Top 7 Features to Consider When Buying Floor Lamps

Lighting in a room helps to control moods and perception of size. While many of us think that it is a simple matter of buying just a lamp, in reality there is a science behind it. The type of floor lighting you buy can be a factor to the drama of a room. The type of light the floor lamp emits can make the room look larger. A floor lamp is great when you have limited space in a room. They can be very useful additions in the overall d?cor of you home. So before buying a floor lamp or any other lamp it helps to understand some of the science behind interior lighting effects. Here are some lighting features you should understand when choosing a floor lamp.

Feature 1: What is the Lighting Output?

The lumen is the measure of light output. A lumen is also known as luminous flux. Lumens are used to rate output on lighting. Something many of us do not know is that as a lamp ages and becomes dirty, there is a decrease in lumen output.

Feature 2: What type of bulb does the light use?

Floor lamps come in a variety of styles using different types of bulbs. The most significant factor to consider in choosing a floor lighting bulb type is how much energy a certain type of bulb will use. Specifically we will be discussing tungsten, halogen and fluorescent light bulbs.

Traditional tungsten light bulbs have been around quite some time. These lights use a filament of tungsten that heats up with the electric current and glows brightly as the element evaporates inside the bulb. The evaporated tungsten will accumulate on the wall of the bulb and cause the glass to become darker over time. Therefore, as tungsten bulbs age, their light output decreases.

Halogen bulbs use a technology that burns or evaporates the tungsten on the filament inside the bulb and the re-deposits that evaporated tungsten back onto the filament instead of the inner walls of the bulb casing. Since the evaporated filament does not cloud the inside of the bulb walls, the light stays bright. Plus the re-deposited tungsten is re-evaporated making way for an even brighter light. All of this takes heat and consequently energy. Halogen bulbs also burn very hot so they are somewhat of a fire hazard as well.

The other type is the fluorescent bulb. Fluorescent bulbs consist of tubes filled with argon and mercury gas. Electric current is passed through the gas and produces ultraviolet radiation. The ultraviolet radiation produces light by activating a phosphorous coating inside the tube. The bulbs are energy-efficient but lack in the color rendering capabilities found in tungsten or halogen bulbs.

Feature 3: What is the Light Level?

The light level is also known as luminance. It is the amount of light that passes through or is emitted from a given area. Luminance is measured in units known as foot-candles or lumens per square foot. It is a measure of the total output of light emitted from a source. You can measure light level using a simple 35mm camera with a light meter. Certain tasks may require a specific light level making this an important metric.

1. Reading a book or putting on makeup ? 50 to 100 foot-candles

2. Hobbies, crafts, sewing, workbenches ? 75 to 200 foot-candles.

3. Kitchen lighting ? 50 to 100 foot-candles Entertaining guests and dining ? 10 to 20 foot-candles.

4. Sometimes you can reach these levels with one floor lamp if the room is small. But as the room space is larger, you may need more than one floor lamp.

Feature 4: Is the glare level comfortable?

Glare is a situation in which the luminance is too bright and very uncomfortable for several in the room looking at the light. If the light is too bright and the background is dark, the glare is even worse. This might be the case if you have a floor lamp sitting next to a dark wall. Someone sitting across the room might be annoyed by it. If you utilize up-lighting it will help to reduce the glare as well. Traditional torchiere floor lamps are good for up-lighting.

Feature 5: For a torchiere floor lamp, do you have a safe place for it?

This is a safety plan for halogen floor lamps mostly; you cannot place these next to drapes as they could catch fire. If you have limited space then choose a lamp that does not burn as hot as would be found with the fluorescent or halogen lights.

Feature 6: Do need the utility of a table with a floor lamp?

It could be that your floor lamp is replacing an end table at the side of a sofa or easy chair. There are styles of floor lamps that can also add the utility of an end table. These floor lamps have what looks like a table base. The disadvantage to buying this type of floor lamp is that you might someday want to move it away from the sofa or easy chair and place it somewhere else. Then it might look awkward when the table part of it is no longer used.

Feature 7: Do you need an additional reading lamp attached to the floor lamp?

It could be the lamp itself is not sufficient enough for reading a book. Remember, floor lamps use up-lighting towards the ceiling. So if you do a lot of reading in your favorite easy chair then you would want to get the style of floor lamp that has a directed reading light.

A floor lamp is a useful piece of furniture that adds to the d?cor and style of your living area. Take the time to consider what type of floor lamp that you would like as they are not all the same.

Ellen writes at http://www.antiquefurniturecontainer.com on office furniture