Lighting & Home Automation

Illuminations Lighting Design Holiday Gift Cards

2009-11-06T07:32:00.001-06:00

Everyone is searching for something to put under the tree. Finding a suitable gift gets harder and harder every year. Why not put a residential landscape lighting gift card under the tree this year?

The intelligent Christmas shopper knows that innovation is a key component to giving. Finding something special is always a priority. Finding something no one else would have ever thought of—something truly unique—can be a bit more of a challenge.

This year, you can give something that is both unique and beautiful to your loved ones in the form of a interior lighting design gift certificate from Illuminations Lighting and Design.

What types of gift certificates are you offering? (Equipment or service)
Gift certificates from ILD can be voucher for new equipment, maintenance and upgrade services, or a combination of all of the above. Many young couples are now venturing into the new home market now that the economy is showing some hope of stabilization. Parents of these young couples might want to consider a gift certificate for home lighting control system. ILD professionals can install the lights and link them to a home security system so that they work in tandem with the alarm and can be activated from both within the home and from outside the home.

Many of our clients are also collectors of fine art. Periodically at Christmas they receive new pieces of art as gifts. A great way to anticipate a new addition to a loved one’s collection is with a gift certificate for fine art lighting services. ILD can install art lighting fixture that is designed specifically for illuminating fine art and that will bring out the best in everything from family portraits to fine oils.

Other gift certificates can be for regular lighting maintenance services. All light fixtures have a lifespan and tend to degrade in both luminance and quality before they ultimately fail. A trained professional can spot this deterioration and replace the fixture before it unexpectedly goes out.

What is the value package money wise?
Although our clientele are normally people of means that have money to spend, they never spend their money unwisely. Illuminations Lighting and Design gift certificates represent wise investments in value-added services that endure far beyond the immediate holiday season.

Adding or repairing a light on a per incident basis costs more than bundled outdoor lighting maintenance and repair services factored into a regularly scheduled visit to the home where equipment checks and services can be handled all at once under a single invoice.

What value do these packages offer beyond the holiday season?
Investment in an ILD gift certificate is an investment in beauty and performance that extends years into the future—far beyond this immediate 2009 holiday season. Outdoor tree lighting, for example, will keep attention on the home through late January and February and have it ready for the new burst of light to come in spring of next year. While many plant species go dormant in the colder months, garden and outdoor path lights can keep the home looking vibrant and ready for new life.

Pool and fountain lights can emphasize special water features on the landscape, and security lights can be added to dark and narrow spaces to eliminate access points that intruders could potentially take advantage of. Something as simple as putting a camera in the back of the home can also be part of an ILD holiday gift package that will add peace of mind to this busy time of year and beyond.

Are you selling lighting controls with these gift certificates?
Yes. Many of our existing clientele invested in lighting design long ago but have not yet gotten around to investing in Lutron RadioRa2 lighting controls or home automation projects. Now would be the perfect time of year to add comfort and convenience to an environment that is already highly sophisticated and personalized.

Order your ILD Holiday Gift Card today!
Contact customer service at 713-863-1133 to arrange for your holiday lighting gift in any denomination. All Illuminations Lighting Design Holiday Gift Cards will be attractively wrapped in a handsome gift box and shipped directly to your home in time for the holidays. Order now to avoid the rush and simplify your holiday shopping experience!

Transient Surge Suppressors & Voltage Surge Protection

2009-10-29T18:02:00.001-05:00

Almost everything these days in your home requires surge suppressor protection. This is not because surge suppressor companies or Houston residential electrical contractors are trying to sell you their products and deck your home out with technology. It is simply a matter of simple reality that the way appliances and electronics are built today requires a special line of defense.

Think of how sensitive computers are for a moment and you will understand why. The sensitivity of a computer is due to the delicate nature of the printed circuit board. The invention of the printed circuit board revolutionized computers and took them from room-sized megaliths powered by vacuum tubes to desktop companions that are now indispensible to both our personal and professional lives. Yet these same printed circuit boards made computers very vulnerable to electrical overload and transient voltage spikes. Miniaturizing a room full of equipment on a chip the size of a fingernail creates a great deal of vulnerability to even the slightest surge in voltage. This is why we began using surge suppressors almost as soon as we started using desktop computers back in the 1980s and 1990s.

With the desktop revolution, another revolution occurred that many people didn’t notice because they were so excited about new opportunities to balance their checkbooks that somehow quickly became new opportunities to play video games. Appliance manufacturers began to make everything from microwaves to toasters to coffee pots with printed circuit boards that were based on the same concept as computer circuit boards. Of course, these were far more primitive than computer microprocessors, but basic subroutines of functionality were embedded in these cards to the degree that the core functionality of the device now became reliant on the circuit board.

Of course, this makes an appliance far more vulnerable now to excess current. Today, everything from computers, home theater systems, televisions, audio video systems, phones, fax machines, and even coax cable lines requires the protection of commercial-grade surge suppressors to safeguard against the damage that can and often does result from voltage spikes. Of course, you can use retail surge suppressors for some of these devices and take your chances, but we do not recommend this.

This is because there simply is no way for retail surge suppressors to handle the force of many excess current spikes. There are two sources of excess current that we need to concern ourselves with: lighting, and transient power surge. People often think that the only danger that lighting poses is that of a direct strike. In reality, there is more danger from lighting striking a nearby transformer and creating transient power surge.

Surges of this nature can blow every appliance in the home. Retail surge suppressor systems maynot withstand the force of this voltage. Other forms of transient power surge exist besides TPS caused by lightning. These can simply be fluctuations in the power grid. They can also be generated by mechanical devices in the home or garage. Motors draw energy from the grid, and if they draw too much, they can pull current into the home wiring system that will actually affect other devices.

This is what makes commercial grade surge suppressors such a necessity. The ability to detect these sudden spikes in voltage is called excess current detection, and it provides a first line of defense against high voltage that can damage home equipment. While this does not provide an absolute guarantee against catastrophic failure, it is certainly the best anyone can hope for in a thunderstorm or Texas tropical storm.

Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Design has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as Houston lighting design services, Houston home construction, Houston landscape lighting design and Houston home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We invite you to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133 to learn more about whole house surge protection and/or emergency power generators. We are located in Houston Texas but provide electrical contracting services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Lighting Controls & Lutron RadioRa2

2009-10-28T17:22:00.001-05:00

The windows in my living room are big and the afternoon sun is a really making the room hot. What do you have to help save energy and reduce heat load?

ILD can install Lutron Sivoia QED® (Quiet Electronic Drive) roller shades or a drapery track system to automatically operate by wireless thermostatic controls. All Sivoia shades operate with ultra-quiet precision, low-voltage drives, and have many options for fabrics and as well as wireless keypad controls.

The Lutron Sivoia QED® (Quiet Electronic Drive) does not need any communication wiring unlike a tradional electrical wiring system. This allows it to be very versatile in both range and application. You can control shades in one room, multiple rooms, or an entire home. Its low-power frequencies prevent interference from other devices and do by avoiding sharing coverage with other network traffic.

Is it possible to install RadioRa2 without cutting my walls and tearing up my house?

We never have to cut into any walls or do any damage to home interiors when we install this system. This is because Lutron RadioRa2 has been engineered specifically for retrofit applications and operates on a proprietary “Clear Connect” radio frequency wireless technology.

This allows the system to manage sophisticated protocols like light and shade controls without having to run signals through wires. While it does work very well in new construction environments, its avoidance of wire transmission works equally well in existing buildings. Therefore, it is never necessary to install new wiring to achieve a lighting control system on existing residences or offices.

Can I somehow connect my house lights to the alarm system?

One of the features of Lutron RadioRa2 is the ability to integrate the lighting with your alarm system. During an event, lights will automatically come on inside the house providing residents peace of mind. Exterior landscape lights flash providing a visual clue to responding law enforcement officers. Light is the number one deterrent of crime!

ILD can set the system to turn on both interior lights and exterior lights if your alarm is tripped. The RadioRA 2 system has system interface full input and flash input options, giving you the option of having your lights come on at full strength, or flash to indicate a possible emergency.

Is it possible to utilize the Homelink® buttons in my car to control my lighting?

Yes, Lutron wireless lighting controls operate automotive Homelink buttons. This unique wireless feature allows control any interior or exterior light source from your car.

We can actually program your visor remote to control up to seven functions in your home. There are three standard button presses, and four button combinations, that we can create for you that will activate unique scenes. The operation of these controls is user friendly and simple.

Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Design has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We invite you to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133 to learn more about Lutron Lighting & Shading Solutions. We are located in Houston Texas but provide art lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Fine Art Lighting & Art Lights

2009-10-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

What makes ILD the most qualified go-to source for art and light in the city of Houston?

In the 1980s, we originally began as an art lighting firm whose specialty was the superior presentation of fine art. Over time, we expanded into other areas of lighting, including interior home lighting, architectural lighting, landscape lighting, electrical services, and home automation.

