Under Cabinet Lighting How To

By Jennifer Akre

Under cabinet lighting is a great way to brighten up any kitchen. A set of recessed lighting can liven up and show off your countertops. It used to be a major undertaking to try and install under cabinet lighting but luckily there are kits available now that make it a snap. There are a few ways to do the job so read on for a few under cabinet lighting how too tips.

When choosing under cabinet lighting you have a few options available. You can go with either a small direct spot light or full length recessed fluorescent tubes. Both offer an attractive look to accent the kitchen. It just boils down to personal choice.

For the sake of simplicity let's look at installing a set of lights that doesn't need to be hardwired back to your main circuit panel.

The first step is to head down to the hardware store and pick out an under cabinet lighting kit. Once you've picked out the right light for your kitchen, installation is a breeze.

Measure the entire length of your cabinets. This will determine how many lights you need. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 spot light every 18 inches.

Start the first light far enough from the end of the cabinets to allow for equal spacing of all the lights.

Use a few small finish nails to tack the lights to the bottom of the cabinets. Make sure the nail is short enough that it won't protrude completely through the bottom of the cabinet.

Continue tacking lights up until you reach the end of the string.

Place an inline splice into the under cabinet lighting wiring as close as possible to an electrical outlet. The cabinet lighting kit should have this included in it.

Now splice the power switch to the lighting into this wire. Cut off any excess line and connect up an electrical plug to the end of the wire.

Next use a staple gun to staple up the wiring. Be careful to center the wire in the staple to avoid cutting into the wire. If the wire is too long to lay flush in a straight line between the lights you can snake it along the underside of the cabinet. Since the wires and lights are hidden it doesn't matter how the wiring is run, you can't see it.

The final step is to finish work on the lights. Working down the light string, pop bulbs into the sockets making sure they're tight. After all the lights are installed simply snap on the decorative covers and that's it, you're done!

Plug in the lights and flick the switch. Stick your head under the counter to make sure that all the lights come on.

These few under cabinet lighting how too tricks can help simplify the installation of a new kitchen lighting system. There are plenty of options available, all you need to do is spend a little time looking for just the right one that works for your kitchen.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops including that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it is cabinet hardware for your bathroom or kitchen cabinet hardware for your kitchen there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Click today and indulge your senses.

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