lighting – Luminocity https://getluminocity.com Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:28:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.1 https://getluminocity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/cropped-luminocity-favicon-32x32.png lighting – Luminocity https://getluminocity.com 32 32 How to Light your Home in the Snow https://getluminocity.com/light-in-the-snow/ Wed, 19 Jan 2022 17:28:05 +0000 https://getluminocity.com/?p=2267 Are you concerned about how the cold weather or snow may impact your outdoor lighting? Our Luminocity lighting experts can design your outdoor lighting system to work in the snow and all year-round, no matter what type of weather Mother Nature may bring to Central Indiana. Learn more about how we light your home during the snowy days of winter. 

Install & maintain lights correctly in the snow

Thankfully, most modern outdoor lights are designed specifically to be weatherproof in order to stay outside during any time of year. However, we still recommend that you try to have them installed in areas that will be cool and dry most of the time, in order to help them last longer against the elements. 

We also recommend checking on the wires and bulbs about once a year to see if they are sustaining any weather damage. With an Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) from Luminocity, we will come out to inspect and clean each fixture, bury any exposed wire and trim bushes as needed to achieve optimal lighting effect. Investing in the AMP is also your best value because it means that you will not have to pay for any burnt-out bulbs or minor service repairs (such as a cut wire) for the next 12 months. 

Decide between LED & quartz halogen

If you grew up in a place that gets a lot of snow, like here in Indiana, you may remember a tube effect in the snow caused by the heat from frequently used quartz halogen lights. It was a rare occurrence to have a dark home in the snow because the extreme heat generated by these bulbs would quickly melt the snow. In fact, some homeowners were reluctant to switch from older quartz halogen as the more efficient LED lights became more popular because they don’t want to risk having a dark house.

However, LED outdoor lights do still generate heat and will melt snow – just not as fast. If you have LED fixtures and don’t get too much snow they will do fine. However, if you get dumped on with lots of snow, your house may be dark for a little bit until the fixture can melt the show or it is cleared away. LEDs last a lot longer than traditional halogen bulbs, making them a great way to promote efficiency and save money on your utility bills, so you shouldn’t let the fear of a dark home in the snow keep you from switching to them. But if you do choose quartz halogen bulbs, note that our AMP visit also covers the replacement of all your bulbs with fresh ones.

Check the Ingress Protection Rating

If you want the most use out of your outdoor light bulbs, you can check the Ingress Protection Rating when you go to purchase them. The IP code is a system for sharing with consumers how protected your lighting, electrical enclosures and even cell phones are against dust or water. The first part of the code is the letters IP, followed by two numbers. The first number, ranging from 0-6 tells you the protection against solid particles (dust). The second number, ranging from 0-8, tells you the protection against liquid/water. 

If you are concerned about snow or ice in your outdoor lighting, be sure to look for fixtures with a high IP rating against water. At Luminocity, we only use durable fixtures and quality bulbs. We know what type of fixture is best suited for each task, what lighting effect is desired, where the fixture should be placed to achieve the desired effect. We always make sure that the installation (including proper voltage) is done professionally, intending for our lighting systems to work for a long time. If you would like to learn more about how we can keep your home shining bright all year round, contact the Luminocity experts today at (317) 537-8055 or with our online form. We can’t wait to beautify your home with our custom-designed landscape lighting systems.

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Luminocity Lights Newfields Scholar’s Residence https://getluminocity.com/luminocity-lights-newfields-scholars-residence/ Fri, 24 Jan 2020 16:57:16 +0000 https://getluminocity.com/?p=1038

Newfields, previously known as the Indianapolis Museum of Art, is a beloved institution here in Central Indiana. Luminocity recently had the honor of being chosen as the lighting contractor to install outdoor lighting at the Scholar’s Residence on the Newfields campus, and we are excited to share more about this project on the blog today!

The Scholar’s Residence was originally a home for the children of Eli Lilly, founder of Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical corporation in the 1930s. In 1966, Ruth Lilly and Josiah K. Lilly donated their parents’ estate to the Art Association of Indianapolis when they began to run out of room in their original Museum building. The donation of the estate, known as Oldfields, also included the Newfield house. This home is now used as the Scholar’s Residence

Visiting scholars and artists from around the country can stay in the furnished Scholar’s Residence temporarily while they are involved with performances or other work at the museum, such as the recent month-long Movement Workshop with Mitsu Salmon. Residents also include scholars participating in Project MUSE: MUseum Sabbatical Experience for Faculty Teaching at the Arts-Science Interface, which “allows chemistry professors the opportunity to spend 3-6 months onsite conducting arts-based scientific research or technical studies of the collections.”

