Starting home improvement projects is a great way to get your mind off current events. What's your lighting situation outdoors? There are many purposes for outdoor home lighting, including improved security, adding curb appeal, and simply bettering your and your family's moods and lives.
Hanging lights can be pretty, but they have some serious downsides. It's easier to damage them, easier to bump your head on them, and if there are any weak points in the wiring, they can be an electrical hazard. Soffit recessed lighting is hidden by nature, so it eliminates those factors.
Take a look at these enhancement strategies to help you get the most beauty and function out of exterior soffit lighting.
Choosing Bulbs for Soffit Recessed Lighting
You can have the best-constructed soffit outdoor lighting on your block and still not live up to your neighbors' curb appeal. It might seem unfair, but the truth is that there are a lot of serious factors to consider when choosing lightbulbs.
Color temperature, measured in Kelvin degrees, affects the appearance and function of your lighting. If you want mood lighting that's easy on the eyes, you should look at warmer bulbs. For the clearest possible lighting, something like a daylight bulb produces better effects.
If you're not familiar with the debate over LED, CFL, and incandescent lightbulbs, you have some catching up to do. Each kind of bulb has a different environmental impact, a different lifespan, and a different look.
There's no one right choice, no matter what you might have heard. It's up to you to decide what outdoor soffit lighting ideas work best for you and to choose bulbs to match them.
Should You Go Bright or Dim?
Many homeowners choose bright outdoor lighting for maximum visibility. It's true that bright lighting is the most useful for things like seeing who's at your door, scaring away animals, and catching would-be criminals before they can cause harm.
However, when you're relaxing on your porch, you're probably not so keen to sit under the harsh glare of floodlights and other intense bulbs. This is a porch we're talking about, not an interrogation room! Bright lights don't always look great from the curb, either.
The easiest way to fix this problem is with dimmable bulbs and a dimming switch. This mood-enhancing light technique isn't just for the indoors! If you spend any time on your porch, this addition to your soffit lights is the way to go.
Get the Most From Your Home
Now that you know how to maximize the look and function of soffit recessed lighting, push the rest of your home to the same standard. Projects like enhancing gutters, lighting, soffit, and other aspects of your house exterior are great places to start.
Luckily, we have everything you need to get started on these fulfilling projects and more. Check out other articles on our blog to learn more about soffit. You may be surprised to learn how much working with it improves your home and life!
