Thanks Everyone

CEFreeman- My DH is staying out of it. He doesn't know what looks good and I have made every decision this far, except for joint in choosing counters. He said he will have decorate the basement since I have the rest of the house. HA we will see about that(sports and poker family room basement), not so much haha

Make sure he also runs enough wire so the lights are at the front of the cabinet so they actually light up the counter. My electrician originally placed the lights at the back of cabinet "because that's the way we always do it". I made him move them forward.

Heather, every single decision that I second-guessed and changed due to someone else's "expertise" I have regretted, from the size of my garage to the placement of windows to the location of light switches. So what if your parents or whoever don't use UCL -- YOU WANT IT and that is the ONLY factor that matters.

When my husband gets up to make coffee in the morning, he uses only the UCLs because they aren't as harsh for bleary eyes. I have simple florescent tube lights under cabinets. They are hard wired to a wall switch, but each has an individual on/off switch if I want to have some on, some off. I've never heard of an electrician who would turn down work! Is he working for free as a favor or something?

'I wanted to yell and say I already did thats why I chose to have it in the first place.'

DO IT! your house, your money! IF it should turn out you don't use them so much - that's ok. just don't turn 'em on - no problem.

the only light I have in my kitchen now is an UCL - bought at W and plugged in (kitchen area here is about 5x6). I'm taking it with me when i move and will pick up another 1 or 2. I don't want to pay an electrician to wire them in but I sure do want them! I'm more concerned about having other light fixtures in the place rewired or I would have the UCLs wired in.

Parents DON'T always know what's best, so listen but make your own decisions.

I bought my first condo in 1993 when I was in my 20's. I bought new from the builder so I could make some additions. My mother talked me out of adding an outlet for a ceiling fan (in a room with no attic) because it cost an additional $100. Yes, I said a hundred bucks. My condo was over $100k!

Ironically, I did NOT want the UCL originally in our kitchen. Our GC put them in, even after I voiced my negative opinion about them. LOL....

I am SO GLAD he did it anyway, we use them every day and they are dimmable. love-love-love them. :)

Get them done... you don't want to have any regrets down the road. :)

Another consideration dor kitchens is circuits. He sounds out of date so make sure he runs 12g wire for 20A circuits with seperate circuits for a micro, another for the frig and another two for the disposal and dishwasher. Two more 20A circuits for countertop appliances at least.

Oh my goodness, you NEED them. Having had a new kitchen (in a new house) that didn't have UCL installed (it wasn't an option from our builder!), I wound up going out and getting those little plug-in small fluorescent tube lights. It wasn't dimmable, but the light was a must. Just like everyone else said, you will absolutely regret not having them installed. and you want the light toward the front of the cabinet, not the back...while it sheds light on your backsplash, to me the REAL reason to have it is that it gives much needed light in an area that is otherwise a bit too dark.

We're just getting things started for our "new" old house's kitchen remodel, but one of the things that is an absolute must, no exceptions, is UCL and it will have dimmers. Put your foot down and insist. I'd probably go with the, "I know you think it's a silly idea, but please humor me." Tell the electrician, "You can say "I told you so" later if it's a mistake, but for now, just lets go with my idea."

So much easier to do it "right" now than have to go back and try to install later.

Do as Dan1888 says... and what everyone else says :)

I have undercounter lights and they are dimmable, hardwired, LED. My DH absolutely loves them and so do I. DH would have saved the $ if he was making the decisions, but thank goodness for the both of us that he wasn't, as this project was my baby.

In my old kitchen I did not use them very much, but now I do use them more...sometimes I turn them on just to admire the granite counters and BS!

First GC said no go for getting rid of soffits. Get a second opinion!! We are about 3/4 done and no more soffits and yes, we are putting in UC LED light bars!!
Just like the medical world - a second opinon is important. I think the first one thought it was too much work....

Note - no more soffits!!! I am so excited!!

I can't answer about UCL lights because we have no uppers, but I can say that you need to set boundaries when dealing with in laws.
Just because you are in your 20s does not mean they get to veto what you want in your own house. You will be the one living with what you do or don't do. They have their own house to make decisions about. If you let them push you around, it will only get worse over the years. When you have kids (if you don't already), you don't want them pushing their views on you or undermining your parenting.

If you continue to use their friend as your electrician, you need to make clear to the electrician who they work for. I would also ask that what is between you and the electrician or what goes on in your house stays between you and the electrician and is not shared with others. If this is a professional arrangement, they need to act professionally.

I don't have them and want them. If I had them, I'd use them daily. Just like the light on the exhaust fan. I use it every time I'm using the cooktop-- the overhead room light doesn't light up the area all that well. The prep area needs it even more, since the upper cabinets in that area are lower to the counter (therefore block out more light) than the fan over the cooktop.

Get them. You will not regret it. It makes me a little sick to my stomach to hear someone tell you that "Nobody uses them". This is just an excuse so they don't have to put them in.

We are putting in the ones that are tape and virtually lie flat on the bottom front of the cabinet. We rare comparing Hafele and Maxim Star Strand.

it doesn't matter if you need them or not (and you DO). it's your kitchen and you WANT them. end of discussion.

heck with the "humor me" crap.
It's your house and you want them.
So... put them in.

