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Track Lighting
Track lighting offers both versatility and ease of installation - and these are two main things when thinking of lighting decor.
Another great advantage offered by this type of lighting is that track lights offer the homeowner flexibility. Our habits and taste change over the years and styles change too. Track lights are considered one of the most flexible lighting systems, offering you the choice of re-arranging the position or re-adjust the way they are aimed.
Track Lighting Basics
Being available in varying lenghts, track lighting systems consist of:
- tracks - they are really electrical lines extended from the housing box they tie into; or the wall outlet they pug into
- fixtures/ lighting heads - they can be mounted anywhere on the track
- connectors - track connectors make possible extending the length of the track
Early tracking systems were chunky and large, since they needed to house reflector incandescent bulbs or PAR( parabolic aluminized reflector) halogen bulbs.
Modern track lights came a long way: tracks have various shapes: linear, wavy or zig-zag. Lighting heads evolved too: they are smaller and more compact, but brighter. Heads can be metal or even glass pendants.
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Advantages of track lights:
- They are more cost efficient with the introduction of the low voltage systems, by using halogen bulbs with a longer lifetime, brighter but using less energy.
Not only that, low voltage systems allowed the use of smaller lighting heads.
- They are more appealing: tracks are thinner and they can be bought as straight or flexible systems.
A flexible system means you can bend the track by hand and the track will hold its shape. You can use them on irregular ceilings or on curved walls.
- Modern systems such as monorails and cable system will provide the lighting exactly where you need it, allowing for lots of lighting variations, becoming more and more a design element in itself.
For vaulted ceilings you can hang tracks through rods - see picture above.
Disadvantages of track lights:
- Lighting heads cannot be dimmed independently, so all tracking heads on a track will have to be dimmed as a group.
- Track lights shouldn't be used by themselves, in another words avoid using them as the only source of light in the room because of the increased shadowing.
For general lighting you can use pendants or chandeliers. They provide enough ambient light with less shadows.
- Avoid installing track lights in damp areas such as laundry rooms or bathrooms - for safety reasons.
Understanding Power Source
There are two options when it comes to power source for track lighting systems:
standard electrical outlet - you need a cord and a plug to connect the end connector of the track to the outlet. This is the easiest option, but not the best from a design point of view, because of the wire running between the outlet and the track.
electrical junction box - usually situated in the ceiling, is the most appealing option but you might need professional help when installing.
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