Installing under cabinet lighting in your kitchen has many benefits. Under cabinet lighting uses low wattage bulbs to make tasks easier and safer by providing targeted light to a specific area. Under cabinet lighting can provide two functions in your kitchen. You can provide task lighting for countertop food preparation and accent lighting to highlight your countertops and backsplash. Although the base unit is also useful in workshops, garages and bases, here we will focus on the kitchen.

Benefits of Kitchen Under Cabinet Lighting

1) Energy Efficient – ​​You can save energy by eliminating the need to light an entire room.

2) Variety of Light Bulbs – Energy saving light bulbs are most often used for under cabinet lighting fixtures. Common under cabinet light bulbs include fluorescent, halogen, LED, and xenon bulbs.

3) Eliminate Shadows – Under cabinet lighting reduces shadows created by wall cabinets and overhead lighting. Proper spacing of under cabinet lighting eliminates dark shadows under countertops. To eliminate shadows, install one light for every 20 to 30 inches of counter space.

4) Add a unique style and distinction to your kitchen: Many kitchen countertops are made of granite or marble. An under cabinet light in the kitchen can make your stone countertops shine.

5) Simple Installation – Many DIYers can install under cabinet lighting in just a few hours.

Types of under cabinet lighting: strip lights, puck lights, linear lights

Strip Lights: These are rectangular-shaped fixtures and work well with fluorescent bulbs. They are great for providing diffused light to the kitchen.

Puck Lights – These are round fixtures that got their name from their round, hockey puck-like size and appearance. These lights are best for highlighting countertops and backsplashes. Puck lights work with LED, Halogen and Xenon bulbs. Puck lights can be mounted in different positions to point downward or toward the backsplash. As an alternative, puck lights can usually be recessed into cabinets.

Line Lights – Line lights are often used with fluorescent bulbs. They are the most popular types of fluorescent under cabinet lights in the kitchen because they are slim, allowing them to be hidden behind cabinet trim.

Types of bulbs used: fluorescent, halogen, incandescent, LED and xenon.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs – These are commonly used for under cabinet lighting fixtures. They create a bright work area by providing clear light. The downside to fluorescent lights is that they cannot be dimmed and sometimes flicker.

Halogen bulbs: Homeowners looking for bright, white light choose halogen bulbs. The light emitted by a halogen bulb is warm and bright and provides a good amount of light under the cabinet. These bulbs have an extremely long life, lasting up to 2,000 hours.

Incandescent bulbs: These bulbs are the least popular under cabinet bulbs as their light is not very bright. Incandescent bulbs are not energy efficient and give off heat. They last half as long as halogen bulbs.

LED Bulbs – These bulbs are becoming a more popular choice among homeowners as they become more widely available at lighting and home improvement stores. LED bulbs are available in different colors and give homeowners the ability to create unique decorative features. LED bulbs are the best for disco lighting.

Xenon bulbs – These bulbs have the longest life of all under cabinet bulb options. They can last up to 10,000 hours. They are energy efficient as they do not generate heat.

Tips for Successful Under Cabinet Lighting

o A 12-inch light fixture or 3-disc light fixture must be installed for every 4 feet. countertop.

o Install lights toward the front of the cabinet to better highlight the surface.