Track fixtures are becoming more popular, as the small halogen MR-16 bulbs are fast replacing the larger, clunky light fixtures with older styles of bulbs.

There are many choices for the MR-16 and MR-11 styles. Not only does voltage vary, but the beam angle also varies. This means that the light beam spread can be narrow, medium, or relatively wide. In technical terms, the beam angle can be 11, 13, 24, or 36 degrees wide, for example.

Why is this important? If you have a piece of art that you are highlighting with 1 or 2 bulbs, you may want to select a bulb that has a fairly tight beam, so that the light basically illuminates the art, rather than spilling onto the wall.

How do you know what to select? Experiment! How light hits the wall depends on several factors, including how close the light fixture is to the wall, bulb wattage, and angle of the beam.

A word of caution: Don’t forget to handle the halogen bulbs with tissue paper when you install them, as the oils from your fingers may cause these hot halogen bulbs to burn out.