Prospective buyers place a high value on homes with garages. Because of the benefits it provides, this is understandable. Many of the household’s essentials can be found in the garage. We use every inch of available floor, wall, and ceiling space for storage and productive use. Everything has a function and a place, whether a tool, lawn equipment, a pool accessory, or a vehicle.
Lighting in the garage is often overlooked despite its importance in the overall layout of the space. How well do you think your garage is lit? Work will go more smoothly if the lighting is just right, and you can also set the mood you desire. We’ll help you narrow the alternatives with our comprehensive breakdown of the top garage lighting solutions.
Indoor Garage Lights
The ideal garage lighting will illuminate the space from both inside and out. Lighting the inside of your garage is a practical move that can also have aesthetic benefits. Various indoor garage lighting options exist to find the perfect fixture for your needs.
Utility Lights
These lights, often called “shop lights,” are essential for any workshop or garage. These modern fluorescent light fixtures are easy on the wallet and still put out a lot of light for their size.
Utility lighting is ideal for tight quarters. The interior of your garage will be significantly better illuminated with the help of these low-wattage, energy-efficient lights.
High Bay Lights
High bay lights are the most effective choice when illuminating a vast area. Their output is so strong that even a dark garage appears more pleasant. High bay lights can be affixed or hung from the ceiling using chains, hooks, or pendants. This lighting fixture is ideal for rooms with high ceilings. Clear, constant, and lasting for over 40 times as long as a standard bulb, the light from high bay lights is ideal for industrial and commercial settings.
Recessed Lights
This type of ceiling light, sometimes known as a “pot light,” is designed to fit into preexisting ceiling cavities. They have three primary components: the trim, the housing, and the bulb, all of which work together to direct light downward. Recessed lighting is popular because it offers intense illumination while concealing the light fixtures and illuminating the entire room.
Wraparound Lights
The ideal wraparound lighting is for garages with low ceilings. Since they are mounted flush to the ceiling, they do not dangle like utility or shop lights. Due to their unidirectional light source, wraparound lights emit light in all directions and from the bottom, resulting in a wider light spread. These fixtures are terrific if you want to keep them out of the way of ladders, boards, and other items you might be moving around your garage.
Outdoor Garage Lights
There are several benefits to installing outdoor garage lights, and they should be considered when searching for the best garage lighting. They can improve the visual attractiveness of your home and make it easier to find your way around in the dark by lighting up the outside of your garage. Outside garage lighting, like garage door accessories, can improve the visual appeal of your yard.
Motion-Detecting Garage Lighting
They will immediately activate when motion is detected within the range of these lights. People may securely navigate the area outside their garage without fumbling for the light switch. As a result of its ability to alert homeowners to intruders, garage security systems can be an effective tool in the fight against home invasions.
Garage Coach Lights
These lights don’t have motion detectors, but they look great nonetheless. You may find coach lights for your garage in various styles and can even use any bulb you like.
Types Of Light Bulbs
Finding the best garage lighting requires more than just familiarity with the various garage lights on the market. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of using different bulbs.
Led Or Fluorescent Bulbs
Because of their low energy consumption and comparable luminosity to incandescent lights, fluorescent and light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs have become the industry standard. They last a long time and won’t cause any injuries or fires because of this. Colour-changing fluorescent or LED lighting is also configurable.
Halogen Lights
The white light produced by halogen bulbs is ideal for spotlights and similar applications. Although halogen lamps produce more light and are hotter than standard incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, their lifespan is substantially shorter.
Compact Fluorescent Lights
CFLs, or compact fluorescents, are quickly gaining popularity among residential lighting options. They can illuminate large areas and come in a rainbow of hues. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are more expensive than traditional bulbs but save money in the long run since they use less energy and last longer.
Incandescent Lighting
One of the least expensive choices is to use incandescent lights. The filaments of these vintage bulbs give forth a warm yellow light. They last less time or save as much power as CFLs or LEDs.
Garage Door Lights: Additional Features
Some of the greatest garage lighting ideas may include additional functions only available with specific purchases. The garage can benefit from both timers and motion sensors as a means of illumination. Some wall sconces and ceiling lights have extra outlets for devices like security cameras.
Rechargeable battery-powered portable lighting is another convenient choice. You don’t have to bother about running wires or finding an outlet for battery-operated lights, so you can put them anywhere in the garage. The use of internal batteries also reduces long-term energy use.
Mood lighting can be easily achieved using colour-changing bulbs, and the complete colour temperature range can often be adjusted. Some fixtures have a built-in flashing or strobing emergency feature that can be connected to a fire or security alarm system.
