If you are about to embark on a kitchen remodel and are installing under cabinet lights, follow these guidelines to determine how many fixtures you should purchase.

First, measure the length of the "cavity" under your cabinet where you are going to place the fixtures. The "cavity" is the area underneath the cabinet that forms a hollowed-out space.

If you are installing puck lights...

• For a 6-10 inch cavity measurement (in length), use 1 puck light.
• For 11-18 inches, use 2-3 puck lights. For 19-26 inches, use 3-4 puck lights.
• For 27-34 inches, use 4-5 puck lights.
• For 35-42 inches, use 5-7 puck lights.
• For 43-50 inches, use 6-8 puck lights.

If you are installing linear (also known as strip) under cabinet lights...

Try to "fill up" your cavity with the longest fixture that will fit. The goal with linear lights is to keep your countertop and backsplash uniformly lit, so you want to match that cavity measurement as closely as possible. Usually, under cabinet lights are sold in standard increments of length. For example, you might be able to choose between 8in, 16in, 24in, or 32in. In that case, if your cavity measures 18 inches long, be sure to select the 16 inch fixture rather than the 8 inch fixture.