A guide to outdoor lighting

With the evolution of lighting technology, outdoor lighting has seen its share of breakthroughs. Outdoor lighting is as important as indoor lighting. Lighting up the spaces immediately outside or surrounding our living areas is extremely vital for visual orientation, safety while navigating, and security, as well as for balancing out the indoor ambience. The outdoor milieu prepares and provides a preview to the life and living style within the four walls. Outdoor lighting is equally important in reflecting the external persona of a structure and its surrounding area. It sets a particular mood and provides a visual treat. Outdoor lighting presents enormous scope for experimentation. It’s a virgin canvas waiting to be colored by unique lighting approaches, ideas and techniques. Outdoor lighting spaces comprise the areas surrounding the structure, pathways, swimming pools or fountains, landscape surrounding the structure, patios, balconies, decks, porches, etc. There are a variety of options on the market, including low-voltage lighting, flood lights, tree lights, post lights, lanterns, string bulbs for festive occasions, recessed lighting, scoops, pagoda-style louvered faced lights which granite finish that easily blend without door environs, and even solar lights devoid of wires and operating on NiCad batteries. Various techniques of lighting can be used in outdoor lighting. Spot lighting, which focuses light on architectural features, may be positioned to minimize glare and focus fully on the focal point. Silhouetting is placing the light sources behind the object to bring out the shape of the object rather than the exact color and texture. Key light or shadowing requires placing the light source directly in front of the object of interest to create a light and shadow effect. Moonlighting requires a fixture to be placed on the trees and aiming it down to provide a natural peaceful moonlit effect. Deck lighting, grazing (light focuses on the object at a sharp angle) and washing the surface (light focuses on objects at a wider or blunt angle), step lighting, walkway lighting, pond and fountain lighting, and sign lighting are some of the various techniques used for outdoor lighting. In outdoor lighting, a basic thing that has to be kept in mind is that the lighting fixtures are exposed to all the elements outside. In case of lighting water features, the light source is sometimes from the inside to create a magical glittering and rippling effect. Therefore, appropriate lighting fixtures and lights should be chosen. Self-lighting kits of low voltage are also available for those who wish to try out their creative lighting talents.

Ceiling cladding systems using versatile plastics

: Ceiling cladding can consist of ceiling panels that can be attached to each other flush, to create a uniform flat surface. The ceiling cladding can cover an existing ceiling for decorative or other purposes, or they can be a false ceiling at a desired height that might cover piping or cabling. A Look at Ceilings A ceiling is not a structural element but an overhead surface that can serve aesthetic, acoustic or other functions. Ceilings like those of a cathedral can give an impression of great heights. Ceilings have been the focus of much attention in historic buildings such as the Sistine Chapel. They were decorated with paintings, tiles or other kinds of finish. In dwelling houses, timber was often used to create an aesthetic ceiling. Plastic Ceiling Cladding PVC ceiling claddings offer a modern solution. These ceiling cladding can be installed comparatively easily using interlocking plastic panels that neatly fit into each other. Perimeters are finished with solutions like J edges. Plastic ceiling panels come in different colors and can provide a great look. This type of ceiling can be cleaned easily, and is also durable, unaffected by insect infestation and weather changes. PVC ceiling cladding can provide a degree of insulation and prevent condensation. The panels can be made with different kinds of PVC or other kinds of plastic such as polypropylene. Each material offers slightly different properties relating to impact strength, heat tolerance, fire resistance and durability. You can select the specific material that is suited to your needs and applicable building regulations. A Hygienic Solution Food industry regulations stipulate that premises used to produce, store or serve food must conform to certain hygiene standards. The walls and ceilings should not permit accumulation of dirt, permit condensation or shed particles beyond acceptable levels. Plastic ceiling cladding meets these criteria. Their smooth surfaces and flush joints prevent ingrained dirt accumulation. Any superficial dirt can be cleaned easily through pressure washing and water drops can be dried quickly. They do not shed particles the way wood does. Plastic ceiling cladding would thus be ideal in areas such as hospitals and clinics, hotels and restaurants, dairies and others that need a high degree of hygiene. Other Solutions One advantage of plastic is that it can be produced to have different properties. Thus you can get non-corrosive, chemicals-resistant panels if your premises are exposed to a harsh chemical environment. Or you can have a translucent skylight that allows in natural daylight and saves energy on artificial lighting. Almost any kind of ceiling problem can be handled with plastic ceiling claddings. Conclusion Ceilings of buildings had received considerable attention from early times. They can create different kinds of atmosphere inside the buildings. They can also serve functional purposes such as covering piping or cabling. Tiles and timber had been used as ceiling cladding. Plastic offers several advantages when used as ceiling cladding. They can be easily installed, come in different colors and patterns to suit different tastes and themes, offer solutions to problems such as hygiene regulations and chemical resistance. A wide variety of plastic ceiling claddings are available in the market.

