Lighting Fixtures- Make the Best Choice

Lighting plays a major role in the style and atmosphere of your home. Light fixtures can be relegated to the background, but, when thoughtfully selected, create the backdrop for the style of the room. Properly chosen and appropriately placed, light fixtures can define the look and function of a space. Your choice of light fixtures is a big decision whether you are building new or remodeling, and Global Sales can help. 

We carry several quality lines of light fixtures with an enormous selection, ranging from very standard, basic lighting to traditional looks, transitional styles, contemporary, ultra modern, and even lighting that makes a bold statement about your style. And our pricing on light fixtures is extremely competitive; it's unlikely that you will find better pricing anywhere on the internet for comparable products.

Create a Lighting Plan

Experts all agree that a properly lighted space begins with a good plan. The goal is to create even, balanced lighting that will enhance the décor of the room while providing the proper illumination for the everyday activities that will take place in specific areas. 

A good lighting plan will provide warmth, help with daily tasks, and highlight features of your home. It is important not to get overly bright, which will create harshness. The most effective lighting plan is one that is hardly noticed. Dimmers are a great option for multipurpose areas. Think in terms of lighting layers when choosing the light sources for a room. 

There are three types of lighting to consider:

• Ambient lighting provides soft, general illumination without glare to fill undefined areas of the room.
• Task lighting adds a bright light to areas where visual activity takes place.
• Accent lighting is used to focus attention on specific objects such as art, or architecture, to set the mood and add drama to a room.

And finally, give careful consideration to the architectural style, décor, and flow of the home. Lighting, like other features such as flooring, cabinetry and wall treatments, should flow from room to room. It is best to choose a style and finish that can be carried throughout your lighting plan. An easy way to maintain a consistent style throughout is to choose a lighting family- a specific style that is available in many formats such as chandeliers, sconces, pendants, ceiling fans, and so on. 

Global Sales has a great selection of light fixtures at even better prices. Charlie Erkens offers some helpful tips for choosing the best fixtures for your home.

Global Sales offers a huge assortment of both indoor and outdoor lighting. Because of our exceptional relationships with several manufacturers of high-quality lighting, we are able to offer pricing that's better than just about any you will find online. Take a look, get some ideas, and contact us to help you develop a lighting plan that's perfect for your space.

What You Need to Know About Light Bulbs
With incandescent bulbs gradually being replaced by other types of light bulbs, it's good to understand some of the newer and more energy-efficient options:
Halogen bulbs function similarly to the old incandescent bulbs with a filament. They are the least expensive of the non-incandescent bulbs, with a similar energy profile.	CFL, or compact fluorescent light, bulbs use fluorescent gas that lights up when exposed to electricity. CFLs use about 70% less energy that incandescent bulbs, although they take a moment to warm up and reach full brightness. CFLs produce extremely bright light that spreads evenly, and they cost a little less than LED bulbs. CFLs cannot be used with a dimmer switch.	LED- light-emitting diode- bulbs use a series of semiconductors as a light source, often with a diffuser to make the multiple dots of light generated by the individual diodes look softer. LED lights don't heat up at all, and can last up to five times longer than CFL light bulbs. They are available in adjustable colors, and some can be used with dimmer switches. LED bulbs are the most expensive up front, but offer the greatest value and energy-efficiency in the long run.
Understand the Terminology
Kelvin- a scale for the color of the light. The lower the number, the warmer the light. The Kelvin scale typically runs from 2,500K for the warmest color up to 6,000 for the coolest. Wattage- a measure of how much energy a bulb uses. A lower wattage means that a bulb uses less electricity, but is not longer necessarily an indication of brightness with the newer CFL and LED bulbs. Now lumens are the gauge for brightness. Lumens- measure the brightness of the bulb. For example, a typical living room may require about 1,500 - 3,000 lumens for lighting.

Your Lighting and Electrical Experts

In addition to light fixtures for residential use, Global Sales offers a full line of commercial lighting, as well as lighting and electrical supplies including wire, boxes, cover plates, switches, light bulbs, etc. Contact us today if you would like more information, or if we can help with your next project.

Fiberglass Exterior Doors- Practical and Beautiful

The entryway is almost always the first thing people notice about a house, and an attractive and functional front door will add to the curb appeal as well as the value of a home. Fiberglass in an excellent choice for homes in areas where building materials must stand up to wind, rain, salt air and heat. 

At Global Sales, we represent a number of manufacturers of high quality front doors. For the coastal climates of Bermuda and the Caribbean, our go-to manufacturer for fiberglass exterior doors is Therma-Tru.

Danny Vega explains how fiberglass doors from Therma-Tru are the most practical option for coastal climates, and are hard to tell apart from real wood.

Why Choose a Therma-Tru Door?

Fiberglass does not absorb moisture, and won't rot or deteriorate like wood can. Fiberglass won't warp, bow or twist, and resists denting and scratching. Energy efficient fiberglass exterior doors are built with a polyurethane core, giving them five times the insulation value of wood. Therma-Tru offers exterior doors in prefinished wood grain and smooth finish looks, as well as doors that can be stained or painted on site to match existing finishes. All Therma-Tru fiberglass exterior doors are available with their Tru-Defense Door system which provides enhanced performance against air/water infiltration. Therma-Tru doors meet the industry's toughest wind codes. They also offer a line of impact-rated doors and glass. Fiberglass exterior doors require very little maintenance. Fiberglass exterior doors from Therma-Tru offer greater security with their multi-point locking system.

Therma-Tru manufactures fiberglass with a special casting process which imparts an authentic wood grain texture. Then they build their exterior doors with an architectural accuracy and attention to detail for a truly hand-crafted look. Therma-Tru fiberglass exterior doors have the look and feel of a real wood front door but, unlike genuine wood doors, they resist splitting, cracking and rotting.