This expansion taught us many things about interior architecture and decorating, and the subtle impacts that these forces can bring to bear upon a collection of art. Illuminating art requires not only knowledge of art and light itself, but also an awareness of such factors as lighting intensity, angle, and the relationship between light and shadow.

What do art and light have in common?

Art and light share a number of remarkable similarities that makes them soul mates in one sense of the term. To begin with, both depend on spatial relationships to establish aesthetic. Art depicts objects in relationship to one another. Light occupies space without consuming volume, and in the process shows all objects in the room in relationship to one another.

Both art and light utilize shadow to some degree to distinguish themselves. The variances in light and layers of light are clearly defined by proportions of luminance versus lower levels of light or outright shadow. Similarly, depictions of scenes and characters in art rely upon a blend of color, light, and shadow to create perspective and dimension—two essential attributes that distinguish fine art from run of the mill images of popular culture.

Where do we see the most complex relationships between art and light?

The similarities shared by art and light allow for complex relationships to be formed between the two by the professional lighting designer. When art lighting fixtures are properly selected and correctly installed, the result is a multi-dimensional aesthetic that moves the viewer beyond duality.

General room lighting and average, daily life scenes are often nothing more than something we are looking at lit up by light coming from somewhere either over our shoulder or over our heads. With art lighting this is never the case. Modern art lights are precisely adjusted to match beam spread and lighting intensity to the works of art they are showcasing. Layers of light are also created to fill the room with an ambience that is appropriate to the genre represented by any given collection.

How do art and light depend on one another?

We can see, then that light and art depend on one another in some very specific ways. Art in the dark cannot be seen, and light in an empty room is so much space illuminated without form or apparent purpose. Bringing the two together is in many ways a creation of a special reality where essence and form converge in layers of color, luminance, and shadow. At the end of the day, both the art and light in your private gallery become as much an expression of you as they are the work of the artists themselves as ILD professionals translate the sublime to the personal, the objective to the subject.

Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Design has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We invite you to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133. We are located in Houston Texas but provide art lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Holiday Lighting Company

2009-10-17T10:06:00.005-05:00

Do you have Holiday parties coming up in the near future? Do you need repair work?
It is so important to revitalize and upgrade your house lights and your landscape lights. Both are major factors in the success of upcoming Holiday Events. ILD is here to help you make efficient and cost effective repairs and upgrades to your home lighting systems. We want your outdoor holiday lights to shine bright this year, and every year to come.

Maintaining Your Lighting Systems

When you are busy getting ready for parties and visitors, you often forget about the basics of indoor lighting maintenance. Much of this is all due to social conditioning. We have been programmed to see lights as either working or broken, and we never think about replacing anything until it breaks.

This is not the way lights work. The luminance quality of light fixtures starts degrading long before the fixtures themselves burn out. This is particularly the way it works with art lighting fixtures, although this also occurs with a great deal of decorative lights and outdoor garden lights.

To make certain that all of your fixtures are performing at recommended manufacturer standards, ILD will come to your home and thoroughly inspect your equipment for optimal light output. If we find a problem, we will either replace the unit or recommend an upgrade.

Troubleshooting and Repairs

If you have noticed that something appears not to be quite right with your lights, but do not know exactly what could be causing this, it is very essential that you contact Tammy at ILD and schedule a visit from our experts so that they can take a look at your lighting array. Both indoor and landscape light systems operate on the principle of building layers of lights in patterns and degrees of intensity.

When lamps begin to deteriorate in quality, the effectiveness of the entire system begins to suffer. Please save yourself the time and trouble of trying to isolate the problem. It could be something as simple as a loose wire, or something as serious and possibly unsafe like a short circuit. It is much more safe and sensible to hire an electrical contractor to do this, and to arrange for replacement parts with commercial, specification grade features that ensure superior operability and longer lamp life.

Outdoor Holiday Light Systems
If you are planning more than just a Thanksgiving dinner inside, you can also enjoy an evening outdoors. If you have invested in an outdoor kitchen or living room, you might even have some creature comforts in addition to a night under the stars.

Regardless, spicing up the yard with outdoor holiday lights is an excellent way to usher in the Christmas Season. If you have invested in a landscape lighting system from ILD, a few additions can make your Christmas Party a place where everyone wants to be this Holiday Season.

If you have not yet invested in new landscape lights, consider visiting with our outdoor lighting specialists. Our experts represent an eclectic blend of skills in electrical engineering, design, and multi-disciplinary cross-training in parallel industries that add value, unique distinction, and cost effective operability to holiday cheer and superior Houston living throughout the year.

As most of you have already realized, the 2009 Holiday Season is rapidly approaching us all. Many of us, in lieu of current economic considerations, already have made up our minds to consolidate our entertainment expenses by hosting parties at home. If you share this viewpoint, now is the time to consider a investing in lighting repair work.

Since 1980, ILD has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have evolved that focus on disciplines like lighting design, electrical contracting services, landscape lighting maintenance and home automation. Having specialists in these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "big picture" of lighting design, is essential to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We invite you to contact us at 713-863-1133 or online using our handy resuest design consultation form.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Holiday & Seasonal Lighting Packages

2009-10-14T12:48:00.005-05:00

An ILD Lighting Package can be the Light of your Party
As Holidays approach holiday parties become priority for those of us looking to do something special for loved ones. Holiday lighting is the most important element in decorating for your upcoming events. Without light, no one sees all the many special things you have done to prepare your home for special occasions. This can all change with a new lighting system by Illuminations Lighting and Design.

ILD specializes in outdoor holiday lighting systems for homeowners in Bellaire, West University, Upper Kirby, River Oaks, The Heights, and outlying neighborhoods like Katy, The Woodlands, and Sugar Land.

Indoor Lighting Design Allows You to Finally Focus on Interior Decorating and Cooking
With family arriving, you must prepare the house for guest accommodation and the main event at hand. Decorating and food preparation will dominate almost every free moment up until the time that your guests arrive.

Attempting an installation of a outdoor lighting system on top of everything else is a burden you should not have to carry. Let our professionals handle this for you with a custom lighting package that we will design specifically for your upcoming Holiday Event.

Typical ILD Lighting Package
A typical lighting package is custom designed around the geometry and style of your home interior architecture. Appropriate light levels and angles are calculated and measured with advanced design software and special indoor lighting design techniques. Lighting fixtures are then ordered from the world’s top manufacturers of indoor electrical lights. Appropriate electrical wiring provisions are made within your home circuit panel and walls so that we may ensure safe and appropriate supply of current to your new equipment. Our team then installs the equipment and links it to user-friendly controls and home lighting automation programs that let you to alter the mood and spirit of your event at will.

Interior Lighting Design, Lighting Upgrade, and Lighting Controls

Home lighting design is essentially a science that treats light itself as a form of art. In order to create this effect, we must generate multiple layers of light. Simple, direct, general room lights only allow for visibility with no real degree of decor or accent. However, by adjusting existing lights and upgraded new fixtures when needed, we can create a new system for you that will enable you to set the tone for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s celebration with the touch of a button or the turn of the dial.

Outdoor Lighting for the Holidays
When your guests arrive at your house, your front yard makes a very powerful first impression on them. Take a good look at your house lights and the tree lights in your yard. Are they truly appropriate for the Holidays? Do they express the spirit of various occasions and announce festivity to those who are just now pulling up to your driveway? Do they make your home look as good on the outside as it does on the inside?

If not, contact Illuminations Lighting and request a design consultation with a landscape lighting designer. Not only are we able to add the same level of quality to your yard as we can to your dining room, but we will do it with better equipment and safer configurations that you can obtain through retail markets.

Request a Design Consultation Today
Even if you know a great deal yourself about electricity and lighting, why try to set up your own system with retail-grade fixtures on top of everything else that you have on your plate? Simply share your vision of what you want to see, and allow our Houston landscape lighting designers to get you the best equipment and install it in a safe and operable fashion. This will ensure continual, reliable performance throughout the 2009 Holiday Season as well as many Holiday Seasons to come.

Why not contact us today and experience the peace of mind and excellent service we can contribute to your holiday season.

Illuminations Lighting Design
607 Durham Drive
Houston, Texas 77007-5316
(713) 863-1133 Main Line
(800) 863-1184 Toll Free
(713) 863-0044 Fax

We are located in Houston Texas but provide custom home lighting plans and residential lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Lights for Paintings & Picture Lighting

2009-10-11T20:43:00.005-05:00

ILD specializes in the professional installation of lighting for paintings. We have working relationships with the leading art lighting manufacturers of the world, and we possess all of the working knowledge and experience required to install the best equipment in any commercial or residential gallery that requires custom picture lighting solutions.

Invariably, when we first call on a new client, we find that they are already using some sort of lights for paintings. In many instances these lights are what we call over-the-picture lights. They attach to the top of the frame and shine down onto the canvas or print below.

