Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting Addressing Home Electrical Safety

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Electrical Safety Tips to Consider for Your Home

When you are looking to change up the electrical systems in your home, you may think that you can and should just dive right in and work on it yourself. While you may be fully capable of doing most construction work yourself, elec trical systems can be complicated and dangerous if you are not an expert.

Before you jump right in and start changing out indoor or outdoor lighting in Houston or trying to rewire your entire project yourself, you should get to know a few basic electrical safety tips to help you out in the process. Then you can be sure that you are as safe as possible whether you decide to do the work yourself or hire someone to do it for you.

Understand Different Types of Outlets

Whether you are looking to install a new outlet, replace current ones, or you just happened to notice that you have a lot of things plugged into a single outlet, it can be helpful to understand the different types of outlets that you may find in your home.

If you have an older home, you may have noticed that many of your electrical outlets, for example, only have two slots for prongs rather than three. These are known as ungrounded electrical outlets and can be quite dangerous.

Grounding an electrical outlet means to give it a safe way to return to the ground in the event of an overloaded circuit or power surge. Essentially, it is a protective barrier that can prevent fires, shock, and damage to the appliances or other items plugged into your outlet.

These older two-prong outlets lack that grounding. It is not enough to just plug in an adapter to these outlets. You need to replace them with grounded three-prong outlets, which requires rewiring in your home as the grounding element must be wired as well.

Label All of Your Circuit Breakers

On a dear day, when there will be little chance of a lightning strike or other power surge, you may want to take the time to get to know your home’s circuit breaker. The circuit breaker is a box of switches usually found in the basement or utility room of your home.

It is the central hub inside of your home for your electrical system, and each switch is for specific appliances or areas of your home. If your circuit breaker is not already labeled or the labeling is unclear, it is time to add labels to your circuit breaker box. Turn on the lights and, if possible, appliances in your home.

You can have a family member help you find which area of the house turns off as you flip each breaker (or you can go around the house and look for yourself). Then, label each one with the appropriate label (i.e., living room, master bedroom, etc.).

Knowing which area of the house is attached to each circuit breaker can help you when you do electrical work throughout your home. To rewire a lighting fixture or change outlets, you will need to shut off the electrical current that goes to that area of your home to avoid shock, fire, and injuries.

Having those circuits labeled will make it easier to remain safe no matter what electrical projects you work on throughout your entire home.

Now that you know a few key safety tips to utilize when you are doing electrical work throughout your house, you can be sure that you are doing everything in your power to remain as safe and injury-free as possible. Even if you have a professional come to help you with your electrical work or outdoor lighting, these tips can help keep them safe as well.

Call or contact us today to start your project! Visit our blog for more lighting tips!

The Proper Lights To Use This Christmas In Houston

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Choosing The Right Outdoor Lights For Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching. Most people start celebrating the holiday season shortly after Thanksgiving, meaning that now is the perfect time to start hanging decorations. One of the best parts of celebrating Christmas is coming up with a fabulous display of lights on the outside of your house.

If you are looking for the highest quality Christmas lights currently available, consider reaching out to Robert Huff Illumination. Because we only employ the most skilled lighting experts, we are able to create some truly dazzling light displays for the holidays. We have spent a lot of time figuring out which lighting choices are the best for Christmas and are more than happy to share that information with you. New technology is constantly being introduced to the field of lighting. Because of that, we are going to focus primarily on the basic types of lighting rather than on any specific brands.

The Ideal Outdoor Lights For Christmas Outdoor Lighting Houston

LED Lighting Is A Great Choice

When it comes to just about any type of lighting, LED is the way to go. Not only are LED bulbs extremely energy-efficient but they also last for a long time. You can string together multiple strings of light without having to worry about overloading the circuit breaker. They also come in just about every color of the rainbow, meaning that you can create whatever type of lighting display you prefer. If you want, you can even add flashing lights to really draw attention to your home.

The only drawback to LED lights is that they are a little bit more expensive than standard incandescent lights. However, when you consider how much longer they last and how much energy they can save, they are actually a really good investment even with the higher price tag.

In terms of efficiency, there is no comparison with other types of Christmas lights. They also last far longer than other lights, meaning that you can get a lot more use out of them for your investment. Although we have a lot of different types of LED lights available, some of the most popular that we carry are the wide-angle conical lights. These LED Christmas lights are truly beautiful to look at thanks to their ability to refract the light.

In the past, one of the biggest complaints that people had about LED lights was that the color of the light was too cool. Today, however, LED light manufacturers have found a way to create lights that have the same warmth and richness as traditional Christmas lights. You can choose just about any color temperature that you want when you use LED lights.

