What Can Track Lighting Do For You?

Track lighting is one of the most versatile lighting styles on the market today. Often a staple of many offices and art studios, track lighting combines the perfect mix of everyday task lighting and directional lighting. Track lighting's versatility comes from the track itself, which allows you to add and remove lights at will, change the direction of the heads, even attach special track pendant lights to give a room some extra style and flare.

Track lighting is perfect for tight, poorly lit spaces. The heads cast light on these, otherwise shadowy areas, making the space useable. The directional heads are perfect for accentuating your beautiful wall art, sculptures or mantelpieces. Simply turn a couple of heads toward the piece you want to spotlight and bring out its best qualities. Track lighting is frequently used above a kitchen island or bar, providing diners with adequate light for eating, reading and socializing. The light from a track lighting system also highlights granite, stone and corian countertops, making them sparkle as they were meant to do. Hardwood floors also look their best under the glow of some soft track lights. As you can see, track lighting has the tendency to bring out the best in your home.

If you're thinking about installing track lighting in your home, there are a few things to consider first. If you have an existing ceiling fixture, then the installation is a relatively simple DIY project. If you don't have an existing ceiling fixture to replace then you're going to need a brand new outlet box and switch, along with the proper wiring. It's a good idea to hire a licensed electrician to install the wiring and outlet box. Most track lighting kits that you buy in stores come with detailed instructions, meant to help guide you along. If any of this makes you nervous - that's another sign you need to hire an electrician.

Below you will find a basic DIY guide on installing your own track lighting. Remember, if any of this confuses you or if you generally feel uncomfortable with these sorts of DIY tasks, call a licensed, professional electrician.

1.) Check Your Parts:


Take a look at the instructions you receive with your track lighting kit. Make sure you have all of the parts that are supposed to be included.



2.) Remove the Existing Fixture:


First, flip on the wall switch to make sure that the existing fixture is working, then turn off the power and flip the switch on again, just to make sure the power is really off. Carefully remove the old fixture from the ceiling. After the fixture is hanging below the ceiling box, test the circuit with a voltage tester. This will ensure that there is no current anywhere in the box. It now should be safe to disconnect the wires from the fixture.



3.) Wire The Connector:


Match the wires from the connector to the house wires. It's going to be black to black, white to white. Now, splice the wires with wire nuts.



4.) Attach The Track To The Ceiling:


First, using a stud-finder, make sure that there are no studs anywhere you want the track lighting to go. Now, after you have plugged the wire-in connector to the end of the track, you need to hold the track in position on the ceiling and mark the ceiling through the mounting holes with a pencil. This will show you the positions of the mounting screws. Drill holes where you've marked them with the pencil and fasten the track in place with toggle bolts. You'll know the bolts are in place because they should snap open inside the ceiling.



5.) Attach The Connector Cover:


Now it's time to attach the connector cover and install the heads. The cover should snap in place over the wire-in connector and track end. Now you need to mount each lighting head into the track by aligning the contact blades parallel to the track. By rotating the base of each head approximately 90 degrees, each head should lock into place. To move heads along the track, simply unscrew the base and move to your desired location. You can also easily add or remove heads, as desired.



6.) Power On:


Now it's time to turn on the power. Switch the track lighting on and adjust the heads to direct light wherever you want it.

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