I'm sure you know the DH staying out of it thing means you're going to have to be the heavy on this.

I agree with boundaries. This will definitely set the tone of your in-law relationship for future, larger decisions.

It really doesn't matter what the electrician says or thinks. If you're paying this friend of the in-laws, put your foot down. If not, let him do what he's doing as a favor and pay someone to do what you want.

C.

I am so impressed by your thorough reflection on what you want, where you want them, and why.

If there is any space in the house that needs light, it's the kitchen. My electrician is the opposite of yours - he's been teaching me about the importance of light and convinced me that UCL lighting it a good thing. So glad I went with his suggestion.

Can't wait to see the pics.

I didn't get them in my new build because I had to cut costs somewhere, and I didn't know better. I never realized they were functional. I regretted it for over a year because the lack of lighting when I was cooking was terrible. Finally, I hired an electrician to retrofit them in. This cost at least double of what I originally would have paid (and was do-able because of my crawl space....)

So... don't regret this decision later.... GET THEM NOW!

My contractor was the opposite. When we first started going over budget, UCL was one of the first things I cut out to save $$. My contractor said "fine" and we continued on. As sticker shock eased a bit, I realized I really wanted the UCL and added them back in. He told me "I wouldn't have let you get by without UCL. I knew you just needed time but I would have talked you into them." lol I love my contractor.

Don't have regrets. Drywall up or not, you can still add them in. Do it while you can!!

I agree with everyone. I worked so hard to get this kitchen to look exactly how I want and I can't let the electricinan talk me out of UCL.

DH and I do have a beautiful 20 month old daughter and ML knowns her place with that. ML does think she knows best but, she is not the mother to my child, and this is not her house either. She knows I mean business.

I did put a lot of thought into getting UCL but after hearing 3 people(ML, FL, electrician say that noone uses them and it's a waste of money. I don't know why I listened because no we are down to the wire finishing things up.

This whole process I would say everything I want, someone is telling me the opposite looks good

I want white cabinets- someone says wood
I say white subway- Contractor brother says black is nice
I want horizontal outlet plugs- FL has never heard of them being placed horizontal.
sink size- how can a sink be too big haha

at the end of the day this is our kitchen and it has to be the kitchen of OUR dreams. Thanks everyone for confirming the need for UCL. Waiting to hear back from the electrician as we speak. He should be at the house any minute.

I use mine all the time. I'll echo the statements above that it sounds like he's just being lazy. I would hate not having them.

We haven't re-installed our UCL and I miss it. One of our contractors talked me out of a couple of things, and after doing some research, I realized that he just wanted to do the easy work. What I wanted wasn't unusual, just a little more difficult to do. But by then it was too late to change things.

Get this done while it's easy.

BTW, DH turned our outlets horizontal so they would blend in better with the subway tile.

After reading this post, i know what i missed due my forced reconstruction. This goes in my list of suggesting anybody who wants a kitchen re-do.
Is there a way to put some UCL after the kitchen is done?

I actually talked to the electrician today and told him I WANT UCL, so that's what he's doing. He is on the slow side so hopefuly this will be done soon. We need to get the drywall up and the floors in by Monday.

I am currently using off the shelf plug in UC lighting and I love it. Yep, it is definitely a necessity!

Good News Heather! Don't you feel good?

clg, Can you give more details about your off the shelf plug in UC lighting ? i could love to get it done.

Yeah!!!
Way to stand your ground!!
I am so excited about UCL being installed in my new kitchen!!

Yeah, sometimes contractors will tell you that you don't really want something, they're useless, no one uses them, blah, blah blah because HE doesn't wanna do it! Steel yourself to be polite, but firm when these situations come up.

My first thought reading this was, "well, you may not need the lights, but you definitely need new inlaws!"

Maybe the next thing they'll suggest is that you don't need indoor plumbing!

Your UCLs will forever be a nice symbol of claiming your space - not to mention much appreciated light!

Way to go!

And stick with your decision to turn receptacles horizontally. It looks so much better with subways. My electrician charged 50 cents extra to do it that way. Glad I spent the "big dollars".

Whistle

My hubby is an electrical eng. and he will admit that our undercabinet lighting really made the difference in our kitchen! Go for it...you will be so happy you did and it is worth every penny!1

Totally agree these are a must have- my DH flipped when he got the bill for our after cabinet install (yes, it can be done even AFTER cabs are in!!!!) for ours and now he thanks me daily for insisting they be put in after finding out our GC thought I said I didn't want them. We got the LED strips and they are gorgeous!