Consider purchasing Energy Star rated lights that also carry Underwriters Laboratory (UL) labels. Underwriters laboratory independently tests products that use electricity to make sure that they are safe to use. It is extremely important to only buy electrical products that have been tested by this agency or one like it.

The Top Reasons To Choose LED Christmas Lights in Houston

  • Durable and capable of standing up to the weather.
  • Long-lasting.
  • Compared to incandescent bulbs, LED lights are as much as 90% more efficient.

Rectified LED Lights

When choosing LED lights, you may want to consider buying rectified lights. Also known as full-wave lights, these high-quality lights won’t flicker like some cheaper sets do. They flicker at a rate of 120 Hz per second, which is faster than the human brain can register. Lower quality lights, on the other hand, flicker at a rate of about 60 Hz per second, which can sometimes be visible to the human eye. Choosing higher-quality rectified LED lights can eliminate any problems with flickering. Both types of lighting are extremely energy-efficient. The primary difference is that rectified LED lights don’t appear to flicker, making them a good choice for your holiday lighting needs.

Incandescent Lights For Christmas

Although incandescent Christmas lights were popular in the past, more and more people are moving over to LED bulbs, simply because incandescent bulbs aren’t as efficient and don’t last as long. Instead of wasting energy using traditional incandescent bulbs, you may want to consider using highly-efficient LED bulbs. This can cut your energy usage, saving you money on your power bills. It can also allow you to add multiple strings of lights to a single outlet without having to worry about tripping the breaker.

If you decide to have incandescent Christmas lights installed on your property, make sure that you ask the company that installs them about the steps that they take to maintain them. These bulbs are more likely to burn out during the holiday season, meaning that they may require ongoing upkeep and maintenance.

Call today or contact Robert Huff Illumination for more information on our outdoor lighting solutions.

Outdoor Landscaping & Lighting Trends In 2017

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What’s New In Landscaping? 2017 Trends To Watch

A lot happened in landscaping this year; in particular, there was a trend toward green. When most people think about the upkeep of their yard, they don’t necessarily think in terms of trends. However, flowers, trees, and other greenery can certainly be trendy; consider everything that must happen in order for landscaping to flourish. The soil must be healthy, for example. There has to be an appropriate amount of sunlight for the plants in the yard to grow as well. However, keep in mind that there is a lot that encompasses landscaping. Landscaping isn’t just flowers, plants and trees; it is the whole area that you are working with. That means that pathways are a part of landscaping. So is decor and furniture. Finally, don’t forget about outdoor lighting; Houston landscape lighting services are a huge part of the process as well.

Just one year ago, landscaping was all about color. If you took the time to look at lawns in your area, you may have noticed a variety of color interspersed in both the front and back yards. Things have gone in a different direction in 2017, and green is now the dominant color. However, because there are many shades of green, there is still quite a variety to see!

Natural is all the rage these days as well. Before this, there was a minimalist focus. That trend toward modernism is a thing of the past, however. Now, it is not unusual to see free-form patios and a fluidity in design. One difference we’ve personally seen is that there is a lot more wood when we go to do lighting installations.

Nature is the focus everywhere, including in the decor, the plants themselves, and more. There is also a focus on the environment, as landscapers try and plant foliage that is native to the region.

If you are considering installing outdoor lighting, pick an energy efficient option. Not only is it good for the environment, but it is less expensive for you in the long run. In particular, if you have a commercial property, you could save a bundle. There is a lot of space to work with, which is why it is important to be conscious of how much energy you are using. For example, if you own a strip mall or a health care center, you could save a lot of money if you pick LED lights for your outdoor areas. And, regardless of the weather outside, your property will always be aglow and will always look its best!

Outdoor lighting in Houston is a crucial part of any landscaping project. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it also serves an important purpose. Lighting helps you to see better and therefore stay safer, particularly when it is very dark outside. We can help with any lighting project, regardless of the scale. We work closely with you to ensure that you get what you want. We know how to make the process as painless for you as possible, even when there are additional challenges that present themselves along the way.

Get in touch with us or call Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting today and let us know how we can help you going forward! We are happy to talk about your options with you.

Robert Huff Illumination Suggests These Houston Outdoor Lighting Techniques For Your Business

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Commercial Outdoor Lighting Techniques

If you are looking for an outdoor light installer that is going to bring about a unique design to every commercial project, it is time to get in touch with Robert Huff Illumination experts. Regardless of whether you are looking to change the appearance of a restaurant or a nursing home, each is going to have specific needs that need to be addressed. An example of this would be a nonprofit hospital located in Fort Worth, Texas that used a wall wash technique to highlight the multiple facades of the many buildings.

Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting | Commercial Lighting Services HoustonSo what exactly is a wall washing lighting technique? Basically, this technique is going to create a warm and soothing look over the wall of a particular building. It is designed to look as though the light is bouncing off of the wall, this type of lighting will bring much more attention to any form of a building. This lighting technique will also minimize the texture of the building as it distributes the light evenly. Our Houston commercial lighting experts use this technique to liven the building up and offer the building a chance to shine in the evening.

The opposite of this technique is known as the moonlighting lighting technique. In this situation, the fixtures are placed above as opposed to down. So here the light will be shining down on the building. This helps to create some incredible shadows on the ground.

Another option that our experts can use is up-lighting which makes a remarkable contrasting effect. When a wall washing technique is used, the lights are placed about 12 inches from the wall plane which creates that flat appearance, with up-lighting the spotlights are placed close to the facade for an incredible effect. When this form of lighting is viewed from afar, it creates a dramatic view. Our Houston light installers will use this same technique for trees and other elements of the landscape.

Down-lighting technique is a form that is similar to moonlight with the exception that it is quite a bit bolder. Here the light fixtures are placed high to create a full circle of light over an area.

For an illuminating backdrop, our installers can use the process of silhouetting. This spectacular light show is created with a spread light that is placed between plants, trees, or another structure. This is another form of lighting that can be used for a dramatic effect due to the sharp contrast between the background and lighted area. The Houston commercial outdoor lighting installers know that silhouetting works incredibly well with dark green vegetation.

If you are looking for a way to add safety to the property, you may want to consider path lighting which is actually one of the most important aspects of a commercial property. In this case, small lighting fixtures are placed along walkways, driveways, and to direct people.

The Robert Huff Illumination experts want individuals to know how important this form of lighting is. Once these lights have been installed they will be used to direct pedestrians and keep the property safe.

Path lighting is an aspect of lighting that no commercial property in Texas should underestimate. If you are looking for an incredible way to bring more pedestrian traffic to your business or just want to ensure the safety of your customers this is one of the best ways to do it. In addition, the right type of path lighting can be sued to create incredibly striking pathways through gardens and otherwise dark areas of a commercial property. Contact out Houston commercial outdoor lighting experts to create an incredible design that will work for your business and customers.

If you have any questions about commercial lighting in the Houston area, you need to get in touch with Robert Huff Illumination for the best advice and installation. Our crew has years of experience and a stellar reputation to bring you the absolute best in commercial lighting. Our experts will work any commercial project whether big or small with the same type of enthusiasm and standards. Contact us today to see how commercial lighting can offer your business more safety and profits.

Call now!

A Houston TX Outdoor Lighting Company Can Boost Your Profits By Boosting Your Visibility

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Commercial Outdoor Lighting And Its Benefits On Your Houston Business

Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting | Commercial Outdoor Lighting in HoustonIf you wanted to play it safe, you never would have gone into business for yourself. The responsibilities, risks, financial uncertainty, and seemingly endless work are not for the timid. Regardless of whether your business is an electronics store or a coffee house, it’s critical that you make your name known since advertising and visibility are necessary to grow your consumer base and your profits from one year to the next.

All sort of advertising can prove an expensive endeavor. You might spend thousands just to get a digital banner on the Internet, and a magazine and might run you just as much. Even promoting something on social media might break your budget. However, your budget should not limit your dreams. Fortunately, there are ways that you can get plenty of consumers talking about what your business does and who it is without spending a ton. Keep reading to learn a handful of these awesome tips:

You might want to consult a Houston TX outdoor lighting company if your business has a physical, brick and mortar location. If your area is rather dark or ‘quiet’ so to speak, then you might want a commercial lighting installation to draw attention to people driving by. A long pathway can make an obvious entrance to your location or just light up your spot inside a strip mall more than others. Even when you’re closed, people can remember your location and maybe see your hours.

Talk to your Houston TX outdoor lighting company about the right mood to set. Your coffee house might use wall sconces, spotlights, and accent lights to create a rather romantic ambiance. Once the day workers are gone, your location might become part of date nights. If you’re looking to cater more to families and children, then use a variety of lights for a rainbow look.

Your Houston TX outdoor lighting company should have options that keep your budget in mind. Installing lights is an unavoidable cost, but using LED landscape lights can provide energy savings that let you keep your utility bills down after everything is put in place and lit up. The right LEd landscape lighting should be able to withstand the climate and elements, so weather isn’t going to speed up your need for replacements. Anytime you can install lighting and save money, your business truly has a brighter future.

