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.
Labels: Home Remodeling Houston, Home Surge Protection, Houston Emergency Backup Generators, Houston Residential Specialty Contractors, Independant Electrical Contractor, Transient Surge Protection Systems
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.
Labels: Houston Lutron RadioRa2, Motorized Window Shades Houston, Radio Ra Wireless Lighting System, Retrofitting Lutron RadioRA, Wireless Dimmer Controls
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.
Labels: Art Lighting Consultants, Art of Light, Commercial Art Lighting, Fine Art Light Installers, Fine Art Lighting Company Texas, Houston Residential Specialty Contractors
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.
Labels: Christmas Lights Houston, Electrical Lighting Services Company, Houston Holiday Lighting, Houston Indoor Lighting Maintenance, Houston Outdoor Lighting Maintenance, Seasonal Lighting Company
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 ControlsHome 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. Labels: Holiday Lighting Packages, Houston Christmas Lighting Installation, Houston Holiday Lighting, Houston Residential Electrical Contractors, Seasonal Lighting Houston
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. Labels: Art Lighting Consultants, Artwork Lighting Experts, Houston Art Lighting, Houston Fine Art Lighting Experts, Lighting For Paintings
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.
Labels: Art Lighting Consultants, Home Lighting Services Houston, Houston Texas Lighting Designers, ILD Lighting Testimonials, Professional Lighting Designers Houston
