Wednesday, March 6th, 2013
by Littman Bros Lighting
Ceiling fans are not only a very practical addition to the home but they also provide a stylish supplement for both your indoor and outdoor areas. When it comes to finding a ceiling fan for an area of your home that is damp rated or outdoors, like an outdoor covered section or porch, you must remember to look for a fan that is “UL Listed for Damp Locations” or “UL Listed for Wet Locations.”
Both types of ratings are designed to be exposed to the elements without any kind of risk of electrical damage or danger, designed specifically to endure environmental stresses like moisture, heat or rain. It is important to remember that if your ceiling fan will be exposed directly to any kind of rain or wetness, it should be a wet location fan. A damp location fan can be installed in areas like a screened in porch or sunroom, a wide porch where rain cannot get in, any area that is completely covered where rain cannot reach as well as bathrooms with a tub or shower.
All Modern Fan Company ceiling fans are rated and marked as “Suitable for Damp Location” – Modern Fan Company offers a variety of fan designs in more contemporary styles that are durable for your outdoor or damp location indoor areas of the home.
According to modernfanco.com, always consider the environmental factors when selecting you fan because they say that although you can anticipate your fan to have sound performance for years to come in damp locations, “the degree to which the appearance of a fan may be impacted by the environment will vary widely.”
Modern Fan Company is a company that provides customers with contemporary designs that are “both technically and artfully appealing” and are very modern, so if you are looking for a more classic design for your ceiling fan, Minka Aire Ceiling Fans also have a selection of damp location fans that range from contemporary to traditional.
A fun way to go with ceiling fan design with Minka Aire is a more tropical fashion for the outdoors, like the Gauguin fan with lavish Bahama beige blades or the Shangri-La collection of fans.
Emerson Ceiling Fans is another brand that brings functionality and style to the table with their wide selection of damp location and wet location fans. Try the Summer Night series of outdoor area fans, which are designed specifically for “any outdoor area where you need to create a breeze but don’t want to worry about the elements.” They are weather-resistant and great for covered porches, decks or patios, according to emersonfans.com.
Thursday, August 2nd, 2012
by Benson Littman
Dark Sky regulated fixtures are essentially alternatives to the standard lighting systems in order to preserve the night sky; numerous parts of the country have created a legislation to put a stop to light pollution. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) was created about 20 years ago as a nonprofit organization devoted to preserve the night.
According to darksky.org, this association’s mission “is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.”
Among all of IDAs accomplishments, it is the Fixture Seal of Approval program (FSA) that began examining the various solutions to making outdoor lighting more friendly for the night sky. The Dark Sky regulated fixtures reduces glare and light interference as well as reduces sky glow in order to further prevent light pollution.
These reductions are thanks to communities using less outdoor lighting, aiming lights downward, accurately hanging outdoor fixtures and using IDA-Approved products; according to darksky.org, hundreds of products and dozens of manufacturers have been approved under the FSA program.
Properly installed outdoor lighting can also save money, energy as well as benefit the environment.
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012
by Littman Bros Lighting
Maxim’s “Spot-Light of the Month” is shining a light on the quality, outdoor mission style that is the Santa Barbara Collection. Maxim’s Santa Barbara Collection features outdoor wall sconces, flush mounts, post lights and hanging lanterns to display a shining brilliance outside your home.
This month’s highlighted collection is made with an ultra-durable material called Vivex, which has twice the strength of resin, is non-corrosive and UV resistant with a 3 year warranty, perfect for outdoor fixtures braving the elements.
According to Maxim Lighting, this collection has a “distinctive masculine quality.” They say the collection is unquestionably a mission style fixture with bold lines connecting horizontally, creating that signature pattern; the robust column of seedy glass encloses a sturdy platform displays three pillar candles that shine a clear, inviting light through the large and generous windows.
The novel shape and solids brass design truly stands out and the warm finish of the “chocolaty sienna finish makes a statement all of its own with an esthetic range of hues from deep chestnut copper highlights.”
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
by Littman Bros Lighting
There are certain criteria you should know when finding the right lighting for your home:
When hanging an outdoor wall sconce, it should measure about 1/3 the height of your door and when hanging two outdoor wall sconces, they should measure about 1/4 the height of your door.
For your foyer lighting, in order to determine what type of lighting would be best, you should make sure that the bottom of the fixture is at least 7 feet from the floor. For two-story foyers, you should make sure the ceiling fixture is seen from the outside. If your foyer is on the larger, you should add some wall sconces around the room to accent your space; wall sconces should be placed just about 60 inches from the floor and 6 to 8 feet apart.
For bathroom lighting, a vanity light is usually a minimum of 24 inches wide and the center of the fixture should be hung 75 to 80 feet above the floor. A wall sconce on either side of the mirror in your bathroom allows the light to be spread evenly throughout your space and across your face, which is important in a bathroom. The wall sconces should be hung at eye level and be about 36 to 40 inches apart.
For a set of pendants over an island, the bottoms of those fixtures should be about 30 inches from the countertop.
For chandeliers, you should measure the length and width of the room you want to hang it in, add those numbers together – the sum of those measurements, in inches, should equal the perfect sized chandelier. The bottom of your chandelier should typically be 30 to 32 inches above the tabletop.
Monday, January 16th, 2012
by Littman Bros Lighting
There is an array of different kinds of Outdoor Lighting to choose from and finding the right type and style of Outdoor Lighting for your home can sometimes be a difficult task. Here are a few pointers to make it a bit easier:
You will need to choose multiple Outdoor Lights to use outside your home; the lighted impression and strength at night is a very important factor and you will need a few different kinds lights with about 40 to 75 watts to create that sufficient lighting.
