What type of led garage lights you'll use

2022-01-10

Guidelines for picking the best garage lighting

1. How many lumens you'll need in your garage

When picking the lighting in your garage, you need to make sure you sufficiently light the entire space. The illuminating engineering society (IES) guidelines recommend 50 lumens per residential square foot and 300 lumens/square feet for a workshop.

Below is a table for a residential garage. Remember these are only suggestions, if you like it brighter, it is your garge after all.

Garage Square Footage	Lumens Required
200 SQFT	10,000 Lumens
250 SQFT	12,500 Lumens
300 SQFT	15,000 Lumens
350 SQFT	17,500 Lumens
400 SQFT	20,000 Lumens
450 SQFT	22,500 Lumens
500 SQFT	25,000 Lumens
550 SQFT	27,500 Lumens

2. What type of garage lights you'll use

LED lightbulbs

LED lightbulbs - LED lightbulbs are the best bang for buck option for your garage. You can spend very little while still lighting up your garage plenty. It's the best bang for your buck option if you don't want to bother installing or wiring any hardware.

LED shop lights

Also know as high bay lights, shop lights are heavy-duty, perfect for workshops. Electrical wiring will be needed as well as installation. They're a bit more expensive than typical LED lights, but output far more lumens than a simple lightbulb.

Strip lights

Not the prettiest but they offer the flexibility you won't get with other options. You can find fixtures for around 30 bucks each and install them overhead or in hard-to-reach areas like under a workbench. The downside of strip lights is you'll have to install a few fixtures but you'll be able to place the lighting right where you need it.

Wraparound lights

If your garage has low ceilings, you'll want to look into wraparound lights. They install similarly to shop lights but don't require to be hung from the ceiling. You'll enjoy the light getting into hard-to-reach place.

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Work lights

If you need light to shine directly on your DIY projects throughout the night, work lights are for you. You can get light where you need and get into those unreachable areas if you were to rely solely on overhead lighting.

3. How easy it is to install

You want to factor in your ability to install your garage lights. If you aren't handy with tools and/or hardwiring shop lights, your best bet is going to be picjing up some LED lightbulbs along with some under-cabinet lighting to brighten up your workbench.

If you're a natural DIYer, you're going to have no issue installing garagelights or wraparoud lights. You'll save money in the long run by installing it yourself, but a professional installation is always an option.

Whenever you're dealing with electrical wiring take the proper precautions and be safe. With so many garage lighting fixtures available, purchase the one that makes the most sense for your capability to install.

4. Climate

Fluorescent lights have difficulty working below 50 degrees fahrenheit. If you live in a cold climate, you're going to want to make sure you stick with LED lights.

5. Your life in your garage

Different people will require different types of lighting. If you're constantly tinkering around on engines in your car, you're going to want to get a standalone work light to point the light exactly where you need it.

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If you're a woodworker, you're going to want to make sure that your tools are all visible during the night to ensure smooth cuts and safety. Proper overhead lighting is a vital part of lighting your garage when using power tools.

Don't spend much time in the garage and just need to get in and out? You'll find that a simple LED lightbulb will suit you well(and last a long time).

6. Deciding what color temperature is best for your garage lighting

The recommended color temperature is best for a garage setting is between 4500 and 6500 Kelvins depending on your preference. 5000 Kelvin colosely resembles daylight sunlight to give an idea of what to expect.

If you prefer a cooler color, you're going to want to go towards the 6000 kelvin range. If you like it neutral, stick to 5000 Kelvins. If you decide to go with light fixtures, you'll be able to test out what color you prefer and untimately decide what color temperature is best for you.

If you only relax in your garage and don't ever do any projects or use tools, then you may enjoy a light with 2700K color temperature. That'll give you a coffee shop-Esque-type vibe. Just be aware that 2700K is not optimal if you like to work in your garage.

7. Electricity consumption

The most efficient garage lighting options are going to be LED bulbs. LEDs produce the most light without the least amount of electricity. If you want to save on yur energy bill, then going with a simple but effective LED garage bulb may be your best bet.

If you're eyeing a halogen bulb system, know that Halogen use 28W of consumption while LEDs use 6W. If you want a super bright garage, you'll have to pay for it once the energy bill comes at the end of the month.

8. Mounting options

Do you have the ability to mount your garage lighting where you prefer it will go? If you have low ceilings, then shop lights that hang aren't the best solution. Wraparound lights are a good solution if you don't have enough space to hang lights from the ceiling.

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Factor in that you'll also need to reach your ceiling and drill holes for certain types of lights. The most basic option would be a basic LED garage light, but you'll also need to have a standard socket in your garage to make life easier.

The more advanced your garage lighting setup, the more mounting you'll have undertake to get the best garage lighting.

9. Heat dissipation

The brighter your garage lights, the hotter they get. This can be a good thing if you have a cold garage and don't have a garage heater but can take a toll on you during the summer. You'll also want your garage lighting to have heat dissipation features so it won't cause damage after extended use.

What is the best garage lighting layout?

Depending on the size of your garage and the type of garge lighting you've chosen, you can go plenty of different ways. With such a variety of lighting options, your only limit is your imagination. You don't have to spend a ton of money either to suitably light your garage.

One thing you will want to make sure of when planning your garage lighting is if you're constantly working on projects in the garage. You're going to want to install overhead garge lights above your workbench so you can see them at all hours of the day. You'll want to avoid fluorescent light as they 're inefficient and do a poor job of lighting your garage.

If you can't install overhead lighting in some areas, remeber you install strip light in hard-to-reach areas. Every garage is going to be different, so remember the you're going to have to study your garage layout and figure out the best option for you.

What are the best features of LED garage lights?

When purchasing the best garage lights, you're going to want them to be able to support a few  features. Below you'll find everything you need to buy the right garage lighting for you.

1. Brightness: 

You want your garage lights to be bright enough so your garage is well lit at all hours of the day. If you are a painter or do intricate detailing work, you'll want lighting that doesn't create a shadow. You can remedy this situation by purchasing a moveable light such as a work light. LED shop lights are one of the best ways to full illuminate your entire garage.

2. Installation:

LED garage lights are super easy to install. All you need to do is plug and play and that's it! If you want a more intricate setup, you will need to hire an electrician to do some wiring work if you don't know how to do it yourself. That's why I recommend an LED bulb setup if you aren't sure of what you are purchasing.

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3. Longevity:

Unlike normal lightbulbs, the best-LED garage light can last upwards of 100,000 hours of use. You don't want to be continuously changing your light bulb or having to deal with poor lighting, so it's imperative that you invest in the right type of garage lighting.

4. Size: 

If your garage is tiny, then it may be difficult to fit a full set of LED shop lights in your garage. An LED light bulb is great for this with its compact size, letting you still get workshop-quality lighting without creating a dangerous environment.

5. Eletricity consumption:

You don't want to pick up an LED light that will drain your bank account from being on all the time. Pick up an energy-efficient LED light that will be suitable for your garage.

Wrapping it up

What're you waiting for? Your garage is your home, your paradise. When it comes to buying garage lighting, make sure to get the job done properly so you'll be able to enjoy every minute you spend in your garage.

I think getting the best garage lighting is going to help you stay more attentive and make the garage a better place to be in when it gets dark. During the winter months, sunlight is sparse so you may fiond yourself doing a lot more work in the garge because you took care of the lighting.