Make the Most of Your Lighting Investment

Home lighting doesn’t just light your home, it helps to establish the aesthetic and mood of your home. Changing a light style or adding a new one can completely change the feeling of a room. Once you’ve found the light of your dreams, purchase it, and install it in your home, it’s time to make sure you make the most of your lighting investment. 

Home lighting styles are also typically very fragile – they’re made of glass or ceramic. Pendant lights and chandeliers are suspended from the ceiling by a thin cord, chain or metal rod and usually are made of several easily broken components. Regular attention to your fragile lights will help to ensure they provide beautiful light in your home for years to come.  

Here are some tips to help you maintain and care for both your indoor and outdoor lighting investments: 

1. Regularly clean indoor and outdoor light fixtures with a soft cloth and gentle cleaning solution to remove dust and dirt buildup. This will help to ensure your light fixtures uphold their appearance and performance over time. For some fixtures, you may need to use a ladder or an extendable cleaning tool to reach them. Be extra careful not to break or damage any of the glass when cleaning from below. 
2. Inspect your light fixtures light bulbs periodically to make sure they are properly functioning. Promptly replace burnt-out light bulbs to help maintain optimal lighting levels throughout your home. Consider installing LED bulbs in outdoor and hard-to-reach lighting fixtures; LED bulbs have a longer lifespan and are more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs, which means you won’t have to replace them as often. 
3. Routinely inspect your indoor and outdoor light fixtures for any signs of damage and wear-and-tear, like rust, loose parts or even cracks. Fixing minor damage to your light fixtures as soon as possible can help prevent larger (and potentially dangerous) problems that may require more extensive repairs or even the complete replacement of the light fixture. 
4. Consider protecting your outdoor light fixtures with a protective coating or sealant to help prevent corrosion and rust to the materials, which are naturally exposed to the outdoor elements of sun, rain, and even snow. 
5. In addition to the regular maintenance you can provide to your indoor and outdoor light fixtures, consider scheduling periodic maintenance checks by a licensed electrician, especially for your more hard-to-reach (and expensive) light fixtures. Electricians can help to identify and address potential issues, which will help to ensure the continued functionality and safety of all the lights inside and outside your home.