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Preparing Yourself for Winter Power Outages and Emergencies

Let’s talk about winter power outages. When the electricity threatens to go, what do you do to keep yourself prepared? With snow, wind, and rain causing branches to break and cause blackouts, you could be out of power for hours or days. That’s why it’s important to have the right resources to stay warm and comfortable while you wait out the storm – or the right electrician if it’s something minor that calls for a professional. You’ll be glad you prepared in advance, instead of sitting in the dark twiddling your thumbs.

Winter Power Outages & EmergenciesBelow is a list of items that you should have ready to keep yourself safe and warm while you patiently wait for the lights to come back on.

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How to Spot Electrical Problems With Your Furnace

Electrical Problems with Furnace - Wire Craft ElectricIf you find your furnace isn’t producing enough heat, or is just not even turning on at all, what do you do? You could call an electrician or a heating and air company, but fear not! There might be a quick fix available. Before doing anything, it’s best to check if the system even turns on. By turning your thermostat three-to-five degrees above your room temperature in the heat setting, you should hear it turn on within 10-30 seconds. If nothing happens, or you don’t feel much heat coming from the vent, it’s time to go down the list of potential causes.

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How To Improve Your Electricity Bill in the Winter

Improve Winter Electricity Bill - WireCraft

Traditionally, winter is thought of as a magical time of year with snowball fights, hot cocoa, and fashionable coats. But if you own a home, it can feel less magical and more maddening. All the whimsy of the season goes away the second you take a look at your dreaded electricity bill.

So, how do you keep winter from hurting your wallet? To help you out, Wire Craft came up with a bunch of tips to help to protect you from the winterizing brutality of coldness and the electrical bill that comes with it.

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Best Uses For Track Lighting In Your Home

track lightingIn a fancy restaurant, you’ve probably been amazed by the mood-setting atmosphere. The subtleness of the task lighting above your table, paired with the specific accent lighting on walls, highlighting tasteful decor, gives you that romantic feeling without you having to worry about… well, eating in the dark. You can thank track lighting for all these feels. Track lighting uses multiple lights on a rail system, pointing in different directions to create a dynamic effect on an object, wall, or surface. So how does a home use track lighting, and where might you be missing opportunities to provide unmatched ambiance? As it turns out, track lighting was first made popular in home decor… so, it’s worth considering as you decide on lighting for your main living spaces.

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Make Your Backyard Pop With Outdoor Lighting

outdoor lighting

Your backyard is your oasis. It’s a place to go to relax and have fun. Your kids love being outside, enjoying the little slice of nature that belongs to you – whether it’s to make snowmen in the winter, or to play a competitive game of volleyball in the summer. You enjoy having a place to go outside, to get away from it all and find a little peace and quiet. There’s a way to make your backyard pop even more, and that’s with outdoor lighting. Here are some tips on how you can use proper accent lighting outside.

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Best Lighting Stores in Seattle

lighting stores

Tis the season to be jolly – what better way to brighten up your holidays than with new lighting? Well, you’re in luck. We’ve found some of the best lighting stores in Seattle to help you to set the mood for the season as you get prepared to welcome friends and family into your home for food, fun, and general merriment.

1. Rejuvenation

If you’ve ever stepped foot into a house that has that unique ambiance or personal touch that screams comfort and joy, you can probably thank lighting. Looking around, you’ll surely notice different types of fixtures, mounts, or accents – each one specifically planned for that particular space. If you’re looking for unique options to stand out, check out Rejuvenation. Among other things, Rejuvenation has a great selection of lighting & fans. They’ll have you covered from pendants to wall sconces, and there’s even a vintage selection called “restored lights”… it might set you back a pretty penny, but it will give you that nostalgic look that’s near impossible to reproduce.

2. Seattle Lighting

With over 20+ brands of lights, Seattle Lighting gives you a huge range of selection on what could be your next lighting upgrade in your home. Not only that, but they also have a huge section in informational, inspirational, and installation guides that will get those creative juices flowing. And with seven Seattle Lighting stores throughout the greater Seattle area, it’s probably one of the easiest trips to make for expert advice and a great selection.