While there is nothing wrong with over-the-picture lights for paintings, we strongly encourage our new clients to use them only for less expensive artwork lighting. This is because infrared heat builds up in these lamps that can damage the fine oils and delicate canvases of more sophisticated works. The distribution of light is also a problem, because these lights create brighter spots near the top of the picture and darker areas near the bottom.

More sophisticated lights for paintings are required for high-end lighting applications, and professional lighting design is necessary to make the equipment support the art without distracting the attention of the viewer.

When lighting any painting, it is absolutely essential to match the amount of light to the size and shape of the picture. If we have too little light, we will have dark areas on the edges of the work. If we have too much light, illumination will spill onto the wall and form hot spots. Creating the necessary precision lighting effect that matches light to art is quite the challenge for the do-it-yourselfer. Proper art lighting requires mounting each fixture from an optimum vantage point. It also requires choosing a halogen bulb that has an appropriately-designed reflector that will create a beam spread equivalent to the dimensions of the picture.

There is a special science to balancing these two requirements that calls for a strong technical knowledge of all the many different art lighting fixtures and corresponding reflectors that are made. It is never workable for the collector to try to learn all this. Instead, it is more practical and cost effective to let a professional fine art lighting company choose and mount the right type of fixtures for the paintings on display.

Specific types of lights for paintings include track lights, surface mounted lights, recessed lights (that go in the ceiling), and framing projectors. Track lights, as their name indicates, suspend from tracks that run along the ceiling. They are often used in galleries that hang professional photography and have some limited use in temporary art lighting design installations. However, the larger ones are very difficult to conceal. Smaller track lights can be used in home environments because they are more low-profile in design.

Surface mounted lights for paintings install on the ceiling or on the wall and shine at precise angles toward different paintings or groups of paintings. Because surface mounted wall art lights are typically bulky and visible, it is crucial that you let a lighting designer select the right fixtures for you in order to better match your interior decorating and home interior architecture.

Recessed art lights for paintings are a much easier to conceal. They hide in recesses that are cut into the ceiling. They will only be noticed by someone who is looking for them. They, too, need to be positioned by a lighting designer who is able to determine just where fixtures need to be placed and angled for optimal lighting.

Framing projectors are high-end lighting tools for paintings that mount on the ceiling and shine down on artwork below. Many different types of framing projectors exist in the world of modern art lighting. Some are designed to be installed directly into the ceiling itself. Others are made for retrofit mounting in an environment where ceilings cannot be cut.

Whomever the artist and wherever the artwork is located, you can trust the lighting professionals at Illuminations Lighting Design to design and implement a fine art lighting theme that will showcase your collection in the best possible light on a budget you can afford. Let a trained fine art and sculpture lighting company help you with your art collection.

Contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133 to request a design proposal.Since 1980, ILD has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Lighting Design Testimonials

2009-10-06T16:49:00.005-05:00

Just as the dimmer slide taught us that there is more to light than simply ON or OFF, Illuminations Lighting Design located in Houston Texas has shown the world the endless variation, the enchanting spectrums, the infinite gradations of light that can be painted across the wide canvas that stretches between night and day.

What began as a simple idea over lunch, evolved into one of the most sought after and most recognized residential lighting design firms in the country. ILD has grown to include five specialty divisions that focus on lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having these specialists in each discipline, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

Read what customers are saying about Illuminations Lighting Design:

We are very pleased with the art lighting and Lutron dimmer controls you designed and installed for our reception area. Your crew was polite, professional and on time. Thanks again for accommodating our Saturday "after hours" work schedule.
Marvin Nathan
Houston, Texas

My customers over in Bellaire that you outfitted with Phantom Lighting this summer are absolutely thrilled. Thank you so much for your suggestion to illuminate the family room display shelves. You were only there originally for the Butler’s pantry lighting and now the family room shelf lighting is their favorite thing in the house!!!!
Susan White
Bellaire, Texas

We are very happy with the new low voltage landscape lighting system that ILD installed in our front yard. I never imagined that lighting could make such a huge difference. We now have the best looking outdoor lighting in the neighborhood. The motion lights you suggested on the side of the house are very effective. Overall, we are pleased with the lighting and electrical work and will certainly refer your residential electrical contracting company to our friends!
Lam Hoang
Tomball, Texas

I was visiting my next door neighbor over the weekend and she had just had your electricians out to adjust and install art lighting fixtures. She already had beautiful art, but your recessed art lighting looks amazing. I look forward to our appointment and meeting your lighting designer to upgrade our lighting as well.
Maureen Higton
Houston, Texas

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We invite you to contact us toll free 800-863-1184 or request a proposal online.

Houston Lighting & Electrical Contracting Services

2009-09-30T09:34:00.009-05:00

Lighting Design Services

Illuminations Lighting Design’s services and creative solutions will bring a whole new level of living and business experience to clients in any walk of life or occupation. Our goal is to enhance homes and buildings and fill landscapes and interiors with the only thing in existence that occupies space without consuming square footage - light. Contact us so we can create such an experience for your unique reality regardless of industry, vocation, lifestyle, personal tastes, or personal faith.

Electrical Contracting Services
Regardless of the size, age or complexity of your home, the professionals at Illuminations Lighting Design will get the wiring done right the first time. Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Design has built and nurtured a reputation for unparalleled performance, reasonable rates and fast, friendly service in the demanding custom home market. Our experienced staff of seasoned electrical professionals and licensed electricians are dedicated to providing solid electrical solutions that incorporate innovative Houston home construction techniques and "State of the art" new home wiring methods.

Landscape Lighting Design Services
The average homeowner already has an eye for aesthetic and artistic value; otherwise they would not have invested in a quality home that reflects good taste. Many lighting companies fail to recognize this fact. ILD takes a completely different approach based upon respect for client intelligence. We know that when a client calls our office, that person already has a general vision for landscape lighting design fixed firmly in mind. We then take that general vision and initiate a process where that vision becomes a concrete reality.

Fine Art & Display Lighting Services
Illuminations Lighting and Design services Houston and Greater Texas residents with the very best in display lighting and fine art lighting. Residential art lighting design requires precision and thorough consultation to determine photometric, wattage, and voltage measurements to ensure reliable, safe illumination of creative masterpieces. ILD consultants have proven their value time and again in this respect, and have earned the trust of eclectic communities in both public and private spheres.

When Illumination Lighting and Design wires a new home, we don’t just lay the copper and turn on the lights. We thoughtfully plan and implement the wiring of every new home to meet the needs of daily life and to cover all bases in the event of an emergency. Why not call us today and experience the peace of mind and excellent service we can contribute to your life’s dream?

Illuminations Lighting Design
607 Durham Drive
Houston, Texas 77007-5316
(713) 863-1133 Main Line
(800) 863-1184 Toll Free
(713) 863-0044 Fax

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and residential lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

The Art of Light - Lighting Designers

2009-09-22T17:19:00.008-05:00

The art of light will add function, dimension, and beauty to your home. It will add color to mood, and shadow to accent in a manner that strengthens the impressions of room decor and brings the most important room elements into the forefront of awareness. Lighting design specialists by ILD make this happen through a process that begins with consultation and concludes with superior luminance and lighting controls.

When we arrive at your home, we begin with a lighting design consultation. Our experts listen to what you have to say and get a clear understanding of your lifestyle requirements. They apply their years of experience in interior decorating and architectural cross-training to look for innovative ways to layer light as art in every room of the home.

Once we have a general design plan in mind, we take a look at your electrical service panel and your home wiring. This is to ensure that your current electrical home systems can support the light fixtures we plan to install. If an upgrade to the panel is necessary, or if new home wiring is needed, we can make these improvements at this time. This very necessary foundational component of art as light is something that only a trained residential electrical contractor can provide, and we offer you the advantage of getting both design and electrical services from the same team of professionals.

The installation of fixtures then begins according to the home lighting floor plans we agree upon and the mitigating factors of room interior architecture. Light travels in a straight line, so any object in its path will cast a shadow behind it. Contrary to assumption, we do not want to do away with all shadows in the room. Shadows create interest and a feeling of added dimension. This is one of the things that differentiate the art of light from general, functional lighting. The decor created by varying degrees of illumination in different areas of the room works to accent special objects, furnishings, and nuances of interior decorating.

Another attribute of the art of light that makes it very different than simple task lighting is its intentional use of color as a tool of design. Varying the color of lights changes the way we perceive contents. In whole house audio systems and home theaters, we rely upon colored light to support musical themes and to create specific atmospheres for different genres of music and film. This requires home automation and control systems which we install along with your lighting fixtures.

These lighting controls can be operated completely by computer, and they can be manually controlled through user friendly wall panels and hand-held remotes. Preprogrammed themes can be set to turn on with music at certain times of the day. Home theaters can be programmed to emulate the mood lighting of public cinema. This turns your home into an entertainment center that can rival any night on the town.

The most important lighting controls are those that handle intensity. Dimmer controls allow you to raise and lower the light levels of different types of fixtures. You may want to increase general room lighting in certain places to give you greater visibility for reading or working in the room. At other times, you may want to lower these lights and turn up art lighting to create a warmer, more intimate setting. Halogen lights are ideal for this type of lighting control. They produce a very white light which can be raised and lowered at will and is excellent for setting mood, recreating shadows, and art lighting.