I'm so proud of you Heather! You did it! There's no need to be nasty to people just say I respect your opinion but I really do want it done this way and I appreciate so much your realizing that and doing it for us. Sometimes old dogs just need to learn a few new tricks and then they will be proud of their work in the end. When we built our house I was having to go toe to toe with the builder as my husband is the type who will say "you need to tell him" meaning he wasn't planning on doing any confrontation or getting involved. I pretty much did it all on my own since my husband also travels. But the builder would eventually do about 80 percent of what I wanted. When the house was finished he brought people over to see it to show off his work. One of the other workers told me he was really proud of our house. A friend told me that they brought our house up to him as an example of his work and said they knew me and he said "oh she's a sweetheart". LOL!!! I thought he hated me. He sure did act like it! So, they just need to be pushed out of their comfort zone and they will be difficult but then in the end they are proud of the new things they did. I absolutely love my under cabinet lights and nearly use them exclusively. Mine are mounted about in the middle of the cabinet, it lights up the backsplash and also gives me light on the counter. I really don't think I could manage without them!!! I'd give up the can lights before I gave up my under cabinet lights! I love them. They are fluorescent in type. Congratulations on being a new homeowner and all the best on your new kitchen!

Aynb - another happy customer with hardwired retrofit lighting. I used Ambiance Low Voltage Linear Lighting with clear xenon festoon bulbs from Sea Gull Lighting and it really wasn't expensive.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sea Gull Linear Lighting

Great job!
I hope for you that this is the most difficult challenge you face. :)

I also hope you hold on to the fact that sometimes you just gotta be the grown up. [LOL]

There'll always be someone who knows better, or is adamant that you do/don't want whatever. Truly, you're the only one who knows what you want and you also have the privilege of changing your mind when you have more information or different options brought to your attention.

I really can't wait to see what you come up with.
Christine

Oh - BTW! What type of UCL are you going with after all this?

You go girl! Good for you GWers that helped her to get the guts to stand her ground.

I readd this thread with interest and I am glad to see this outcome.

"Yeah, sometimes contractors will tell you that you don't really want something, they're useless, no one uses them, blah, blah blah because HE doesn't wanna do it!"

While not all that hard to install, it is a bit of a PITA to be working under the cabinets (and taller folks seem to complain complain more).

I am very glad I do not do it over and over every day, but once in a while is tolerable.

Thank you Javachik.

I just have to say I really can't believe how many replies and how passionate everyone is about UCL. This made me giggle. We obviously all come to this site due to our love for Kitchens, decorating or whatever it is and it really shows. If I talk to family/friends about this project or decorating at all they don't really care or think I am upsessed but atleast you all are probably the same way, with your homes. We just want it to be the most organized and comfortable home for our family right.
Everyone has been so helpful here through our whole kitchen design process. I have learned so much from everyone and hope our kitchen can stand up to all the great ones on this site.

We are so close to the finish line! cabinets go in next week!

Go to www.cabinetledlighting.com They have the best quality cabinet lighting. It is very easy to install....DIY.

I'm getting UCL LED bars and I want ambiance. After reading all these posts I'm wondering if they should be dimmable.
How far apart should they be? I want to get it right before the backsplash tile is installed. Are the LED bars really so bright that they should be dimmable?

My under-cab lights are almost my favorite part of my kitchen reno! Seriously! As others have said, they're very functional (for task lighting) and pretty (on the low setting, for ambiance).

The only thing I regret is not getting them installed midway under the cabs. I had researched how others have done this and how they recommend this, so that the light is focused on the center of the countertop, instead of the back. Mine, sadly, are installed at the back. When I asked my electrician to install them in the middle, he looked at me as if I were retarded, and said, "I've been installing UCL for 20 years, and you're the first person to ask that they be installed that way.". He said he couldn't do it, due to code requirements and exposed wires. (I think that may be a load of bull, but I'm not an electrician.)

Regardless, I'm pretty happy with my UCL's. FWIW, I got Xenon hard wired lights (see link). The settings are off/low/high, which works for me, but I think it's possible to install them with a dimmer, too.

I really can't imagine living without these!

My husband originally thought that these were a froufrou item, but now he uses them all the time.

Good luck in getting what you want!

Here is a link that might be useful: Xenon low-profile UCL's

Yes, I would go with the dimable option. Mine are actually "high, medium, low" vs truly dimable, but still. I use the high setting for actually working on the counters and low for ambiance. I don't generally use the medium, but I could. Like marftha, this is one of my favorite parts of the remodel. Who knew?

Good job Heather!

Cece123, I put in LED strips (how far apart - got them the length of the cabs without gaps) and they are dimmable. I have yet to install the dimmer switch though and it has been nearly 2 years! They are a nice light (I got the environmentallights.com warm version) and I really haven't had any desire to dim them. In fact, the kitchen is adjacent to the family room and they are usually the only lights on when we watch a movie.

marcydc - did you get the lights enclosed within the bars or the wire strip? We're trying to decide which route would be best. Do you have any pictures of them that you could post?

If a person doesn’t want to do the work it tells me they can’t and I am happy they told me their feelings. I would get someone else who does want and know how to do the job. It pays.

@samie09 - you’ve resurrected a 9-year old thread. Given that there were 65 responses on this thread 9 years ago, the topic has been fully addressed. Like all necroposters, you did not bother to read this thread before you posted.

Shannon, that’s rude. I found the post and read with interest. As a homeowner, it’s difficult to get info on this subject. Over many months I’ve had three local licensed electricians in to evaluate and replace my failing UCL (LED strips installed 2015) and end up being ghosted. I guess it’s more complex than it appears. Unfortunately for my eye comfort, I still have failing UCL.