Beam Spread
Beam spread refers to the amount of space a light covers from different distances.
Beam spread refers to the amount of space a light covers from different distances. As light moves further away from a reflectorized light source, it spreads out and becomes less intense. Essentially, beam spreads carry the light to where it is needed.
Different degrees of beam spread can be used in different applications and accomplish different goals. For example, a 10° will give you a tall, thin beam of light good for grazing trees and column features. A 35° beam spread will give you a medium height and width beam of light good to use for general accent lighting. A 60° will give you a short but wide beam light that works well for lighting broad trees and wide structures. A 120° would give you a low but wide beam of light that would work well for wall washing, grazing and short but wide objects.
Voltage
Voltage measures the output of electrical current. The higher the voltage, the higher the flow of electrical current.
Voltage measures the output of electrical current. The higher the voltage, the higher the flow of electrical current. Low voltage lighting systems use a transformer to reduce normal voltage (usually 120 or 277 volts) to 12 or 24 volts. This is often used in recessed, track, pendant, landscape and display lighting applications.
Line voltage is standard in lighting, while low voltage lighting is less commonly used. Line voltage systems usually use 120v or 277v to power lighting fixtures and they do not require transformers to power lighting fixtures.
Line voltage lighting can be used almost anywhere low voltage lighting can be used, although the same cannot be said for the reverse. Line voltage systems can go as far as you can run wire from a power source.
On the other hand, low voltage lighting is often used in display lighting or in an application where it can be challenging to run full standard voltage wire. Low voltage systems are commonly used in landscape applications or display lighting applications.
Lumens
Lumens measures the brightness of a light.
Lumens measures the brightness of a light. The higher the lumen rating, the brighter a light will appear.
Many confuse Lumens with Watts, which measures the amount of energy in a light. However, measuring the brightness of a light is more important than measuring the power of a light, especially in reference to newer more energy efficient bulbs.. More wattage does not actually mean more light which is why LED lighting is measured in lumens. Using Watts as a guide to measuring brightness is no longer relevant.
Lumens are helpful to consider when you’re trying to figure out how many lights to buy for your space. However, there is no specific answer as to how many lumens you will need as this depends on the size of your room, height of your ceilings, colors, how the room is used, etc.
Color Temperature
Color temperature describes the appearance of light provided by a light bulb and varies from warm tones to cool tones.
Color temperature describes the appearance of light provided by a light bulb. This is measured in degrees of Kelvin (K) on a scale of 1,000 to 10,000. A light bulb's color temperature allows us to know what the look and feel of the light produced will be.
The right color temperature can influence the look and feel of your room, from warm white to cool white and shades in between. Typically, Kelvin temperatures for commercial and residential lighting is somewhere on the scale between 1800K to 6500K.
On the lower end of the scale, about 1800K to 3000K, this light is considered "warm white" and will be orange to yellow-white in appearance. This can create a cozy and welcoming ambiance for your room and is great in living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, entryways and outdoors.
Color temperatures between 3500K and 4500K are considered "cool white" and these are more neutral white or even tinted with blue in appearance. They create a crisp look and are good to use for basements, garages, and task and security lighting.