We normally install a variety of halogen style lamps in various shapes, styles, and wattages. This allows us to create multiple layers of illumination that emphasize different elements of room design. Architecture, interior decorating, fine art, statuary, and furnishings can all be embellished in this fashion. The combination of quality and quantity results in a blend of ambiance, shadow, and varying intensities that bring room elements to the forefront of attention and fine living to the best possible light.

Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Deign has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We invite you to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133.

Our offices are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Electrical Contractors Residential

2009-09-16T12:52:00.003-05:00

Residential electrical contractors are very different from a commercial electrician because of the enormous differences between homes and commercial environments. Homes are built very differently than office buildings, warehouses, and factories. Wiring in commercial structures always requires insulation in the form of armor coating and pipe conduits.

Homes do not require all of this. As a result, residential electrical contractors use different materials such as low voltage and romex wire for residential service installations. They face different structural challenges, too. In residential environments, you will find a blend of simple and complex challenges. Custom homes with over 5,000 square feet of floor space typically represent the most complex environments. Residential wiring specialists have to have a clear understanding of architecture and construction in order to know how to approach each house as its own unique work environment.

Each set of challenges is relative to the age of the home, its original wiring design, current appliances in use, and indoor and outdoor lighting equipment. All of these things tie into the central hub of the electrical service panel. This panel controls the distribution of power to every electrical system and component in the home. Very few older homes have dedicated circuits, so the first thing a residential electrical contractor will investigate is the age of the house. This will provide an understanding of what service panel upgrades will be required to create more efficient and safe home environment.

This is why we cross train our residential electrical contractors in architectural and construction theory. This helps them understand the many different evolutions that home electrical wiring has undergone over the past few decades. Our electrical service specialists can go to any home in Houston, find out when it was built, and know at a glance what needs to be done to make it fully compliant with current fire codes and energy efficiency standards. Older homes will no doubt need interior light fixture retrofits and dedicated circuits to curb excessive power consumption.

Newer homes are built to be more friendly to energy efficient appliances and lighting. Most are constructed with crawl spaces built into the attic so electricians can move around easier. They are also built with better insulation. New homes now use tankless solutions to generate hot water, and they are built in anticipation of new home wiring runs so there will be minimal cutting of walls and ceilings. Residential electrical contractors who are understand these new building styles can quickly spot the opportunities in non-invasive upgrades and can upgrade your wiring and lighting without making a mess or damaging your home in the process.

Many of the nicest homes in Houston, however, are not that new. Take a drive through River Oaks, Memorial, West University, or Bellaire and you will see many mansion-sized homes that were built in the 50s and 60s. These houses are masterpieces of architecture with wiring that is sorely outdated in many cases. Fortunately, though, our residential electrical contractors know just how to upgrade electrical services in these homes without damaging their structure and diminishing their value.

Typically they begin by getting rid of the old water heater (which is a power hog) and installing a tank less hot water solution. They then look at all important electronic components and systems in the home (such as stereos, computers, home theaters, and HVAC systems) and install dedicated circuits to provide more efficient and stable flow of power to the equipment. Our residential electrical remodeling contractors also install commercial grade surge suppressors to protect your investments against transient power surge, and they install natural gas home generators for permanent, whole-house emergency power backups.

We always offer our clients the options of better house lights and landscape lights to further beautify their homes and yards. These systems consist of primarily low voltage landscape lighting fixtures that do not cost that much to run. Security lights can be installed with to provide you with an extra line of home defense against potential burglars.

Regardless of the nature of the electrical upgrades or electric repairs recommended, we always work with the goal of saving you money on power cost and making your home a safer place to live.

Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Deign has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We invite you to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133. We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Natural Gas Powered Generators

2009-09-14T16:23:00.004-05:00

When your electrical power goes out, you have two emergency power options: a portable generator or stationary generators. Most people we encounter originally tried using portable, gasoline powered generators.

They end up encountering a number of problems with these units. They can only power a portion of their home and a few key appliances, and operating the generator in the wrong place can prove extremely hazardous to human health because of carbon monoxide poising. Natural gas home generators have proven to be much more effective than gasoline powered equivalents, and far more practical for home use than the diesel generators used in commercial arenas.

When clients ask us about upgrading to diesel, we try to steer than back to natural gas emergency power generators for a number of reasons. The biggest of these is that few homes have the necessary room to operate such a piece of equipment. Diesel has a very long shelf life due to the additives that are in it, so it makes sense to store it in a warehouse environment. A warehouse has plenty of storage room for fuel and for the large fuel tank. Natural gas home generators are much more practical for the smaller spaces located behind garages or in mechanical areas. Gas is clean burning and is a stable source of energy. It is not subject to the same outages that afflict electrical service when trees fall or lightning strikes.

ILD residential electrical contractors provide both the natural gas generator itself and coordinate the turnkey installation of the unit. It is much better to let professionals choose the unit and to coordinate the various parties that will be involve in hooking it up. Determining the size of the unit is the most critical factor in providing safe, whole house power backup. Knowledge of the home service panel and wiring systems will be required to make an accurate assessment of the power needs of the entire house.

It is also necessary to have a conversation with the light company at this point about home power usage. The electric company has detailed records on every home and what its power usage curve is during normal times and at times of emergency. By combining this data from the survey of home demand and electrical subsystems, ILD residential electrical remodeling specialists can then determine exactly how much electricity or maximum amperage will be necessary to power the entire house in a worse-case scenario power outage.

Once this determination is made, ILD orders the appropriately sized unit and obtains from the manufacture information on how much natural gas the home electrical generator consumes per minute. We subcontract a licensed plumber to physically connect the unit to the gas line. The plumber will first check the pressure regulator and pipe work to ensure that the flow of gas meets the requirements of the generator plus those of the rest of the home. Any necessary adjustments will be made at this time.

Once everything is set, the unit is mounted in either a mechanical room or behind the garage and connected to the gas line. In the event that there is no practical or safe place to mount the natural gas home generator, we will hire a concrete company to pour a slab upon which we can install the unit.

If you are interesting in a "Turn Key" emergency standby power generator solution for your home, please call the residential electrical services specialists at Illuminations Lighting Design.

Contact our Master Electrician at Illuminations Lighting Design at 713-863-1133 to learn more about houston home construction, home lighting controls, surge protection, electrical panel upgrades or to schedule a complimentary in home consultation.

Houston Jones Hall Sculpture Lights

2009-09-12T16:03:00.007-05:00

The City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department through its contract with the Houston Arts Alliance and following the recommendation of the Richard Lippold Foundation, commissioned ILD, Houston’s premier fine art lighting company to specify and install a high performance sculpture lighting system for the Gemini II sculpture in Jones Hall.

This superb metal sculpture is the work of Milwaukee-born artist Richard Lippold, and was commissioned in 1966 by the Houston Endowment and has hung for the past 42 years in Downtown Houston Jones Hall. Its web-like design is created by a combination of polished aluminum and gold-plated wire. The wires stretch from the focal point to the axis of the sculpture and generate magnificent interplay of light between the reflective surface of the meal and the transparent appearance of the wires.

This makes the artwork lighting an integral part of the display, and something that requires the best in equipment and effect to produce.

The original sculpture lighting system, installed years before, had performed adequately enough, but it had never done complete justice to the piece. Consisting of thirty 150PAR38 incandescent lamps, it relied upon light bulbs have been used for decades. These fixtures have since become undesirable because of their short lamp life and extreme power consumption for lighting art. They also produce something of a warm color temperature (2800K to be exact), which is less than optimum for this type of display. Ideally, a metal sculpture should be lit with a very cool color temperature lamp that produces a very white light.

After conducting a series of tests on possible fixture configurations, the design team of Tom Kretzschmar and Lance Gandy decided on a modern art lighting system that combined the best in light quality, energy efficiency, and low-maintenance. Illuminations lighting designers chose theatrical fixtures made by Source Four, and they custom built a mounting rack to support the equipment.

The luminaires specified by art lighting consultants Kretzschmar and Gandy feature 150 watt ceramic metal halide lamps. These lamps are built with custom tube shields that have concentric ring louvers designed to minimize glare. They are also manufactured with computer-engineered reflectors that capture and focus the light. Ceramic metal halide technology and enhanced optical design make these lights so efficient that it only took six of them to do the job that thirty incandescent fixtures were previously needed to do!

These lamps are also six times more energy efficient than 150PAR38 incandescent lamps. Savings on operating costs were guaranteed to begin accruing in a matter of a few short months. Even better, comes every one of these six lamps is rated at an average life of 12,000 hours—bringing a drastic reduction in the cost of replacement lamps and maintenance calls.

