If you live in a San Diego home that was built in the mid to late last century, you probably have a kitchen with fluorescent lighting. It was the trend back in the day, but now can make a house look dated—not to mention it isn’t the most energy-efficient type of lighting out there. In addition, fluorescent light tubes must be discarded at special hazardous waste collection centers, as they are considered household hazardous waste (HHW).
Many San Diego homeowners are looking to replace the fluorescent lighting in their kitchens, either as part of an overall kitchen remodel, or as a separate home improvement project, but they aren’t sure what to do.
If you’re at all handy, replacing fluorescent lighting could be a job you could tackle on your own fairly inexpensively, or it’s a project that most local handymen could take care of for you. If you need to do some rewiring or are moving outlets around, you might want to call in a San Diego electrician.
If your fluorescent lighting is housed in a box that is attached to the ceiling, you’re in luck! This will be a pretty simple project. It’s even simpler if you want the new lighting you choose to hang in the same place that the old lighting once hung. The most difficult part of the project will be patching the places where the lighting box was attached to the ceiling. Here’s one option to consider.
You’ll probably also want to put a new coat of paint on the entire kitchen ceiling, so the patched areas don’t stand out. Painting a ceiling isn’t the most fun DIY project out there, but it’s certainly do-able for most people.
If your fluorescent lighting is recessed into the ceiling of your kitchen, you have a bigger project on your hands. You can bring in someone to drywall over the recessed area after you remove the lighting, or you can get a little more creative. One option is to trim out the recessed area, and make it a feature in your kitchen. You could then add can lights, like in this photo or this one, or hang pendant lights from it, like in this inspiration photo.
Other Kitchen Lighting Updates for San Diego Homeowners to Consider
While you’re making changes to the lighting in your kitchen, you might want to consider some other lighting options as well. Under cabinet lighting can be a great addition, and fairly inexpensive, as can in-cabinet lighting, if you have any cabinets with glass doors that house attractive items you’d like to highlight. Pendant lights over a kitchen island or peninsula are also a popular addition to kitchens.
No matter which option you choose, it’s important to know your DIY limits. If you’ve never worked with electrical before, call in a professional for help. The same goes with drywall work. Pay someone to have it done right the first time, or you may find yourself having to pay for it twice!