Our relationship with Newfields began in May 2019, when our initial meetings began to discuss the outdoor lighting project at the Scholar’s Residence. There were a lot of moving pieces among multiple Newfields staff members, and we appreciate the hard work of Project Manager William Waldren as he supported the work we completed. The lights were installed at the end of October, not too long before the Newfields Winterlights event kicked off for the holiday season.

The project involved many special techniques in order to preserve the delicate handiwork and landscaping in this historic building. The home has two limestone pillars on the front entry, and in order to highlight them, we used a special tool to grind into the limestone and install a flush-mounted light. During the day, you barely notice the hardware, but at night the pillars are beautifully illuminated. 

The roof also had a rubber membrane on top of it in order to protect it and prevent leaks, but we wanted to install some lighting there to highlight the architecture above. We were able to mount lights onto paver blocks and rest those on the membrane so that the lights do not disturb the rubber membrane. We also installed lighting on risers in front of the home so that the natural vegetation growth was not blocked. 

We see the lighting at the Scholar’s Residence as a true piece of art, that blends in with the nature and other artwork around the Newfields campus and museum. We also ensured that the lighting was not just beautiful, but functional too. We used a core-drilling technique to install lights above the garage doors so that the entire home is well-lit for its residents. The area is in a somewhat dark are of the grounds, and the scholars are staying in a new town, so we wanted to make sure they feel comfortable and safe in their temporary home.

Karl Lundberg, founder and owner of Luminocity, says that he believes our excellent reputation and many certifications with organizations like the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals and Angie’s List helped us secure this prestigious contract with Newfields. “If it passes muster for Newfields,” he says, “then it will be great for your home too!”

If you would like to enlist Luminocity for your next home or business lighting project, contact us today! Your Central Indiana home can experience the same blending of beauty and function that we incorporated at Newfields!

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4 Reasons NOT to Switch to LED Lights https://getluminocity.com/4-reasons-not-switch-led-lights/ Tue, 20 Mar 2018 02:53:06 +0000 http://getluminocity.com/?p=952

You’ve probably heard many great reasons why you should switch from incandescent lightbulbs to LED lightbulbs (LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes). Compared with incandescent lights, LED lightbulbs have a longer lifespan, convert electricity into light more efficiently, and offer significant savings in energy costs

However, here at Luminocity, we believe that there are some equally valid and often overlooked reasons why you should consider keeping your incandescent lights. Read through, and share your thoughts in the comments!   

1.  Some of our customers like the cozy wintertime look of melted snow surrounding their outdoor lighting.

Incandescent lights release 90% of energy consumed into the surrounding air as heat, melting the snow around them in a picturesque circle. (In comparison, LED lights release only 5% of energy consumed as heat.) If you like the look of melted snow surrounding your outdoor lights, then you should definitely avoid LED lights. 

2.  You probably enjoy interacting with Luminocity’s friendly and well-trained staff when they visit your house to replace burned-out incandescent lightbulbs.

If this is the case, you may not want to switch to LED lights. Incandescent light bulbs last an average of two years, while some LEDs can last for two decades. If you choose to switch to a LED lighting system, then you should be aware that you may subsequently interact with our excellent staff less frequently. 

3.  It can be nice to receive a clear signal of when it is time to change your lightbulbs.

Incandescent lightbulbs often burn out abruptly and so it is very easy to know when they need to be changed. LED lights, on the other hand, tend to gradually decline in brightness over a long period of time, so it can be more difficult to know when it is time to change them. In fact, Energy Star reports that the lifespan of LED light bulbs is measured not by when they burn out (as with standard incandescent bulbs), but by a prediction of when the light output will decrease by 30%. If you appreciate the abrupt burnouts that incandescent lights offer, you definitely want to steer clear of LED lights. 

4.  If you are a budding naturalist and love watching your neighborhood insects congregate around your backyard lights, then you should definitely keep your incandescent lights.

A recent study in Science magazine reported that incandescent bulbs attract around eight insects per hour, while warm-colored LEDs attract around 4.5 insects per hour. Incandescent lights are the way to go if you want to attract local insects! 

All of Luminocity’s new installations use LED lights. However, Luminocity still regularly services many older quartz-halogen lighting systems. Contact us today to have our lighting professionals visit your house and give you an estimate. 

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