There was a time when buying light bulbs used to be a much easier task than it is today. Then along came LED, CFL, and light bulbs bent on reducing energy. With this, the good old incandescent started losing their place on our bulb holders. Gone are the days when finding a bulb for your home just meant looking at the wattage on the box. If a bulb was rated 100 watts, you knew it would be 25% brighter than a 75-watt one.

An entirely new rating system is now used and this has been giving shoppers grief for quite a while. At the center of this confusion is the word ‘lumens,’ which appears along its older and more familiar cousin ‘watts.’ Learning about lumens is the price you pay to help keep our planet safe. Don’t worry, though. We will tell you everything you need to know about the new lights rating system.

Lumens are units used to measure how much light a bulb puts out. Watts measure how much electrical power the bulb uses. With incandescent bulbs, the expected brightness pretty much depended on the wattage of the bulb. One lumen is equal to the amount of light given out by a birthday candle.

The idea with energy saver bulbs is to use fewer watts and produce more power. Incandescent bulbs produced by different companies are pretty uniform. On the other hand, energy saver bulbs are so varied, you don’t know if two 50 watt bulbs will be equally bright. This is why CFL and LED bulbs have lumen figures printed on them while incandescent varieties only have wattage.

When you hear “lumen per watt”, think miles per gallon. This is a measure of efficiency. It measures how many lumens of electricity a bulb can produce when using up one watt of electricity. This is the factor that should interest you the most when you are buying light bulbs. The first step is to figure out the brightness you want in lumens. If you want a brighter room, go for a bulb with more lumens. To dim it down, consider a bulb with a smaller lumen rating. Also, find the lumens per watt rating to determine which bulb has the greatest efficiency. Usually, the lumens per watt rating is an average, as bulbs reduce in efficiency with time. The lumen per watt rating is calculated by dividing the brightness in lumens a bulb offers by the number of watts it takes to produce.

Watts can be converted into lumens by multiplying the lumens per watt rating by the brightness.

The Federal Trade Commission now requires a product information summary, called the Lighting Facts label, to be attached to every lighting product. Another label that you should be on the lookout for is the Energy Star mark. The system was created by the Environmental Protection Authority in 1992 to govern the energy consumption of various household and industrial appliances. When it comes to lighting, this mark is put on bulbs that have met a certain lumen per watts threshold. This mark effectively spells impending doom for incandescent bulbs because they do not come anywhere near fulfilling these new efficiency ratings. If you are not into reading the fine prints and making calculations, the Energy Star logo will make your life easier. Look for the label on light bulbs to ensure you are getting a good deal.

The chart below can help to understand the Energy Star system.

This chart is an excellent indicator of how incandescents measure up to energy savers.

Aside from the fact that you have one more bullet in your trivia arsenal, your hunt for light bulbs should now return to the simple task it should be.

Love is in the air! Fall officially began last week, so we are in the throes of the autumn wedding season. Although the summer months have traditionally been the most popular for weddings, autumn weddings have steadily risen in popularity and nowadays, you’re just as likely to receive an orange maple leaf save-the-date as you are a frilly invite with a flower border.

But as we all (should have) learned in elementary school, when the seasons change, the angle of sunlight touching the earth changes as well, resulting in a different quality and duration of sunlight. While many people prefer the more “golden” tones of autumn afternoons (especially photographers!), it can certainly be challenging to keep your special day well-lit when the sun begins to set. But never fear! Here is a list of four ways lighting can save the day on your big day.

If you can, hire a lighting designer for your wedding. Great lighting can be the difference between a spectacular party and a “well, they tried hard.” Acclaimed lighting designer Extreme Productions) how glamorous professional wedding lighting can be. If you can afford to go all out, you won’t be sorry.

The reason lighting at a wedding is so important is it can really make or break a venue’s ambiance. Whether you want a romantic vibe, like in the picture, or more of a warm, casual family feel, lighting can make a huge difference on how successful you are in achieving the aura you desire. You will want to look into professional lighting design, especially if your wedding takes place outside. Many venues have pre-approved lighting designers familiar with their codes, so make sure to find out when venue-hunting.

But if hiring a lighting designer is these awesome DIY wedding lighting tips from the blog at Wedding Window.

It’s incredibly easy to forget about “minor details” like lighting while planning your wedding, but you can go nuts trying to come up with last-minute lighting solutions. Since lighting has such a big impact every part of the wedding, make it a priority!

3. Make a list early on of things that need to be well-lit, and plan accordingly.

Do you want your new monogram spotlighted on the wall at your reception? Or pinhole light above your wedding cake or centerpieces? Maybe fun, moving lights for the ceiling above the dance floor?

Research some of the lighting elements that have worked well at past weddings and make a list of everything you want at yours. It’s okay if you have to scrap some of your ideas, but the process of writing it out will help you make sure you don’t miss anything you’ll regret later.

If you’re doing your own lighting, this step is crucial to planning for what kinds of lights you want where, and what crafting you need to finish beforehand. Taking the time to plan ahead will save you all kinds of trouble at game time.

4. Crappy venues can’t defeat you!

Fun Fact:  A traditional New Year’s Eve religious service, “Watch Night” is observed to give thanks for life’s blessings and pray for divine favor in the coming year.  “Watch Night” was especially significant among African Americans in 1862, as President Lincoln vowed to end slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

Wherever you happen to be, New Year’s marks a time for change, a time for making resolutions and a revival of hope.  Make a life changing resolution; Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom and work to improve your future illumination.  Rejoice in unbeatable promotional pricing on the year’s finest home lighting and accessories, including shining innovations from Forecast, Hanover Lantern and Thomas Lighting.

We’ve seen LED rope lights transform a staircase handrail, and accent outdoor This homeowner created an inspiring word art installation on the wall of her son’s playroom. She used the screw-in mounting clips that come with the product for wall hanging.

One great tip for a project like this is to place weights (or other heavy objects) on top of your rope light to shape it properly. Often our customers say that Image via www.prettyhandygirl.com

2. A Crocheted LED-Lit Rug:  This one blew us away! The single strand of LED rope lighting was crocheted into a generic spiral pattern to create this rug. For anyone who wants to emulate, the original Image via www.wonderhowto.com

3. A Backlit Bedroom Headboard:  Image via www.removeandreplace.com

Where are you seeing LED rope lighting used lately?