The durability of your lights is important so you should think about the typical weather conditions of your home and decide what the best to use is. Nowadays almost all Outdoor Fixtures have special coatings in order to withstand these elements so make sure that the lighting you choose is listed as “Wet Location.”
Landscape Lighting is also a very popular choice when choosing Outdoor Lighting; there are numerous types of Landscape Lighting to choose from as well and all of these can do an assortment of things for you and your home’s Outdoor Lighting.
Uplights: Call attention to features from the outside; they are placed on the ground shining up to highlight focal points in the landscape.
Downlights: Aim downward, above an area, to emulate natural light or as a type of security lighting.
Path Lights: Go along a path such as sidewalks, driveways and pathways to securely lead a person to your front or back doors.
There are also Flood Lights, In Ground Lights and Outdoor Spotlights.
When choosing the best Outdoor or Landscape Lighting it would be nice to have a blueprint of your landscape to decide the best locations to put the lights. And of course, at the end of this whole process, the most fun part is deciding the style of your outdoor lights that will truly complement your home’s architecture.
Make sure when selecting your Outdoor Lighting that you don’t forget the key places to illuminate; your home’s entryway, all outdoor stairways and passages, your deck or patio and your driveway.
This Landscape Lighting shown is from the Hinkley Nexus Collection. Hinkley Lighting has a lot of wonderful Landscape Lights and Kichler Lighting is also a great brand that has an array of Outdoor and Landscape Lighting as well.
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
by Littman Bros Lighting
LED Lights are a great replacement for incandescent or fluorescent bulbs as they consume much less energy than other light bulbs. LED stands for ‘Light-Emitting Diode,’ a semiconductor device that converts electricity to light through electrons.
Here is what you should know about LED Lights:
• They last about 5 times longer than compact fluorescent or incandescent bulbs.
• They produce nearly no heat or UV rays, which keep costs like air conditioning low.
• LED Bulbs are a great energy saving answer to your home, using up to 80% less energy than compact fluorescent or incandescent bulbs.
• LED Lights are very low maintenance and extremely durable.
Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, LED Lighting is not only environmentally sound but is a great investment – one LED Light that burns for about 8 hrs is expected to last up to 17 years before it needs changing.
More and more we are seeing lighting brands come out with indoor and Outdoor LED Lights. Hinkley Lighting is a big name in the LED Lighting industry and has made their Piza, Nexus, Atlantis and Harbor collections all LED Landscape Lighting. These LED Landscape Path Lights shown from the Hinkley Atlantis Collection is a very modern and chic style of LED Outdoor Lighting that will be extremely beneficial for you in the long run.
Monday, November 1st, 2010
by Littman Bros Lighting
Can you believe winter is almost here? With a reduction in daylight, longer nights, chilly weather and numerous holidays in loom, now is the most ideal time to purchase new lighting for your home.
If you plan on hosting a holiday gathering for Thanksgiving, Christmas or even the New Year, you have plenty of time to check out Littman Bros. selection of great lighting. Some really great lighting ideas that will help brighten and warm up your home this holiday season include our recessed lighting, light dimmers, track lighting, as well as our floor and table lamp lighting selection.
Continue Reading This Thanksgiving Harvest Your Home with New Lighting
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
by Littman Bros Lighting
It’s been a hot summer, and you’re sure to have felt the burn in your most recent electric bills. As we head into the humid days of August, we need to find ways to keep ourselves cool without running our air conditioning non-stop. One way to do this is by transitioning to energy-efficient lighting.
Compact Fluorescent vs. Incandescent
Traditional incandescent lamps work by heating a tungsten filament to a point where it gives off light. However, about 90% of this energy is lost as heat rather than emitted as visible light. In a compact fluorescent light bulb, electricity excites a gas trapped within to produce ultraviolet light, releasing only 30% of the energy in the form of heat. In addition, CFL lamps use about 1/4 of the electricity than that of incandescent bulbs. While they initially cost more than incandescent lamps, CFLs last up to 10 times longer and can save around $30 in energy costs over their lifetime. Continue Reading Cool Off This Summer With Energy-Efficient Lighting
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
by Littman Bros Lighting
As we head into the July 4th weekend, it is time to brighten up your outdoor living space. Littman Bros. Lighting is proud to offer all your outdoor lighting needs, including:
- Outdoor Wall Lighting
- Outdoor Ceiling Lighting
- Outdoor Hanging Lighting
- Outdoor Post Lighting
- Landscape Lighting
Your outdoor living space will be dramatically changed with some lighting. You can enjoy an early morning sunrise while reading the newspaper under additional lighting on deck, or enjoy a late cool evening in your backyard with additional landscape lighting. Planning a late summer party? Be sure to light it up with outdoor wall, ceiling or hanging lights. Continue Reading Shop Our Outdoor Lighting
Sunday, May 16th, 2010
by Littman Bros Lighting
Outdoor lighting enhances the beauty of your property and makes your home safer and more secure. It is an investment that pays off in the value it adds to your home. A well-lit front entrance enables you to greet guests and identify visitors.
Outdoor wall lanterns on each side of the door will give your home a warm, welcoming look, while assuring the safety of those who enter. Under a porch or other overhang, you can use a hanging outdoor light or an outdoor flush mounted light. For the safety and security of family members using the garage at night, you can install a wall fixture on the face of the garage. Steps, paths, and driveways should be illuminated to make sure family members and guests are able to move about easily and safely after dark. Continue Reading Outdoor Lighting