Therma-Tru doors come in four style families of wood grain looks which can be personalized with a wide variety of options. Within each style family are numerous choices of door styles, glass styles, and transom and sidelite configurations. Pictured above are a few options from their Classic Craft Oak line.

Therma-Tru doors can be stained after purchase to match existing finishes, or purchased with a beautiful factory stain and top coat already applied. In addition, Therma-Tru offers a smooth-finish family of door styles which can be painted to match existing trim colors.

Whether stained at the factory and ready to hang, or finished on-site,ThermaTru doors enhance the curb appeal of any home. 

Your Door Experts

In addition to fiberglass exterior doors, Global Sales offers a full line of doors including french doors, patio doors, interior doors and garage doors. The products we offer are fully vetted and tested for optimum performance in Bermuda and the Caribbean. Contact us today if you would like more information, or if we can help with your next project.

Porcelain Tile- A Great Choice for the Islands

When starting a tile project in Bermuda or the Caribbean, there are some practical considerations to bear in mind, such as how well the material will ship, how durable it is for your application, and the availability of replacement product should you ever need it. At Global Sales, we like to recommend porcelain tile for both practical and aesthetic reasons, and one of our favorite go-to suppliers for porcelain tile is Florida Tile.

Functionality Meets Style

• Florida Tile consistently maintains their tile lines for much longer than other manufacturers.  Whether you want to match new tile to a previous project, or just need some replacement tiles, Florida Tile will have the same tile line if you need it later.

• Florida Tile's extensive selection includes a range of colors within each line, which makes the design process easy. They also offer trim pieces with each of their series to ensure a cohesive look.
• Florida Tile carries through-body porcelain tile lines, which means that the tile is the same color throughout. Little chips and nicks that might occur over time are much less noticeable than on tile that is a different color on the surface.

But beyond all the practical reasons to go to Florida Tile, when it come to style, variety and cutting-edge trends, they are our hands-down favorite. They offer a large selection of looks that are both innovative and classic, with proven quality and craftsmanship in each of their lines.

Florida Tile uses high definition printing to produce many stunning styles, ranging from the look of hardwood to natural stone, as well as innovative concepts like the look of stained concrete or interpretations of non-traditional stone patterns.

Global Sales offers tile that's great for use in Bermuda and the Caribbean. Jeff Collins explains why porcelain is a good choice.

The Look of Wood- Without the Worries

Wood-look porcelain tile from Florida Tile provides the beauty of hardwood flooring without the worries of maintenance inherent with island climates. The various wood-look lines include both classic and contemporary styling, and are made in sizes up to an 8" x 36" plank for a look consistent with the latest trends in hardwood flooring. They are available in a number of wood stain colors, some additional size options, and matching trims. The most popular wood-look lines include Magnolia, Berkshire, and Natura.

Stone Looks- Natural Beauty Interpreted

While Florida Tile captures the essence of natural stone beauty in a number of their high-def stone-look porcelain tiles, they also go beyond the constraints of stone in their imaginative color offerings and patterns. Their Tides line takes inspiration from vein cut stone with a sleek contemporary look in bold colors not found in nature.

Exciting and New

Level 10 from Florida Tile is one of their newest lines and is already trending high in popularity. The modern feel of stained concrete is combined with worn-in staining, watermarks, chips and various organic elements to produce a contemporary look with natural feel.

Global Sales- Your Tile Experts

With over 30 years of experience serving the Caribbean and Bermuda, the Global Sales Design Team knows how to make your tile project a complete success. We'll help you select the material that will work best in your space in terms of look, maintenance and durability. We'll work with you to determine how much tile, finishing materials, thinset and grout you will need -- and how much extra you'll need just in case. Plus, we'll help you efficiently ship your tile.

Building Supplies- We Have What You Need

Just a few of the trusted name brands available at  Global Sales:

There are many moving parts to any project, and just coordinating all of the components of a project can be a headache.

At Global Sales, we specialize in providing building supplies to Bermuda and the Caribbean, and our mission is to make ordering, shipping and coordination easier and more affordable. We offer many high quality product lines so that our customers don't need to go all over the place to find the items that they need. 

Need power tools? Our major brands of power tools include DeWalt, Makita and Hilti. Pouring concrete? At Global Sales you can find equipment and materials from Toro, Dayton Superior, MDO and more. Behr paint, Biljax scaffolding- no problem. Drywall? You bet! And don't forget the seam tape, drywall mud and installation tools.

From rooftop to foundation, Global Sales can provide the materials and supplies you need for your building project.

Protect Your Job Site with Ram Board

One building product that we like to recommend to both homeowners and professionals is Ram Board. Ram Board is a temporary surface protection system for job sites that can provide major savings on time, money and hassle.

Spills, scratches, gouges and dings happen during the course of any building project, and can mean added expense and the loss of valuable time. Ram Board is a cost-effective insurance policy against time consuming and costly repairs.

J.B. Warnemunde at Global Sales knows building supplies. He recommends Ram Board surface protection to save time, worry and expense on your next job site.

Building Supplies for Bermuda and the Caribbean

When you work with Global Sales, you will have the advantage of our wide variety of building materials, along with our ability to streamline transactions, and to coordinate and consolidate shipping. We'll review your plans and source the right building supplies and materials for the job. And, we'll do the legwork and provide you with a detailed quote.

Lumber, steel, power tools, drywall, concrete equipment, paint and primer- if it's used in a building project, we are your source. For more information about the great products available at Global Sales, click here to visit our Building Supplies page.