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This content is presented by The Home Depot. The included facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.
Long shadowy hallways with a sole light switch at one end, harsh overhead lighting that makes you squint, lights left on in empty rooms: these certainly are lighting dilemmas. But you don’t have to live with them or even pay an electrician hundreds of dollars to solve them. Wiring a new dimmer switch to tone down harsh lighting, installing smart light switches, and even adding a second light switch where there previously wasn’t one are all projects you can take on yourself safely—and with nothing more than a screwdriver.
Add a 3-way switch.
Few things are more annoying than stumbling blindly across a dark room, hands outstretched, searching for the light switch on the opposite wall. The obvious solution is to add a second light switch that allows you to turn on the light from both sides of the room or hallway. But adding a light switch where there currently isn’t one is usually a complicated, potentially dangerous process that involves cutting apart drywall and running new wiring. That’s a job that requires a professional electrician and can cost $400 or more.
A safer, more affordable DIY option is to add a second light switch wirelessly using the Diva Smart Dimmer Switch 3-Way Kit available at The Home Depot. The wireless kit comes with two paddle-style light switches, one that replaces the existing light switch that controls the fixture and a remote switch that you can mount anywhere else in the room without the need for additional wiring. The remote switch communicates wirelessly with the main switch, allowing you to control the lights from both locations.
You can also add a Caseta hub that connects the Diva smart dimmer switch to Alexa, Apple Home, Google, Ring, and other smart home systems, allowing you to control and program the lights through voice commands and your smartphone.
Automate your home’s lighting.
If you find yourself frequently following behind the other members of your household, turning off all the lights that they leave on, then it might be time to take control over the lighting in your home by investing in a multi-room light kit.
The Diva Smart Dimmer Multi-Room Kit, for example, comes with multiple light switches and a hub that connects to your smartphone or a home network, such as Alexa, Google, Apple Home, and Ring. These systems allow you to set smart timers so lights automatically turn off and on at set times or adjust automatically with the rising and setting of the sun. These multi-room kits can even boost your home’s security with vacation modes that program them to cycle on and off while you’re on vacation to throw off would-be burglars.
And since these kits use a hub and don’t require a Wi-Fi connection, they won’t clog up your bandwidth and will continue to work even when your network goes down. Adding smart switches involves replacing your current ones with smart switches, a process that doesn’t require the expertise of an electrician. And with smart switches, you can even add new light switch locations without having to run wiring or cut holes in the wall.
Dim harsh lights.
Harsh overhead lighting, especially in a dining area, can throw off the ambiance in a room. You can change the light fixture or replace the existing light bulbs with lower wattage options to soften the lighting in a room, but that isn’t practical for rooms that require task lighting at one time and mood lighting at another.
And while you can add lamps for more versatility, that may not work for kitchens, breakfast nooks, and dining rooms in which overhead lighting is often a necessity. Smart bulbs are an option, but having to get out your phone or have a digital assistant nearby to brighten or dim the lights can be inconvenient.
Adding a dimmer switch to control the intensity of lighting in a room is a better option. And while doing so involves some wiring, it’s a job you can handle yourself with just a screwdriver.
You can install a dimmer switch on your own for about $20 or go with an upgrade and install a smart dimmer switch, such as the Diva Smart Dimmer Switch 3-Way Kit, for a fixture with multiple switches. Want to control the light levels in multiple rooms? Then go with a kit, such as Diva Smart Dimmer Multi-Room Kit, which will give you the best bang for your buck. For the price, you’ll get many more ways to control the lighting in a room than with a standard dimmer switch alone. You can adjust the lighting at the switch, on your smartphone, or with voice commands via a digital assistant. You can also set schedules and create scenes coordinating multiple fixtures and smart switches.