Social media is a great way to get advertising done even on a shoestring budget, given the fact that you can create and grow a community of like-minded individuals without paying to promote your posts. Attract and gather those that like your products or services, or just those with similar tastes. Engage them in conversation and learn about their interests. If you run a coffee shop, learn what flavors, beans, and blends people like. Post content about the history of coffee and its health benefits.

Most every modern business has a website or at the least some landing page, where they promote their services or products. An email subscription prompt is a great thing to add to any website you have since you can then collect the email addresses of your site visitors. As your list grows over time, you can sell exclusively to those that once showed interest in your business more than other visitors. That’s a great way to boost your sales.

Another tip for the digital world is adding a search button to your website. It lets your visitors find what interests them most, which means you are catering to your audience. For instance, if you sell DVDs online, you might find out what titles or movie stars people are looking for. If it turns out your visitors have a penchant for science fiction over romantic comedies, you can skew your selections in that direction. You can also find out if there are things that people are looking for that you don’t yet carry so you can add it to your inventory.

Advertise Your Business With Commercial Outdoor Lighting In Houston

There are more ways to improve your business sales and opportunities other than just traditional advertising, and they’re not as expensive either. Whether it’s learning online or doing outdoor lighting, you can find tips, tricks, and tools you can use to make more money and enhance the visibility of your business. Running your own business can mean putting in long hours and facing tough decisions, many of which aren’t going to be in your comfort zone, but if you believe in it and want it, then do what it takes. If you want to shed light on your business for the world to see, then we just might be the Houston TX outdoor lighting company for you. Call us or contact Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting today for more information on the commercial lighting services we provide.

Setting Up An Outdoor Living Space With Houston Outdoor Lighting: Tips For Success

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Why Outdoor Lighting In Houston Is A Necessity For Your Outdoor Living Space

When you set up an outdoor area, you extend the living space of your home. This is particularly beneficial if you have a small house or you just don’t have enough room to store all of your things. When you create a purposeful area outside of your building, there is no limit to what you can do. You can set up a place to go when you are feeling stressed. You can set up a place to entertain others. Keep in mind that outdoor areas generally improve your curb appeal, so if you plan to sell in the future, you’ve got a feature that will be attractive to buyers. Just think of it; you could have your own place to do yoga, become one with nature or even just read.

If your family includes kids, you definitely need an outdoor living space. This area will give them a place to imagine, a place to run and jump and a place to enjoy nature. You can put up a play structure if you want. A tree house is a possibility as well. And, of course, if you think you will be outside in the evenings, it is a good idea to utilize Houston outdoor lighting services by getting them done correctly. Lights add visibility, which means it will be safer to play outside at dusk. Ultimately, an outdoor living area can help you relax and enjoy life. It also comes in handy when you need to sell your home.

We have worked in the Houston area for several years, and we enjoy lighting up the night for our customers. We’ve installed path lights, pool lights, and accent lights, and we feel confident that we can turn your outdoor living space into something amazing. Based on the work we’ve done, we’ve come up with several tips to help you create the outdoor living space of your dreams.

1. Come Up With A Design First

Before you get started on anything, make your design. You don’t want to dig up part of the yard without having a clear plan for what you want to do going forward. As light installers, we always design a plan first and present it to our clients. We then discuss and revise as necessary, making sure that we adhere to their vision of what they want from the project.

Robert Huff Outdoor Lighting | Residential Outdoor Lighting Houston2. Set A Goal

The size of your house and the size of your yard doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have a goal and an idea of what you want to see happen in your space. Lighting projects are all different. That’s because the homes and properties are all different as well. You never know what you might run into while on a job. Sometimes, we may need to bring in other professionals to help with your lighting project, like an engineer or an architect. This is done to ensure that you get the best outdoor space possible.

3. Go Green

Eco-friendly lighting is always the best option. You help the planet and you help your wallet as well when you choose to go green. We have LED lighting options that conserve energy and that won’t break the bank. There are even a variety of color options to choose from, so you don’t have to stick with the normal blue, green and red if you don’t want to.

LED lights are useful in a variety of ways. They can set a mood. They can light up an area or simply mark a walkway. They conserve energy and there are so many fixtures that you can choose from as well. Talk to your Houston outdoor lighting services professional and find out what you can do with your space.