Sculpture lighting has significantly improved as well since we installed our new lighting system. The new fixtures produce a very white, cool color of light that is ideal for the polished aluminum and gold-plated wiring. They are controlled by an astronomical clock that turns the lights under the sculpture at sundown and keeps them on until 1:00AM for your viewing pleasure.

When illuminated by the new high-end lighting system, the floating sculptural components now gleam like floating glass rods in the night, and the gold-plated wiring erupt like a web of light that seems to spring from surrounding walls.

Whomever the artist and wherever the artwork is located, you can trust the lighting professionals at Illuminations Lighting Design to design and implement a fine art lighting theme that will showcase your collection in the best possible light on a budget you can afford. Let a trained fine art lighting company help you with your art collection.

Contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133 to request a design proposal.

Since 1980, ILD has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Electrical Systems Installation

2009-09-09T15:20:00.004-05:00

Electrical system installation by Illuminations Lighting and Design consists of four major core service offerings to ensure maximum operability, safety, and viability of your home wiring, electrical devices, and vital home systems.

Home Electrical Circuit Panels
Electrical system installation starts with a thorough upgrade of the home circuit panel. This confluence of wires and breakers is the literal heart and soul of home power supply. Not only must the wiring be of an appropriate gauge for safe conductance of power, but it must also be connected properly to the many conduits that carry electricity throughout the home.

Many older homes in Houston desperately need new wiring designs, new circuits, and upgraded wire itself in order to meet current fire codes and to deliver an appropriate supply of power to various home systems and major appliances.

Dedicated Panel Circuits
In most instances, larger homes contain very complex climate control systems and very expensive data and entertainment devices. Many appliances are also now very featuring rich, making their demands for power much higher than their counterparts in previous decades.

In order to ensure the safe and reliable operability of these devices, ILD technicians carefully examine the amperage and voltage requirements of each device, and, when necessary, run a dedicated circuit from the panel to the device. This ensures that the collective use of multiple devices will not overload the home’s electrical system. Installation of dedicated circuits guarantees that each device gets a steady supply of just the right amount of power.

Surge Suppressor Protection Systems
As effective as dedicated circuits are in maintaining continuous, steady current to individual home appliances, they cannot protect appliances against transient power surge. Transient power surge can destroy home appliances in a matter of seconds if enough high voltage suddenly spikes in the home circuit panel. Appliances today are more vulnerable to transient power surge because they all contain printed circuit boards similar to the ones found in computers. These boards are very sensitive to voltage spikes and can quickly burn out when one occurs. The only way to protect these delicate memory boards is to protect the home electrical system with the installation of specification-grade, commercial surge suppressors.

Surge suppressors are by no means inexpensive or something you can successfully self-install. However, they are better than insurance when it comes to protecting your investment in electrical system installation. Instead of covering the cost of repair after an appliance breaks (like insurance does), they keep the appliance from breaking in the first place.

Backup Home Emergency Electric Generators
No matter how protected a home is against power fluctuation and transient surge, no one can control what happens to the power grid itself in times like hurricanes, electrical emergencies, or brown outs resulting from malfunctioning transformers. A backup generator is a sure line of defense against total darkness and lifestyle paralysis. When professionally chosen and installed by experienced electricians who know how to match unit to the collective power requirements of the home, a backup generator will stand guard over your home in the event of power failure and prove itself an investment you will never regret making.

Illuminations Lighting Design
607 Durham Drive
Houston, Texas 77007
713-863-1133

Since 1980, ILD has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Fine Art Sculpture Lighting

2009-08-31T09:53:00.005-05:00

The intent of lighting sculpture is to make form emerge from darkness and shadow as a multi-dimensional experience. It takes more than luminance to create this effect. Darkness is equally important to light because shadow is necessary to create the impression of a virtual reality much like the actual reality we live in. Shadows are also necessary to accentuate the three dimensional nature of the forms and curves that constitute the piece. This makes lighting a sculpture very different than lighting a painting, because a painting is two-dimensional image, whereas a carving or statue always differentiates itself from the background as an emerging, three-dimensional form.

The degree of success you will have in lighting sculpture depends on the amount of ambient light you shine upon the piece. Direct light has only a limited ability to bring out the differentiating features of three-dimensional art. Recessed art lighting is much more effective because it has creates more of a field of light than a bright beam of light. In most art lighting applications regardless of type or genre, a bright ray or beam of light is something we want to avoid because it can create white spots and reflective glare.

Focused lighting is much better for sculptures and lighting pictures because it enhances the subject that creates a luminosity that brings texture, form, and color to the forefront of the viewer’s perception. This requires sophisticated equipment and typically a number of different fixture types. Just how many fixtures, and what type of fixtures we use, depends on the size and shape of the sculpture. There are many dynamics here to consider beyond width, length, and height. We tend to visualize a statue of a human form when we think of sculpture, but in reality there is far greater diversity in this genre than we are typically conscious and aware.

For example, many celebratory pieces depict historical leaders on horseback. What we have in these depictions is really not one form, but two. We have to treat both man and horse as the separate entities they are, but we also have to emphasize the symbiotic oneness of horse and rider in the way we light the sculpture. It is not possible to do this with only a single recessed light fixture or even type of fixture. Such a piece will have to be illuminated from a variety of angles and with at least three distinct layers of light and corresponding shadows to highlight such features as muscle tone, facial expression, hair, weaponry, uniform, and regalia. This is a tall order for any designer to fill, and it requires the very best in equipment and years of training and expertise in art lighting design to accomplish.

Specification grade equipment is an absolute necessity for lighting sculpture. It simply will not be possible to achieve the same level of subtlety or complexity as we can with commercial grade equipment. Specification grade lamps, lenses, optical reflectors, and lighting control systems are much more advanced than those of retail grade equipment. It is essential that we rely upon such advanced technology and use its full potential in the creation of complex lighting arrays and layered lighting effects essential to the proper presentation of statuary and other fine art. Photometric designs and three-dimensional modeling is a key element to our design process that allows us to configure these systems in advance and select the most appropriate and robust fixtures for the task at hand.

As a lighting design services firm we have unlimited access to lighting manufacturers. Illuminations Lighting knows how to plan lighting and installs only the best equipment for lighting sculptures. We can also act as a consulting firm assisting local electricians who require aesthetic expertise in the many nuances of art and gallery lighting, and we function strictly in a design, planning role as a source of multiple configuration plans that give collectors and curators the freedom of choice between two or more viable options.

Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Deign has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting. We invite you to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Home Transient Surge Protection

2009-08-26T07:43:00.004-05:00

What is Residential Transient Voltage Surge?
It is a spike in electrical voltage that exceeds 2000V and 100 amperes in current. There have been a number of documented instances where TVS has been as high as 20,000 volts and has exceeded 2,000 amps in current. You can only imagine how devastating this can be to anything electronic in your house.

What causes TVS?
Transient voltage surge is precipitated by two categories of causes.

Lightning
When it strikes high power lines or transformers, it can travel up to 3 miles with enough force to destroy every major appliance in the home. While this is a major cause for concern, it is not the only concern to consider when gauging the level of protection needed to protect home electronics. Many forms of equipment can cause power fluctuations that will similarly damage sensitive electronics, climate control systems, and data lines coming into the home.

Electrical devices
Many devices in your home can actually cause transient voltage surge. The electric motors in refrigerators and air conditioners can precipitate an incident. Ballasts in fluorescent lights can trigger it. Even portable power tools can trigger TVS. Perhaps the most overlooked, but nevertheless common cause is faulty wiring in the home circuit panel.

Lightning has never struck near my home, but I do have many of the devices you have mentioned. How can I find out of any of them are causing TVS?
Relatively low power surges often damage equipment rather than destroying it outright. You may notice high performance equipment that is supposed to perform at exceptional standards suddenly experiencing unexplained downtime or a noticeable drop in quality. This often occurs high-end stereo and television equipment, but you may also notice it in your AC, your kitchen appliances, your phone system, or your computer and peripherals.

What do I do if I see clear evidence of transient voltage surge?
Do not try to troubleshoot it yourself. Investigating circuitry can be dangerous, or perhaps even deadly, without extensive training and experience in electrical engineering. Call Illuminations Lighting and Design and request a visit from one of our licensed electrical experts. We will run a series of tests on your home circuit panel and compile a quality assessment report on your home wiring. If we find any problems, we will recommend a professionally configured, custom-installed home surge suppression system.

That already sounds expensive. Why can I not just install AC surge suppressors on all my equipment and appliances?
There are two reasons not to do this. First, the average retail AC suppressor cannot withstand the power of a full-on assault from something like a lightning strike. Second, not everything in your house runs on an AC circuit. Your phone and data lines, for example, are different types of circuits that can and will blow out from TVS.

How expensive do you think it will be to lose your computer, all of your data, your television and stereo, and possibly your AC system all on the same bad day?

