Remodeling from an electrical standpoint

SPONSORED – As we’re moving into spring, Pete says people start to think about remodeling. He says now is the perfect time to bring more light into your home, if you’re tired of the grey Seattle winter.

Pete recommends talking to an electrical company before remodeling. Justin Blair and Kevin Trammel from SME Electrical talk to Pete about how you should figure electrical wiring into your remodel.

First, for example, Kevin says you should have separate circuits if you have a “heavy load draw” in your kitchen — ovens, microwaves, electric skillets, dishwashers, etc. — because “we don’t want you to overload the circuits.” Overtaxing a circuit can trip the circuit breaker, and shut everything off. “We want to design their electrical system properly so they don’t have to do that,” Kevin says.

Justin says if you’re considering new lighting in your kitchen, you have lots of options, like recessed can lighting, under-cabinet lighting to make your counters brighter, or “decorative pendant lighting that won’t obstruct the view from the open dining area into the kitchen.”

Light in your kitchen also depends on what kind of cabinetry and counters you have, Justin says. Dark wood cabinets or a dark granite countertop absorb light, which means you’ll need more light fixtures to make your kitchen feel bright. Justin also suggests having a dimmer for the lights in your kitchen. “You can never have too much light in your kitchen,” he says, and a dimmer gives you the option to ramp the lights up, or dim them for a more romantic atmosphere.

Justin says LED lighting is a great alternative for lighting solutions. Pete says the light is more of a bright white, as opposed to yellow as they used to be, and they can last for up to 50,000 hours of lighting.

Bathroom lighting is also important, Justin says. When thinking about such lighting, he says you want at least two lights: one above you and one in front of you. If you wear makeup or do your hair, he says, you’ll want a light in front of you so your face is lit up, and the overhead lighting lights up the bathroom.

SME Electrical is a proud sponsor of Home Matters.

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Home Matters with Pete can be heard on KIRO Radio every Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 6 a.m. or anytime at KIRORadio.com. Like Home Matters on Facebook.