Using concrete for interior applications

Concrete is an extraordinary material that is practical, expressive, and aesthetic all at once. From a primal and formless slurry, you can transform it into virtually any shape that becomes a solid mass. The possibilities for creative expression are endless. You can grind, polish, stamp, or stain it. You can embed meaningful objects within it. Concrete has substance and mass, permanence and warmth. It feels earthy, and is at home in both traditional and modern settings. It assumes forms that irrevocably touch our daily lives-bridges, highways, floors, walls... even countertops. Concrete is also surprisingly tactile. Cast and shaped, it can feel like stone rounded by the sea. Textured and colored, it can echo the patina of timeworn tile. It first occurred to me to make a countertop out of concrete in 1985, when a friend and I were hired to design and renovate a professor's house in the Berkeley Hills. He gave us a modest budget and announced, "This is all I can afford to spend; do whatever you want." Armed with this rare creative license (and plenty of youthful exuberance) we aimed to be as innovative as possible. This invitation to imagine, play, and explore inevitably led me to experiment in my own kitchen, where concrete and I began what is now our nearly two-decade dance. My first countertop was a single piece containing 11 cubic feet of concrete. It weighed nearly 1500 pounds and took 10 people-and 2 engine hoists-to turn it over once it had cured. We barely managed it, but the piece came out beautifully and is still being put to good use today. Because of its adaptability, concrete finds itself welcome in all areas of the home, especially in the kitchen and bath, but also in fireplaces, patios, garden paths, or water features. Concrete can also be used as a floor material with enormous creative advantages whether seeded, stained, stamped, broomed or diamond-finished. It can be a sole performer or play the supporting role to tile, mosaics, decorative aggregates, stone, wood, or metal. It is inexpensive, durable, noncombustible, impervious to decay, and also very effective for passive solar gain in the right application. With vertical treatments, concrete gives us an opportunity to recapture some of the feeling of the monolithic wall-the feeling of substance, of protection. Walls are also a great place to explore form. A wall doesn't have to be flat or straight, but can curve and undulate. It can be textured to be rough as stone or smooth as glass. Surrender to the impulse... carve your initials in concrete.

Three tips for designing with light

The use of light is an integral element in art, architecture and design. It has the power to dramatically change the look and feel of everything, from a sculpture to a family room or even a hallway. Incorporating lighting elements into a home can alter the ambiance from clean and modern to warm and rustic, creating specific moods and enhancing colors and textures. Consider these tips for bringing both natural and artificial light elements into your home design for breathtaking results: * Let the natural light shine in. Windows bring the dynamic qualities of daylight into a home, capturing outside views, enhancing colors, and flooding surfaces, rooms or any interior spaces with natural light. However, bringing in more natural sunshine can increase the temperature of a room due to heat transfer through windows. To get the natural sun without unwanted temperature changes, you may want to consider tinted glass to help reduce the transfer of heat. In addition to capitalizing on natural light through the strategic placement of windows, you can choose from a broad scope of window shapes, juxtapositions and designs to create an artistic flair. For an abundance of design capabilities, including limitless custom designs crafted by artisans, consider Jeld-Wen wood or metal clad-wood windows. If energy efficiency and low maintenance are a primary concern, Jeld-Wen vinyl windows will offer you these affordable features along with a clean, streamlined appearance. * Use decorative lights for night and day. The imaginative use of alternative lighting can showcase unique features inside and outside the home. Instead of using traditional overhead lighting or table lights, artistically combine shadows and light with subtle tree lights lining the edges of the ceiling or a chandelier with a dimmer. * Reflect light to enhance the ambiance. Often overlooked as a key element in the lighting of a home, mirrors have traditionally been utilized solely as a tool for personal reflection. The creative placement of mirrors can throw light around the room, making a room sparkle and appear larger. While an entire wall of mirrors may seem a little risky, the placement of framed mirrors sporadically on a particular wall brings a fresh, artistic element into the home. Regardless of its source - whether it's natural light that streams in through a window or the soft glow from a table lamp or chandelier - lighting is an important decorative accessory in a home.