What type of surge suppressors do you recommend then?
Commercial, specification grade surge suppressors are the most reliable protection for your home. Many different types and sizes exist to protect the many types of circuits that constitute the entirety of your home electrical network. Our work as electrical engineers consists of matching the most appropriate suppressor to a specific circuit type, power load, or device type to ensure maximum protection. This layering of multiple device types is called whole house surge suppression and is an electrical design specialist of Illuminations Lighting and Design.

Contact Illuminations Lighting Design (713) 863-1133 and schedule an onsite evaluation of how to best protect your home and electronics investments.

Houston Art Lighting Installation

2009-08-14T14:36:00.004-05:00

To get superior results when lighting your art collection, we recommend you obtain your art lighting fixtures and art lighting design services from ILD. The type of equipment we provide is high-end, sensitive, and requires considerable technical and design expertise to select, install, and maintain the appropriate high quality art lighting fixtures.

Our first priority is to make sure that your artwork lighting fixtures are performing at optimal levels. We have seen, in many cases that the integrity of some lamps will gradually deteriorate and depreciate. On MR16 lamps, for instance, this degradation causes color to shift either to the red or green end of the spectrum. People typically do not notice this shift, because the change is so subtle and gradual that their eyes adjusted to the change daily without ever consciously being aware of the deterioration. It is for this reason that we recommend you have a trained professional periodically examine your artwork lighting and test your equipment for this deterioration and upgrade to a better, more efficient replacement when necessary.

Many times as well, we run across clients who have installed high voltage art lighting fixtures. This is often done by people who purchase retail-grade equipment themselves and hire an electrician to install it. The problem with high voltage equipment is that it does not have the same lamp selection as line voltage fixtures use for fine art lighting applications. Low voltage lights generally have better beam control, far less UV radiation, and consume much less power than high voltage equivalents.

If you upgrade now, you will start saving you money on electrical costs in two respects. Cooling costs will be lower if the room temperature remains at a lower constant. Power bills will also decrease because there is less electricity consumed by the lamps themselves.

Low voltage recessed art lighting equipment has become so effective that manufacturers now make a plethora of art lighting fixtures in low voltage models. Everything from optical framing projectors, eyeball fixtures, recessed art lights, pinhole lights, and even track lights can now be obtained in low voltage models. We advise that if you are using any high voltage lights that you upgrade now to more current, more energy efficient low-voltage fixtures. You will both recover your investment through power cost savings, and you will be able to light your paintings for longer periods of time without fear of heat buildup. For those with track lights, you can even upgrade the fixtures without having to replace the track itself.

Because so many of the systems we service have been not really been strategically designed, but instead piece mealed over time, it is not unusual for us to encounter a mixture of specification grade and retail grade art lighting fixtures in a single room. As a professional lighting design firm that maintains a relationship with art lighting manufacturers, we are always happy to help our clients select and replace inferior grade products with high-end upgrades. This saves corporate art consultants and art curators a tremendous amount of money in cumulative replacement costs. Specification grade fixtures usually feature a longer lamp life and a more predictable performance curve. By upgrading the entire system now, you will only spend money in the form of a onetime purchase. Over time, you will get money back through the savings you accumulate by minimizing constant equipment replacements.

We always save our clients money by giving them as much direct control as possible over their picture lighting fixtures by installing lighting control systems. Lighting control can be placed completely in the hands of the end user and combined with other light sources in the building to create scenes and added convenience. ILD represents a number of home automation control manufacturers whose advanced, whole house lighting control technologies will allow you to set any light level you wish for both groups of lights and individual lights. This creates a multiplicity of luminance layers and effects.

Both specification grade art lighting fixtures and advanced technical services are much more affordable when managed under an interior lighting maintenance service agreement. Both curators and private art collectors can depend on receiving all of the above benefits more consistently and at better labor rates with a marginal investment in consistent, periodic visits by an Illuminations art lighting designer.

ILD is a premier fine art lighting company in Houston Texas. We have worked for and lighted some of the world’s most prestigious public and private art collections including works from renowned artists such as Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Rockwell, Salvador Dali and Rembrandt. By calling upon the most innovative artwork lighting techniques in the world, you can rest assured that your treasured pieces will shine as brightly as the artist’s true vision. Visit our testimonials page for customer feedback.

Simply stated, our staff is Illuminations Lighting Design's greatest asset. We are fortunate as an electrical contractor to have built such a highly skilled workforce of craftsmen and mechanics who enjoy what they do. Working with integrity and efficiency, they will treat your home with respect while ensuring the job gets done right. Their pride, persistence, quality and determination are the hallmark of Illuminations Lighting Design's tradition.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and lighting design in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

You can reach us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133.

Art Lights & Lighting Art

2009-08-14T12:18:00.005-05:00

Lighting for paintings is best accomplished using commercial grade equipment engineered just for the purpose of illuminating galleries and private collections. Retail fixtures, even if labeled as art lighting fixtures, typically feature shorter lamp life, less adjustability, and less advanced optics. Specification grade fixtures have consistently been shown to offer much better results when lighting art, and they save the collector money with more energy efficiency and minimized replacements.

With few exceptions, recessed low voltage lighting fixtures are the best luminaires for lighting art. This is because they tend to produce considerably less heat than high voltage equivalents and consequently save money on cooling costs. They are also safer for the artwork itself, some of which can be damaged very easily if overheated.

In fact, much of this heat is invisible, falling in the infrared portion of the spectrum. Though unseen, it can still damage painting by dehydrating oils. Ultraviolet light does this on an even more severe level, and it can damage the canvas itself. To protect color and canvas integrity, recessed art lighting fixtures are engineered with technology that block these wavelengths and allows only visible light to reach the art.

Within these simple guidelines, then—low-voltage, specification grade quality, and filtered lamps—there remains a huge realm of choice available to the collector in terms of fixture intensity, type, positioning, and end user adjustability. So many options exist, in fact, that lighting art has now become a form of design unto itself. Lighting control technology adds even more value to this aesthetic by placing a great deal of adjustability control directly into the hands of the collector or curator. Dimmers, wall boxes, and hand-held remotes allow the private individual to fine tune modern art lighting levels both on a system wide and individual fixture level.

This allows you to set different levels lighting and to layer them one on top of the other. Such layering places a special emphasis on any collection, making it appear almost removed from time and space. To achieve this multidimensional effect, of course, we have to install more than just one type of art light to accomplish our goals. A myriad of architectural custom lighting luminaires dedicated exclusively to the task of lighting art and statuary exists that we can use to build a custom lighting array for any private or professional collection.

Framing projectors are the most unique and fascinating type of art lighting device invented to date in residential art design. The most notable brands will project an invisible beam of light onto a canvas or sculpture that will then suddenly transfigure the piece as if from within. While you cannot light an entire gallery with projectors they are nonetheless essential keys to creating the most splendid effects and showcasing the most important works.

Other art and house lighting fixtures like recessed low voltage halogens, slotted apertures, pinhole lights, and eyeball lights are all basically circles in the ceiling that create variable effects based on aperture shape and size, angle of incidence, and mounted positioning. Art collections look best when illuminated by an customized array of several different fixture types installed specifically for a particular collection or type of collection.

To achieve this blend of feeling and hard science, we recommend you call us and let us help you create such a system for lighting your art and show you how to plan lighting. Both as a design-build company can both plan and install the equipment, and as a art lighting consultant with a preferred electrical installation vendor, we have delivered consistent value to art collectors and galleries throughout the nation since 1980.

ILD is a premier fine art lighting company in Texas. We have worked for and lighted some of the world’s most prestigious public and private art collections including works from renowned artists such as Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Rockwell, Salvador Dali and Rembrandt. By calling upon the most innovative artwork lighting techniques in the world, you can rest assured that your treasured pieces will shine as brightly as the artist’s true vision. Visit our testimonials page for customer feedback.

Simply stated, our staff is Illuminations Lighting Design's greatest asset. We are fortunate as an electrical contractor to have built such a highly skilled workforce of craftsmen and mechanics who enjoy what they do. Working with integrity and efficiency, they will treat your home with respect while ensuring the job gets done right. Their pride, persistence, quality and determination are the hallmark of Illuminations Lighting Design's tradition.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and lighting design in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Art Lights & Lighting Art Galleries

2009-08-10T16:35:00.003-05:00

Art gallery lighting should be low voltage when at all possible. Low voltage recessed art light fixtures use less power than high voltage equivalents and can save a gallery a small fortune in power costs. Low voltage fixtures exist in many forms, giving the curator a complete freedom of choice in selecting what will work best for particular showings and art types. Low voltage framing projectors, recessed ceiling lights, track lights, pinhole lights, and eyeball lights are becoming increasingly common for corporate art consultants, interior designers and architects.

It is also very important that the equipment feature commercial, specification grade quality. In most instances, such equipment can only be sourced through a professional art lighting firm such as ILD. General specification equipment, which many freelance electricians or end users can buy through retail channels, is less reliable and often features a shorter lamp life which will compound replacement costs. Commercial grade lamps are far more likely to fulfill their predicted lifespan and typically have a much better manufacturer warranty in the unlikely event they do not.