3. Holiday Saving at Seattle Lighting

Seattle Lighting is having a 30% off sale between 11/23 – 12/31 for any shoppers looking to update or add new lighting to their home. Start saving now on all purchases and make sure to hire a certified electrician for any work that might be too difficult for you.

4.  Harold’s Lighting

If you ever catch yourself in the Seattle or Bellevue area and looking for a mom & pop lighting shop, then Harold’s Lighting might be right up your alley. With a wide assortment of lights, they have a unique selection of brands that the other two companies don’t carry. They also restore antique and vintage lights. So, if you have something that is priceless, this is the place to go to restore it before taking it to the Antique Road Show for that million dollar appraisal.

Conclusion About Lighting Stores in Seattle

With all the different types of lighting and accessories to install, they wouldn’t be aesthetically pleasing with dangling wires. While some people love DIY home improvements, others will use a certified electrician for their renovation needs. Wire Craft is happy to help with any project undertaking you have. Contact us today at 206.542.0208 to make your holiday experience a bright and memorable one.

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Kitchen Island Lighting Improvements

Kitchen Island Lighting Improvements

Who doesn’t love kitchen islands? If you spend a ton of time in the kitchen, they’re great for extra real estate space for stand alone appliances, reading recipes, preparing and serving food, and even sometimes extra table space for bigger gatherings. But without lighting, you would be left out in the dark trying to do any of these tasks. So let’s help shine some light on this.

Increased Home Value

What if I told you minor improvements to your home can increase value in your home? Well, it possibly could. Installing kitchen island lighting and other minor improvements within the kitchen may increase the value of your home. In the greater Seattle area, minor kitchen remodels had an increase in resale value by over 105%. This means you’ll recoup your expenses and add equity to your home. All this and you’ll have an awesome new kitchen. That’s a win/win, right? But where do you even start?

Types of Kitchen Island Lighting

With a wide range of lighting, you could find yourself banging your head against the wall with the sheer amount of lights fixtures. Categorizing them into different types of lighting and how they perform will help narrow down your choice. There is such a wide range of pendant lighting for kitchen islands, over 10,000 fixtures, a lot of them actually fall into two or all of types of lighting.

Task Lighting

If you are using your kitchen island to prepare food, read recipes, or cook, then it’s ideal to have a light fixture that will give enough illumination downward so you are able to perform the tasks at hand with ease and no obstructions.

Common types of pendant task lights

  • Cluster
  • Island
  • Mini
  • Schoolhouse
  • Standard

Ambient Lighting

Looking to brighten up your ambient light level throughout the kitchen? You’ll want a kitchen island light pendant to expose the bulb more outward or upwards/downwards using glass. Fully exposed bulbs could potentially be blinding to the eye, so be cautious with choosing.

Common types of pendant ambient lights

  • Candle-Style
  • Center Bowl
  • Cluster
  • Drum
  • Globe
  • Schoolhouse
  • Starburst

Decorative Lighting

If you want to add a bit of flavor to your kitchen, decorative lighting is functional and unique. Many interior designers are starting to get creative with these. Make sure to not go overboard or your home’s value could take a small hit from being “too creative” – it’s about finding a balance that’s not off-putting to potential buyers.

Common types of pendant decorative lights

  • Cage
  • Cluster
  • Crystal
  • Starburst

Optimal Height Length

When hanging pendant lights above a kitchen island, the optimal height should be 28-34 inches above the countertop, or 72” above the floor. This provides enough room to work or bend over to grab something on the kitchen island. If you ever hit your head on something above you, you know the feeling of having to stay in a prone position.

How Many Lights?

