Lighting Services in Saco, Maine

Lighting projects in Saco's older houses start with the ceilings. Victorian and Greek Revival homes near Main Street often have tall plaster ceilings with a single central fixture per room, if that. New cans, sconces or a fan in a room like that mean planning each cable path so the plaster needs as little patching as possible, and a fan or chandelier hangs from a box fastened to the framing. Over a kitchen counter, LED strips tucked under the upper cabinets do more than any ceiling light, and replacing old dimmers with LED-compatible controls ends the flicker and buzz that come from mixing modern bulbs with older switches.

Exterior lighting on buildings in Saco's historic district deserves extra thought. The Historic Preservation Commission reviews exterior renovations on properties along Main, North, Elm, Cross, Vernon, Beach, Middle and School streets, so a new porch light or a floodlight on a facade may need to fit the building's character and the city's design guidelines. Near Camp Ellis, Ferry Beach and the river, a hardware-store lantern can corrode through in a few winters, while a marine-rated fixture with stainless or brass fasteners and sealed splices keeps working; on the lowest lots, mount it where storm water is unlikely to reach.

Across the rest of the city, LED retrofits are the most common upgrade: replacing old recessed cans, vanity bars and outdoor floods with LED fixtures that last longer and use much less power. Motion-activated security lights for driveways, side doors and parking areas behind duplexes, and low-voltage landscape lighting for walks and steps, make evenings safer. For landlords, a photocell or timer on the hallway and outside lights means the stairs are never dark because a tenant forgot. Where Saco requires a permit for the work, Goodnow Electric files it, and the cost is laid out in a free written estimate first. For historic district properties, having the fixture choice and mounting location settled before the application goes to the city keeps the project from stalling between review and installation, and the same planning helps any older facade look right after the work.