Something else that curators should always be mindful of is the amount of heat produced in art gallery lighting. Without an initial investment in the very best equipment, it is unlikely that less expensive fixtures are going to satisfactorily perform in a high-end setting. This goes back to what we just discussed in reference to commercial grade quality and how you plan lighting. The more reputable and established lighting manufacturers are making it a priority to engineer equipment with technology that dissipates as much forward throw heat as possible. Not only does this better protect rare art against damage; it also helps keep the building cooler and contributes to lower HVAC operating costs.

Along similar lines, lighting for paintings should also be manufactured with advanced filtration mechanisms that block ultraviolet and infrared radiation. These are two very dangerous wavelengths of light that no gallery can afford to allow near any painting—especially historical or rare pieces. Canvases will dry and colors will fade in a relatively short period of time unless UV and IR radiation are blocked completely. In order to accomplish this, fixtures must be manufactured with reliable filtration mechanisms that block these frequencies and ensure that only visible wavelengths reach the canvas.

All this being said, we have to also take into consideration most art galleries are lighting a wide variety of painting sizes, photography, and sculpture. Any given showing will more than likely group various pieces according to artist, historical period, culture, or genre, but beyond this, there is a great diversity in individual works. Sometimes more eclectic showings will feature a mixture of art types that bring even more diversity and subjectivity to the display and interior lighting design. Gallery lighting in either instance must consist of a diversity of fixture types, luminance intensity, and fixture mount positioning in order to appropriately illuminate both individual works and provide enough general lighting in the room for viewer comfort.

If you are interested in a fine art lighting system or art gallery lighting, we invite you contact us at 713-863-1133 or us our online request design consultation form.

Since 1980, Illuminations Lighting Deign has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Residential Power Surge Protectors

2009-07-16T16:01:00.004-05:00

Residential power surge protectors offer the best buffer against transient power surges that can quickly destroy appliances, light fixtures, and expensive electronics in the home. Transient power surge is the biggest enemy of any device that operates off a printed circuit board. While the dangers of such an electrical spike are obvious to anyone who has witnessed the power of lighting and lived through a subsequent power outage, few people are aware of just how extensive the damage to their home wiring and appliances can result from such a power spike. Things that people would normally not consider to be vulnerable to power surges from emergency power generators and utility poles can be destroyed in an instant, and without warning.

This is because technology has evolved to such a level of sophistication over the years that all appliances are now manufactured with printed circuit boards. These circuit boards better regulate electrical usage, extending the lifespan of the appliance and reducing energy usage in the process. However, these are very sensitive pieces of equipment at the same time. A transient power surge can quickly destroy the circuit panel in any home appliance and render the device permanently inoperable.

When we consider as well that many lighting control systems, such as Lutron wall box dimmer controls, are also built with circuit panels, we see that even more havoc can be wrecked in a home by a single lightning strike. Lighting does not have to strike the home itself, either. It only needs to hit a nearby transformer to send an overload directly into the house. A residential power surge protector is the only safeguard against the catastrophic failure that inevitably results.

Protecting your residence and home automation equipment has become increasingly complex over the past 30 years. It takes a trained, experienced expert to calculate the size and placement of the surge protector. Size in the electrical world has nothing to do with physical dimensions. Instead, it has to do with the ratio of power delivered to the home factored by the number of electrical devices drawing power from the electrical service panels. This equation, as simple as it seems, becomes much more complex when dedicated circuits are added as variables. Many high-end electronic systems, such as plasma TVs, computers, stereos, and home theaters all require their own dedicated circuit to operate.

Residential power surge protectors installed by ILD consistently block spikes of up to 300,000 amps. While there are no absolute safeguards against the raw powers of Nature, these commercial grade units represent your best bet in protecting your investment in Houston home theaters, home appliances and electronics. Furthermore, they take up far less space than retail units, because even though they are far more powerful, they are 50 percent the size and therefore much easier for our team to install.

If you are interested in a standby electrical generator or a whole house surge protection system, we invite you contact us at 713-863-1133 or us our online request design consultation form.

Since 1980, Illuminations has grown to include a team of over 50 talented and dedicated employees. Specialty divisions have been created to focus on such disciplines as lighting design, electrical contracting, landscape lighting and home automation. Having specialists in each of these disciplines, while remaining true to the mission of offering home owners the "complete picture" of lighting design, is key to continued success at Illuminations Lighting.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Houston Indoor Lighting Maintenance

2009-07-15T08:34:00.003-05:00

Indoor residential lighting maintenance involves periodic quality checks to ensure against degradation of quality. All lamp bulbs have a lamp life, and many begin to diminish in color rendering capability and lumens output as they approach the end of their life span. For example, low-voltage Mr16 lights used in most residential lighting plans feature dichroic reflectors designed to draw infrared and heat backward. This creates a cool-burning light source that is ideal for fine art lighting. As these fixtures age, though, the dichroic reflectors degrade and shift color to red or green. You might not notice this yourself because this shift occurs gradually and incrementally. Your eyes will adjust to these increments and often fool you into thinking that the lights are operating normally. If lighting professionals check these lights under your residential lighting maintenance agreement, they can quickly spot the discrepancy and replace the fixtures under the cost-effective rate specified in your agreement.

Another optional service you can invoke under a residential lighting maintenance contract is upgrade services. There are probably fixtures in every room that can be upgraded from high-voltage lamps to low-voltage lamps. This will immediately result in lower electrical costs and less frequent replacements. Our professionals will also take the time to inspect previously installed low voltage lighting fixtures to make certain that they are working up to specification. Any adjustments that need to be made will be made during each lighting maintenance service visit, and any problems we discover will be itemized for your review. Our professionals have been trained to not only point out trouble spots, but also to recommend replacements and alternatives that will last longer, produce a higher quality of light, and cost less power to operate.

Home decorative lighting and recessed lighting fixtures are thoroughly inspected every time our team visits your home. Major fixtures such as chandeliers have a plethora of lamps in them that can and will individually burn out. Homeowners who relamp these fixtures often inadvertently purchase the wrong replacement bulbs. Every light fixture has a label that says you cannot exceed the wattage. However, this label often may be overlooked, misinterpreted, or the label on the replacement bulb may appear confusing to the consumer. Self-relamping with the wrong wattage, of course, is probably not going to hurt your fixture, but it will hurt the quality of your lighting. Our team will check all the lamps in each major fixture under your residential lighting maintenance plan, making sure in the process that each one is consistently lamp with no wattage variance. We also check to make sure that everything is working up to safe operating specifications and aesthetic expectations. Consistency is king when it comes to low voltage recessed lighting fixtures, because being the energy consumers they are, no additional problems should be allowed to abide unchecked that could cost the homeowner a great deal of money down the line if things get out of hand.

Read more about our maintenance agreements for residential indoor lighting design, outdoor landscape lighting, and Houston home repairs in our article database. Call 713-863-1133 to speak to a lighting professional about a service agreement customized specifically to your residence and lighting requirements.

Illuminations Lighting Design is a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial indoor lighting and outdoor lighting, electrical service and maintenance as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

Houston Exterior Lighting Contractors

2009-07-09T16:35:00.004-05:00

Building facades, home exteriors, driveways, exterior buildings, and exceptional landscape features are just a few of the things that our expert team of exterior lighting contractors can bring to life in an entirely new and multi-dimensional manner.

The entrance to any property is the equivalent of a first impression when meeting a new person. It sets the tone for the experiences and events that one can expect on any particular premises. Hotel facades and country clubs are two examples of properties that require exceptional attention from professional exterior lighting contractors. Hotels and restaurants are almost always found in groups, and competition for guests is fierce. Illuminations can assist hotel and restaurant clients by magnifying keynote architectural features and developing an aesthetic presentation that mirrors the unique atmosphere and exceptional service offerings of the establishment.

This same principle applies to outdoor community lighting of streets and driveways for large custom homes and exclusive country clubs. Exceptionally high-end properties of this nature are highly individualized and require the assistance of exterior lighting contractors who know how to isolate and magnify the most distinguishing natural and architectural elements of the edifice and literally put its best face forward to the nighttime world.

As important as exterior lighting is to the entrance and facade of any building, it is really only the beginning of planning outdoor landscape lighting. The goal of the professional design contractor is to create an outdoor living experience that rivals the quality of indoor living. One very powerful way to do this is to enhance commercial and residential properties with outdoor tree lights. Mercury vapor lamps are concealed using proprietary, tree-friendly installation techniques that create a type of illumination that very closely resembles moonlight. This adds a vertical element to landscape lighting by making the tree canopy visible at night, and it adds mystique and ambiance to pathways and seating areas.

Another way to add vertical presence to exterior lighting is to install special building lights on offices, hotels, restaurants, club houses, and private homes. ILD contractors first examine the distinguishing features of the building first in order to determine what makes it unique in comparison to nearby structures. Our cross-training in outside tree lighting, architecture and building techniques enables us to quickly spot these points of differentiation and bring them to the forefront of viewer awareness. Landscapes on commercial lighting projects are similarly studied to see which natural forms are distinctive and deserving of special attention. Water elements such as ponds, fountains, and pools are given priority attention because of the many effects that lighting and water create when they synergistically combine forces.

