We install interior and exterior lighting throughout Montclair, from single fixture swaps to full recessed lighting layouts. Most of what makes a lighting job easy or hard in this town comes down to one thing: what is above the ceiling.
Plaster ceilings and old framing
A great deal of Montclair housing is pre-1940 with plaster-and-lath ceilings rather than drywall. Plaster does not cut cleanly, it cracks away from the lath if you work it roughly, and the framing above is often irregular. Running new circuits through it takes planning and patience. It is entirely doable without wrecking the room, but anyone quoting a recessed lighting job in a Victorian without looking at the ceiling first is guessing.
Where attic or crawl access exists above the room, the job is far simpler and cheaper. That is the first thing we check.
What we install
- Recessed lighting. Layout matters as much as the fixtures. Spacing, beam angle and colour temperature decide whether a room feels bright or harsh.
- Fixture replacement. Including high foyer and stairwell fixtures that need proper access equipment rather than a ladder balanced on stairs.
- Under-cabinet and task lighting. Usually part of a kitchen project, and worth planning before cabinets go in.
- Dimmers and controls. Modern LED dimming is fussier than people expect. The wrong dimmer causes flicker and buzz, and the fix is matching the control to the driver.
- Exterior and landscape lighting. Path, facade, soffit and security lighting, on photocells or timers.
- Smart lighting. Where a neutral exists at the switch. In older Montclair homes it often does not, which changes the approach.
The neutral problem in older homes
Most smart switches need a neutral conductor at the switch box. Homes wired before roughly 1985 frequently ran only a switch loop, meaning there is no neutral there at all. Options are running a new cable, using a smart bulb system instead, or a no-neutral switch that works with some loads and not others. We will tell you which applies before you buy hardware.
Historic districts
Exterior lighting on a contributing property in a Montclair historic district can have review requirements. Worth checking before ordering fixtures.
Who to call
Voltus Energy Solutions is a licensed and insured New Jersey electrical contractor based in Montclair, NJ license #34EI01906000. Call (973) 382-9995 or use our service request form.