The design process is complete, and the Thronedown Challenge is about to commence.  The votes will be cast and the crown awarded to the champion designer. Capitol Lighting followers can visit our company’s Facebook page to vote, while showroom customers and employees can get a live look at the renovations in order to choose their favorite design and cast their ballots.

This friendly competition between two northern New Jersey interior designers has involved weeks of hard work, resulting in a transformation of  both the men’s and ladies’ restrooms in Capitol Lighting’s Paramus store. The finalists were chosen based on their expertise; they each received a $2,000 project budget with lighting supplied by Quoizel and Feiss.

Before

After

Mannarino’s vision was to create something sophisticated, dramatic and tailored. Her step-by-step design process included:

A common concern for those involved in home renovations or purchasing a new home is, “What is the state of the electrical system in the walls”. Some homes may not have had construction or renovations done since the original – this means the original wiring is still in place. Having original wiring in place can be concerning, especially if it is aluminum wiring. This type of wiring is commonly found in older homes and can be very dangerous. Read on to find out what you need to know about aluminum wiring and the dangers associated with it.

In the 1950’s to 1970’s, many homes were being outfitted with aluminum wiring. The reason for this was because the prices of copper (material normally used for electrical wires) had increased and the use of aluminum would undercut the high costs. Aluminum is also much more conductive than copper and was used in larger industrial/commercial electrical lines like power grids and airplanes.

Despite the reduced cost and increased conductivity, aluminum wiring has many potential issues. Aluminum wiring is much softer than standard copper wiring. This means that it is vulnerable to being broken, cut, and damaged which can leave live electrical wires exposed. Another issue is that when aluminum rusts, it is not as conductive as copper. Copper that rusts can remain conductive and continue its flow of power. However with aluminum wiring, rust in wiring will impede the flow of electricity and can cause a number of other issues. Aluminum also expands and contracts when it becomes hot. This constant flux in size will result in the wires loosening themselves and connections become loose. For all of the above listed reasons, aluminum is prone to overheating and electrical fires.

If you are unsure if there is aluminum wiring in your home, we have listed a number of warning signs that can indicate a hidden problem