Shade your house in the perfect light

Lights create mood and ambience, thus, selecting the right one is vital. Photo/Rachel Mabala.

What you need to know:

  • Energy savers, which are normally installed inside the house, cost in the range of Shs4, 000, Shs8, 000 to Shs10, 000.
  • Waterproof lights, mainly LED bulbs under a waterproof cover cost Shs80, 000 to Shs25, 000. These are mainly for the compound or places that usually spreads water.


BY promise Twinamukye 
When Grace, a mother of three in Namuwongo, had just renovated her house, she was wondering what type of lights she would put in her sitting room and garage. 

She had to inquire with an electrician, but above it all, an interior designer to advise on colours, she wanted lights that would blend with the curtains she had just installed in the living room.
“Since I did not know any good ones, I took the contact a friend who had recommended the people who had renovated my house gave me,” Grace said.

She told the electrician what she wanted but since she was not sure which shade to choose from, she left it in his hands.
After the shopping list for the lights was made, she gave him the money and left for work. When she returned in the evening, she could not wait to put on the lights. The garage which she has since turned into a home office had the usual bright white light but not sharp. 

Satisfied, she moved to the living room.
“What struck me was the design. It matched the design I had installed on the floor,” she said.
 While she achieved much of what she wanted without heading to the shops for the lights it may also be necessary to go yourself and pick your best design, and shade of the kind of lights you want for your home.

What to consider
According to Yiga Abdulhakim, a free-lance electrical engineer, choosing a type of lights depends solely on the place you want the lights installed.
“While security purposes may need flood lights, the inside of the house will go with energy savers which not only have sombre light, but also saves electricity,”Abdulhakim says.

He says that one also needs to consider the watts of a bulb they are going to use. While a five watt bulb consumes less electricity, a 200 watt bulb consumes more electricity. Also, the higher the watts, the sharper the light emanating from the bulb. This explains why most flood lights have a higher watt voltage.

Pricing
According to Abdulhakim, the prices depend on which lights are being installed in a home or building. When everything is in the right place and only the lights need to be installed, it would cost the house owner an average of Shs20, 000 catering for transport and effort.
The price though may shoot up if the wiring is done but the lights needed are yet to be bought.
For flood lights, normally used for security purposes outdoor, the minimum cost is Shs60, 000.

Energy savers, which are normally installed inside the house, cost in the range of Shs4, 000, Shs8, 000 to Shs10, 000.
Waterproof lights, mainly LED bulbs under a waterproof cover cost Shs80, 000 to Shs25, 000. These are mainly for the compound or places that usually spreads water.
Decorative lights, these are mainly used in recreational areas because of their ability to change colours. These cost an average of Shs250, 000 to Shs450, 000 depending on the design and size.
Before installing a type of lighting, one will need to consider the wiring they have in the place of installation. 

While big wires will work for lighter bulbs, they may not work for the heavy bulbs. An electrician therefore will be able to help in identifying which bulbs go where and which wires are recommended for which bulbs.