For many people the basement is a place of escape and for others it is simply a place for storage. With all the room underneath you, you don’t want it to go to waste. Renovating your basement can greatly increase the value of your home if it is unfinished or in need of an update. One important point to remember is the electrical wiring hiding behind the walls.

If you bought your home and it was already finished, that work could have been done many years ago and you might be thinking it is time to update fixtures, paint, and maybe evening moving a wall. When you begin pulling things apart, be careful for loose or old wires. If the electrical work was not done right, there could be loose electrical wires that were not tied in properly.  The wiring can also be old and out of date. If you are moving walls or replacing fixtures and you are worried about the age of the wiring, have a licenced electrician come to inspect your wiring. If you are going to go through the effort of redoing your basement you want to make sure it is done right.

For those who have an unfinished basement you have a clean slate to work from. Once you start putting up the framing for rooms, you can start on the electrical rough in. This is the foundation for the electrical wires, which includes drilling holes in the framing and running the wires to where they need to go. If this is not done correctly it could leave you with a significant headache once your drywall is up and you have to punch a hole in the brand new wall.

When you are planning out your new layout, make not of where each outlet, light switch, and light fixture will be placed. This will help you plan out the electrical rough-in. If you have reached this point in your basement renovation and don’t know where to go from there – contact Expert Electric. Our electricians can help you with the planning and running the wires through your basement.

Most electrical panels are located in the basement. Prior to your renovation, you probably could easily access the panel. When you are putting up framing and drywall, be sure to leave enough room around the panel for it to easily open. You also want to make sure not to cover it with furniture that could prevent you from accessing it quickly. In the event that you need to turn on a tripped breaker or even turn off a circuit in an emergency, you don’t want to be struggling with furniture to get the panel open.

Before you renovate your basement, have a plan and be prepared.

The design process is complete, and the Thronedown Challenge is about to commence.  The votes will be cast and the crown awarded to the champion designer. Capitol Lighting followers can visit our company’s Facebook page to vote, while showroom customers and employees can get a live look at the renovations in order to choose their favorite design and cast their ballots.

This friendly competition between two northern New Jersey interior designers has involved weeks of hard work, resulting in a transformation of  both the men’s and ladies’ restrooms in Capitol Lighting’s Paramus store. The finalists were chosen based on their expertise; they each received a $2,000 project budget with lighting supplied by Quoizel and Feiss.

Before

After

Mannarino’s vision was to create something sophisticated, dramatic and tailored. Her step-by-step design process included:

With studies today showing how harmful internal combustion engines can be to the environment, it’s little wonder that the electric car is becoming a more popular option among consumers. Not only do gasoline powered cars contribute to pollution, but extracting and processing the oil needed by these cars causes pollution and contamination as well. The hybrid market is beginning to heat up, especially as many people begin to realize that benefits that these vehicles have to offer. If you’re considering the purchase of an electric car, here are several of the top benefits you can enjoy.

Benefit #1 – Environmentally Friendly

One of the main benefits of going with an electric hybrid vehicle is that these vehicles are environmentally friendly. These vehicles produce no waste, eliminating problems like carbon monoxide pollution. Internal combustion engines allow waste to permeate the air by releasing chemicals through the vehicle’s tailpipe. Electric vehicles don’t even have a tailpipe and will not create pollution to the environment.

Benefit #2 – Energy Efficient

If you’re interested in energy conservation, you’ll find that an electric car has the benefit of being energy efficient. Energy is consumed in an efficient manner within these cars. Approximately 75% of the energy from the batteries is converted into energy. On the opposite side, traditional engines lose about 80% of the energy that comes from the fuel.

Benefit #3 – Reduces Dependence on Oil

You’ll also find that an electric car has the benefit of reducing dependence on oil as well. Much of the gasoline used for internal combustion engines is imported in from other countries, making these vehicles reliant on foreign oil. Many feel that dependence on foreign oil is a natural security problem, not just an environmental one. Cars that run on electricity get the electricity needed from the car’s batteries. While hybrids may use some gasoline, they are not fully dependent on the oil imported from other countries.

Benefit #4 – Provides Savings

Those who purchase and use an electric car can enjoy money saving benefits too. Although the initial investment may seem more expensive, tax credits and lowered long-term expenses actually provide savings in the long run.

Benefit #5 – Great Performance

Electric vehicles today can offer great performance as well. Electric engines have fewer moving parts, which makes them less likely to have a problem. This lowers maintenance costs and provides users with a smooth and efficient driving experience.

It’s easy to see that the electric car provides some excellent benefits to consumers today. These benefits can be maximized by having an electrical charging station installed at your home as well. Professional electric companies install these charging stations, which make it easier to keep your electric vehicle charged. With installation of a quality charging station, you can enjoy faster and more efficient charge times, making the most of your hybrid vehicle.

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.

Once you have decided on using prefabs, the best approach starts with an honest assessment of available skills, facilities and tools. In addition, the contractor will have to decide on whether to carry out the prefab work in-house. Other options include a third party’s workshop.

If lacking in the required skills or other requirements, the contractor will have to either train or hire the right staff and acquire all the tools for implementing the project to completion. All these costs will affect profitability and should be considered.

Clear communication before and during the construction phase is essential for the success of prefabrication. The contractor should coordinate with building owner, suppliers, partners and contractors in other fields.  This ensures a smooth project flow. It should be simple to make adjustments as needed.

For the prefab process to succeed, the contractor should pay attention to the following: