Finding unique outdoor lighting ideas in the GTA isn’t as
difficult as one might expect. There are some excellent lighting solutions on
the market today and understanding the pros and cons of each option can help
narrow down your search for the alternative that best fills your needs. The
most common types of lighting in Canada are incandescent, fluorescent, and
LEDs. Each offers something unique, but only one lets homeowners take control
of their lighting in exciting new ways.
Incandescent
This is the oldest type of electric lighting. Incandescent light bulbs are made of glass and have a metal filament inside. Electricity is
passed through the filament which causes it to heat up. Much like the element
on an electric stove, the heat emits light. When a character in a comic strip or
TV show gets an idea and a light bulb appears over their head, that’s an
incandescent bulb. They typically last roughly a thousand hours and operate
well in outdoor spaces. They illuminate immediately and can be had in varying
levels of brightness and even a few different colours. Incandescent bulbs
generate a lot of heat and were never designed with efficiency in mind, making
them costly to operate.
Fluorescent
These are generally long tubes filled with a gas. An
electrical input is attached to either end of the tube. When an electrical
current is passed through the tubes via the end inputs, the gas inside the tube
illuminates. It’s fairly common for fluorescent light
bulbs to last approximately five to ten-thousand hours. While much more
efficient than incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lighting isn’t without its own
drawbacks. They can have problems operating properly in colder temperatures,
they’re available in a very limited range of colours, and they’re far more
prone to damage caused by vibrations from wind. For these reasons, fluorescent
lighting is becoming a less desirable option for most outdoor applications.
LEDs
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, produce light when voltage
is applied to negatively charged semiconductors. This causes electrons to
combine and create a unit of light called a photon. LEDs are available in a
countless range of colours and sizes and last upwards of fifty-thousand hours.
They take very little energy to operate, which makes them energy efficient and
less costly to operate than many other types of lighting options. LEDs generate
very little, if any, heat and are not susceptible to damage from vibrations.
There is no warm-up time to achieve peak illumination, and are not affected by
the weather at all.
When it comes to unique outdoor lighting ideas in the GTA,
it pays to look into LED lighting strips. The best retailers and installers can
provide some truly amazing LED strips that can be controlled and customized
through the use of a smartphone app. Sure, there are other lighting solutions
available, but none are able to add opulent ambience as easily as LEDs. Contact
a reputable installer like Ablaze Lighting to learn more about the LED strip
lighting products that best meet the unique needs of your home or business. It
will lead to a beautifully lit building that will be the envy of your
neighborhood.