Using Low Voltage Cable Lighting - Indoors and Outdoors

Low voltage cable lighting is perhaps the wave of the future. As long as energy prices continue to rise one can expect that low voltage lighting will continue to gain in popularity.

Because of the stylish features and efficiency in cable lighting as a whole, it only makes sense that more and more homes incorporate it in every possible environment.

There are a number of great uses for low voltage cable lighting indoors and outdoors on the deck or patio. When used indoors, this type of lighting is best used in larger rooms that need to be illuminated by multiple lights. Larger family rooms or even basement rooms are good candidates for cable lighting of the low voltage variety.

If you want to be economical, you can always use smaller low voltage cable lighting in places like bathrooms as well because the longer a low voltage light is on, the more money it saves relative to the regular incandescent light bulb. It not only saves you money, though, it uses less overall energy. As more and more families try to go green, this type of light is getting increasingly popular.

Outdoors is quite a different matter because you are dealing with mostly wide-open spaces, usually without roofs. While any lighting that you install is going to be of a low lighting efficiency anyway because of the fact that most of the light will dissipate outwards into the environment, choosing low voltage may help you in your overall quest for energy efficiency.

The difficult part of this equation, though, is the way cable lights are designed. Because the cables are supposed to vanish, making the light seem like it is floating, you have to have the right supports for the cable attachments. Luckily, lots of the lighting manufacturers are creating products specifically designed for outdoor spaces where supports for the cables are a bit more random.

Before you install a cable lighting system, think carefully about the layout as well as how much overhead space you have for lighting. Keep in mind that the cables can (in most cases) extend for nearly twenty feet, but before you can order the right size, measurements are necessary.

Understand whether or not your cables will need to make any turns in the space you have to work with before you place an order. A careful conversation with your dealer will get you the low voltage cable lighting of your dreams.

For more details on lighting your deck and patio, please read these articles:

• What to consider when you are planning on installing a low voltage lighting system.
• How to install outdoor low-voltage lights

Tell a Friend About this Page

More Articles...