For over 25 years, exterior landscape lighting contractors from ILD have added value to both commercial and residential properties by magnifying key elements essential to real estate value and the epitome of the luxury outdoor human living experience.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for interior lighting design, commercial lighting and resort lighting. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and lighting design in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Standby Residential Generator Installation

2009-06-30T17:31:00.001-05:00

There are two types of residential generators: portable and standby (also known as stationary.) During Hurricane Ike last year, many Houstonians attempted to power their essential home systems using portable units bought in retail stores. Some of these homeowners ran into difficulty with gasoline shortages, the dangers of carbon monoxide, and the inability of smaller generators to handle more than a few home appliances.

Portable units sold in stores are typically only 5600W. This is only enough electricity to power certain appliances. They cannot power the entire home, and it is not a good idea to attempt to overload them. Gasoline also burns out more quickly than other fuel sources and produces carbon monoxide. However, if you already own a portable residential generator, ILD will still be happy to make sure it is set up correctly and that it has not been overloaded with too many appliances tied to an extension cord by installing new home wiring specific for emergency power.

We recommend that you have a home standby electrical generator installed in your home. If you invest in a commercial-grade unit, you can count on having enough power to effectively power your entire home in the event of a power failure. Fuel options are much more diverse with stationary units. Models can be installed that run on natural gas, propane, or diesel. Diesel burns much longer than gasoline and tends to be more readily available during storm season. Natural gas and propane can usually be found in even greater supplies in the event of a major tropical storm or hurricane. However, you should never attempt to install a residential standby generator yourself. Such a task requires a licensed electrical remodeling contractor due to the complexities of wiring and the nature of electricity itself.

We recommend that you contact Illuminations Lighting and Design and let us install a residential standby generator for you. We have a number of commercial grade models available, and we will install a model that is best suited to your individual residence. We determine this match by first examining your electrical circuit panel and making sure that they do not have faulty wiring. We check all the major circuits that run to your major home systems to ensure that they are not overloaded. If we find a defect, we will either implement a provisional wiring scheme to route power to major home systems such as the AC, home automation system, and security system in the event of an emergency. It is important to do this first to avoid overloading your circuit panel in the event that power fails, and your residential standby generator goes into operation.
If necessary, we will also install dedicated circuits to essential home appliances such as your television and your computer. This way, you will be able to operate your communications and media devices for the duration of the crisis. With a commercial grade residential standby generator, we can deliver specific power loads to each system and appliance without the risk of overloading the panel or blowing a fuse.

This way, provided your home is secure enough to weather a storm like Alicia or Ike, you have can be assured of uninterrupted, safe power throughout the time of the emergency. Having the assurance that your home has an advanced electrical system with a whole house surge protection in the time of a national emergency is equivalent in value to a home insurance policy. It is an indemnity of your family’s safety, peace of mind, and personal lifestyle.

We invite you to contact us toll free 800-863-1184 to learn more about our Houston home construction or our lighting blog which is full of helpful Houston Texas lighting information.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and house lighting plans in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Illuminations Lighting Design Testimonials

2009-05-15T15:28:00.004-05:00

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

Here is a sampling of what customers are saying about Illuminations Lighting Design in Houston Texas:

I just wanted to let you know that they I have worked with several other electrical contracting service companies that could not identify my lighting problem and correct it. On the first trip your crew was so polite and wonderful to work with and they came prepared and corrected the problem with my low voltage lighting system. You now have a "New Customer" for life. It is so nice to have my lighting back!
Suzanne Coppala
Houston, Texas

It is unbelievable the difference the new lighting made in our backyard. The lights in the trees create the perfect glow for the patio and the lights on the sculpture/artwork accent them in ways which allow you to see how truly beautiful they are. The lighting design consultant knew exactly what we needed within minutes. And, he was honest in his assessment. He also recommended gas lanterns which they don't even sell, but he knew they would look spectacular. He was right. And, their service for installation was prompt and worry-free.
Steve Weingarten
Houston, Texas

Thank you for all of your hard work and your efforts to accommodate us. We love the new art lighting. It enhances our art work just as we wanted it to. We enjoy sitting in our living room just looking at it! We could not be happier.
Leesa Reece
Houston, Texas

It is really great working with you and the electricians at Illuminations Lighting Design. General contracting is a tough business and things happen, but you guys are really good at keeping things going during the peaks and the valleys. On remodeling projects or wiring new homes you guys are the best!
Temple Pace
Houston, Texas

We have really enjoyed our lighting design and home automation system that you guys installed last year. When we had a problem your technicians arrived and knew exactly how to troubleshoot the problem with our home theater. It is nice to know that Illuminations Lighting Design is there every time when we need them!
Paul Burney
Woodlands, Texas

We are a full service design build firm specializing in residential and commercial lighting, outdoor lighting, electrical service, fine art lighting as well as home automation, home theaters, emergency generators, surge protection systems, phone systems and lighting control systems.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and design services in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

Commercial Outdoor Community Lighting

2009-04-09T15:40:00.004-05:00

How can we upgrade our building lights from older equipment to newer technology without having to remodel our exteriors?

Commercial communities can be upgraded with a number of commercial outdoor lighting fixture types that do not involve renovating buildings. If you have covered walkways between your buildings, a great way to provide lighting for safety and security is fluorescent canopy lighting. These fixtures have considerable lamp life and are very energy efficient. Canopy lighting can make your entire campus look full of light simply by illuminating spaces between buildings that would otherwise remain in the dark. The electrical work requires no reconstruction work on your part and can be done very easily by our electrical services team.

Similar to canopy lights, but mounted in a much different manner, are wall pack units. You probably already have some sort of wall-mounted fixtures affixed to the sides of your buildings. If these units are several years old, chances are they contain incandescent lamps that are costing you more money than you think both in terms of replacement costs and power consumption. Incandescents are also environmentally unfriendly, and they will all inevitably have to be replaced at some point in the future. Fluorescent fixtures are again the most cost effective equipment purchases for commercial lighting projects you can invest in, and they are also very good power savers.

For interior lighting design, there are countless retrofit options for everything from hallways to conference rooms and storage areas that we can cost effectively install within your office space. It is best to schedule a free on site with us to discuss these options so we can recommend the best possible retrofits without having to remodel your interior.

How much light do I need for security?

The intention of security lighting is to light only the buildings and ground without light spilling into neighboring businesses and homes. This alone can differentiate your commercial community with lighting, because more than likely you will be the first on your block to be proactive about dark sky friendly technology. In order to do this, it is necessary that you take the time to have a photometric lighting calculation made of your property. This will help us to determine how much lighting will be needed around areas such as buildings, public areas, walkways, and landscape features. Trying to light your commercial community without a photometric analysis is literally taking a shot at lighting in the dark. Most building owners get talked into over-lighting their premises, thinking brighter is better. The reality of lighting is very different. Typically speaking, a shadow-free environment that provides enough comfortable lighting for walking through the grounds is really all you need for security. The belief that blinding lights are the only lights effective in deterring crime is a myth. If cameras, guards, and law enforcement can simply see what is going on in your commercial community, then potential trespassers will be discouraged simply because they can clearly see they have no place to hide.

I need my property to look decorative as well as safe. Will it not cost a small fortune to invest in decorative fixtures?

It does not have to. Home security lights can be many things. Bollards installed in common areas can be a great way to illuminate large, open green spaces. Decorative bollards can be purchased from us in all shapes and sizes. Most of them are low-voltage fluorescent luminaires that use negligible amounts of power.

If you have fountain or pond, we can install energy efficient, or even LED lights, in and around the water. If installed professionally, lights around water features can appear magnified by the refractive qualities of water itself. This is another excellent way to illuminate commercial apartment community landscapes with very low-voltage, power saving lights.

Do you have energy efficient floodlights that can provide perimeter lighting at low costs?

Yes. Please give us a call to talk about some new technologies that can not only operate flood lights at a lower wattage with higher light output, but also better target the light toward only desired areas so that spill light beyond your property line is eliminated. Also, motion control sensor technology as well as integration with other security systems can automate your floodlights. Again, these are custom configurations which we can better address with an onsite consultation from an outdoor lighting contractor.

Illuminations Lighting Design is the only “One Stop” destination for lighting design, engineering, landscape lighting services and installation in the state of Texas, and remains unrivaled by any lighting firm in the United States for lighting that is art. As homes grow larger and needs become more complex, having a single resource provides home owners with peace of mind. This translates into a smoother process, reduced costs and a better product.

We are located in Houston Texas but provide lighting and lighting design in Austin TX, El Paso Texas, San Antonio TX, College Station Texas, Beaumont TX, Dallas Texas, Midland Tx and points beyond.

You can reach us toll free at 800-863-1184 or locally at 713-863-1133.