realise that there are a lot of grease stains, consider using a concrete degreaser. It is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to remove grease stains. You could also clean by scrubbing the floor and using some mild acid. This will remove the stains, increasing the chances of the coating being successful. If you notice some cracks, it is advisable that you fill these cracks before applying the coating. The essence of this is to promote quality work. Another trick to help you clean better is to soak the floor with water to make it moist. It makes it easier to remove the stains.

Evaluate Your Floor

After cleaning the floor, you need to inspect it. Seek to find whether the concrete will correspond with the coating you purpose to use. You will find that epoxy floor coatings will not go well with painted or sealed concrete. If for example, you had a sealer on your concrete, you will need to get rid of it through grinding, before applying the coating. Without doing this, the floor coating will not be successful. Evaluating your floor allows you to understand the process better. Note that epoxy floor coatings will not respond well with polyurethane or latex floor paints. Presence of such products on your floor means that you will have to strip off the products before you apply an epoxy coating.

Note that the garage floor coating involves a lot more. It is not just about choosing the right coating and performing the exercise. You need to do a lot, from cleaning your floors to checking for any seals or coatings. The end product will only be of quality if you productively spend your time preparing for this task.