4. Get Creative With Seating

You don’t have to keep everything uniform in your outdoor space. Why not set up a few metallic stools and then add some wooden benches as well? Don’t forget your children, either; there is plenty to choose from in the way of kid’s outdoor seating. Get creative and express your personality. Also think about how and who will use the space. You may enjoy lounging in a hammock, for example, while your spouse might prefer a bench. The only caveat here is to make sure that you don’t include too many patterns. In addition, have an overall theme that you can build around.

5. Have A Focal Point

Outdoor living areas should have a focal point. You can incorporate any number of decorative elements, as long as there is a focal point that the eye is drawn to.

Call us now or contact Robert Huff Illumination & Outdoor Lighting today for more information regarding the services we provide!

Houston Commercial Outdoor Lighting Done Right With LED Lighting

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What Can Outdoor LED Lights Do for Your Commercial Property?

There are many decisions to make when it comes to landscaping and this is also true of the lighting. One option that you would certainly want to consider, however, is using LED lights. Not only are they environmentally friendly, they cut costs because of their energy efficiency. For those that own a business, staying within a budget is of prime concern and using LED lights is certainly going to push the needle in the right direction. The savings can be used in many other areas of your business, including marketing.

We are going to talk about some of the benefits of using LED lights but before we do, it’s important to know about the energy savings. You may see up to an 80% reduction in your electricity usage when using LED lights because the bulbs are more efficient. That is one of the reasons why it is recommended that all of your outdoor commercial lighting uses LED lights.

How much longer will they last? A typical incandescent lightbulb will last approximately 1000 hours but LED lights may last anywhere from 30,000 up to 50,000 hours. According to some sources, that number may be much higher and could be upwards of 100,000 hours. Another benefit of having these long-lasting bulbs on your commercial property is the fact that it reduces maintenance because they don’t need to be replaced as frequently.

Most people don’t know what makes LED (light emitting diodes) lights unique in comparison to an incandescent bulb. An LED light is a semiconductor device and when you pass electrical current through it, it creates the light that you see. There really is no comparison, because LED lights will last longer, run more efficiently and are a much better choice than a regular bulb. You even have differences in color, with the primary choices being red, blue and green. Did you realize that there isn’t actually a white LED light? When you see a white LED, it is because of a mixture of colors and phosphor material.

One of the downfalls of LED lights is that they aren’t ideal for lighting up an entrance or other areas that need a broad light. They shine in one direction, so that does make them ideal for lighting up a sign or using in landscaping. It is that unidirectional effect of an LED light that helps to make them more efficient. An incandescent bulb throws light in every direction, using much more energy as a result.

LED lights can be found in many different industries. You can find them in your home when you open your refrigerator or when you use a camera flash. They can also be seen in many areas throughout your local area, including traffic signals, aviation lighting and headlamps in your car.

Incandescent bulbs will produce heat when they produce light. When you use an LED fault, on the other hand, there is very little heat loss and they only work when they’re cool enough. They are designed specifically for this type of efficiency.

If you’re considering installing LED lights on your commercial property, it is always a good idea to contact the best outdoor lighting company Houston TX has to offer. They will ensure that the LED lights are not only well-suited for the task but are also compliant with any standards that may be involved in your industry. In addition, you can tell them what you want to have as an end result and they will take your vision and bring it to life. It doesn’t matter if you want to light up the walkway, advertise your sign on the building or shine some light up through the trees for beauty, they will make it a reality.

All types of businesses around the world are now making use of outdoor commercial LED lighting. When you use it at your place of business, it allows your advertising on a property to work for you 24 hours a day. This can be a real benefit because it gives you marketing without having to put extra money out of your pocket. Of course, you would want everything to be designed appropriately for your business and that is another reason why you should have professional designers and installers for your landscape lighting.

Along with using your property for advertising, you can also improve your curb appeal and brand your business using LED lights. They come in many different shapes, sizes, and types including different colors, mini lights and even specialty lighting that will really help to make your landscaping pop. There are even some commercial options available that are very low voltage and those with a strobe effect that will really make heads turn.

When you use a professional landscape company to design and install the lights, there is another benefit that you should keep in mind. Since those companies often work directly with the distributor, they can get you a much better price than what you would pay directly. This savings is passed on to you and can be recirculated in your business for a variety of purposes.

In addition, you don’t want to have your business down and out while the landscaping is taking place. Using the best outdoor lighting company Houston TX has to offer can get the job done quickly so that you can be backed up and running without a hitch. They will even respect the nearby landscaping so that they don’t disturb anything that you may have worked hard to achieve.

It’s time to consider LED lighting for your commercial space. Contact us or call Robert Huff Illumination for more information as to how you can use LED lights to improve your property and your business.