Standard practice is to have two to three pendants for your kitchen island lights that will give enough consistent light. This is to accommodate for obstructions like your hands or other items shadowing out the task at hand on your kitchen island. Instead of creating a shadow, the secondary or even third pendant will flood enough light over to let you work. You can also add more than three pendants with no ill effect. This could be for decorative purposes, more illumination overlapping, or just having a larger kitchen island.

Hire a Certified Electrician

We talked above about making sure your lighting job is done right. Unless you are a pro DIY’er or you already have a wire running to the kitchen island, it’s always highly recommended to hire a certified electrician in your area to undergo bigger jobs. If you’re looking for an electrician in the greater Seattle area, call us today to find out how cost effective it is to bring some light into your home.

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Electrical Upgrades to Increase Your Seattle Home’s Value

electrical upgrades to increase home value

Many of us know the basics to increasing the value of our homes. Electrical upgrades to the kitchen, bathroom and even the basement yield high valued investments. De-cluttering and a fresh coat of paint offer simple, cost-effective improvements with good return as well. While these value-laden upgrades remain the mantra of increased home worth, the electrical components of your home prove well worth considering in regard to value. Some of these updates will come with kitchen and bathroom spruce ups. However, several others offer value on their own.

Check out these 6 electrical upgrades to increase your Seattle home’s value.

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Best Lighting for a Basement Remodel

You’ve probably been thinking of ways that you can improve your basement lighting with a remodel. You’ve probably thought about waterproofing, finding ways to improve the laundry room flow, or whether or not you should go all out and build it into a man cave. But you might not be investigating the best basement lighting. It’s easy to overlook lighting, but it can make an enormous difference in a dark basement.

basement lighting

Saving Space

Lamps can add more light to your remodeled basement, but they’re not the most space saving idea. Plus, if you turn your basement into a rec room, do you really want to worry about lamps that could be knocked down? Lamps will also take up valuable power outlets that you could utilize for your entertainment equipment. Recessed lighting is a great way to save space yet provide a room with ample lighting.

Lighting Effects

Whether you’re planning on using your remodeled basement for a man cave, rec room, or entertainment space, your lighting needs will change. Dimmer switches are a great way to get the right amount of light. They give you better control of the mood and environment of your basement space. Movie night won’t need to be completely dark or light. No bruised shins trying to find your seat after a bathroom break or ruining the mood of a good scary movie with too much bright light.

Best Basement Lighting Options

When it comes to bulb type, you’ll pay a little more for LEDs and CFLs. However, they offer energy savings when in use along with lasting longer than incandescent bulbs. Plus, they give off less heat. Wattage is a term that most people are familiar with, but with the push for LED and CFLs, the packaging is going more towards listing lumens instead. You may think that you need the highest number of lumens, but really it’s going to depend on what the light fixture needs. Using a bulb with the proper lumen is the right call because you’ll get the light you need without using more energy than necessary.

Starting to think more about getting better basement lighting for your upcoming remodel? It’s a good idea to talk with a professional electrician. They can guide you where the best places are in your space to put your lighting. They will even help you get different rooms to have wiring in your basement.

Contact us today as we’d love to talk with you about your upcoming basement lighting project.

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5 Steps For Wiring Your Seattle Home

If you’re looking to install or upgrade the wiring in your home, no doubt you’ve spent some time online researching the best ways to get this done. You might even be considering doing it yourself. What you need to remember, though, is that electricity is dangerous. Unlike a normal DIY construction project, where all your tools and materials are easy to see, working with electricity contains an element of the invisible; since you can’t see it, you are always at risk for hurting yourself and your loved ones.

wiring your seattle home | wirecraft electric

What you need to remember, though, is that electricity is dangerous. Unlike a normal DIY construction project, where all your tools and materials are easy to see, working with electricity contains an element of the invisible; since you can’t see it, you are always at risk for hurting yourself and your loved ones.

That alone should be enough to get you calling a professional. However, just like other housing projects, working with electricity also has legal ramifications as well. That’s why it’s important to take steps to make sure it gets done correctly. Here are five steps you need to take to ensure the proper wiring of your home.

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