The Best Recommendations For Garage Lighting
Choosing the right garage lighting for your home can take time due to the various alternatives available. Here are some garage lighting ideas and their key characteristics to help get you started.
Multi-Point Illumination
Check out a multi-point light system for powerful overhead illumination in your garage, loaded with convenient extras. A single above lamp powers the four smaller lights in the ceiling’s four corners.
Flexible Flashlights
Light sources that can bend are convenient hands-free garage companions. Synthetic rubber allows for the creation of flexible flashlights that may be shaped to fit into tight areas, like an automobile engine. Most bendable flashlights have a brightness output of between 200 and 500.
Magnetic Light Mine
The magnetic light mine is incredibly useful because it sticks to practically any surface and features 12 strong magnets.
Tips For Choosing The Right Garage Lighting
The following considerations should help you design the ideal garage lighting for your home:
Brightness
Consider how many lumens you’ll need in a certain area before settling on a light fixture. Garage lighting relies heavily on lumens, which measure the intensity and brightness of a light’s output from a single source. Indoors, 60-watt lights are ideal for most tasks, although they might need to be brighter for more intricate work. Choose lights with a brightness output of at least a thousand for use in a workshop or auto garage where you’ll work on serious projects.
Mobility
Overhead garage lighting is ideal for illuminating huge spaces. However, the lights on the ceiling never move. Spotlights and floodlights, on the other hand, have bulb clusters that can be turned or pivoted to shine directly where you need them.
When working on several jobs in different parts of the garage, having portable light stands that can be quickly assembled and disassembled is a huge time saver. There are also battery-powered light stands that don’t require an electrical outlet or handheld flashlights with magnetic attachments.
Direction
The direction your light faces can also be crucial in certain occupations or intricate undertakings. If the ceiling lighting can spread its light farther, it will illuminate the entire room better. To maximise visibility while working in tight quarters, such as under a car, a combination of lights, such as a floodlight should be used.
Durability
Equipment with the highest durability rating will endure the longest in the workshop, just like any other tool. Lighting fixtures should have sturdy housing that may survive accidental drops or impacts.
Similarly, for the greatest garage illumination, use only high-quality light bulbs.
Compared to the average incandescent bulb’s lifespan of just one year, the average life expectancy of an LED bulb is 25 years. Compact fluorescent lights are an excellent long-term investment with a lifespan of up to ten years. However, if a CFL bulb breaks, the released mercury can pose a chemical risk.
Price
Garage lighting quality is directly proportional to cost, like any other home improvement. Establish your financial limits first, then shop for the best possible deal. Before purchasing, please do your homework and steer clear of low-quality products that boast their capabilities.
Energy Use
Garage lighting expenditures and energy consumption are additional factors to consider in addition to the initial purchase price. You can save money in the long run if you know what types of light bulbs are available and how much they typically cost to operate annually.
Easy Installation
Lighting that is easy to install yourself is preferable. Unlike low-hanging ceiling fixtures, which may be easily moved and repositioned by the homeowner, high-ceiling fixtures may require the assistance of an electrician. However, once installed, ceiling lights’ bulbs are simple to swap.
A halogen lamp, for instance, needs to be replaced with care to avoid power outages and shortages. They break easily, the bulbs can get dangerously hot, and even your body oil can damage them.
Shade Temperature
The colour of the light your bulbs emit is determined by their temperature, which can be anywhere from 3,500 to 6,000 Kelvins. When the temperature is lower, the light is warmer or more yellowish; when it’s higher, the light is cooler or bluish.
Light with a cooler colour temperature is more like daylight and improves our ability to see contrast. For a more natural feel and less glare, try lighting your garage with lights that have a colour temperature of 5,000K or higher.
Think About Different Light Sources
Don’t stop at electricity; use creative design to boost the garage’s lighting. For instance, walls painted in light colours reflect more light than dark ones, reducing the energy required to illuminate the room. Mirrors and other reflective surfaces can be positioned in such a way as to maximise their ability to spread light and visually enlarge a space.
All ambient light is cast downward. Thus, your floor can also play a significant role in illuminating your space. Among its other advantages, an epoxy floor will reflect a great deal of useful light. However, rugs and rough surfaces will absorb some available light, so you’ll need to compensate.
Adding windows or skylights to your garage could be a wonderful method to save money on energy costs if the space gets a lot of natural light. You can only sometimes count on a skylight to cast a spotlight on your car because the sun’s direction varies throughout the year. Instead, strategically placed windows or skylights can let in plenty of bright white sunlight, making the garage feel much more spacious.
In conclusion, garage lighting is essential for both functionality and aesthetics but is often overlooked. Key indoor lighting options include utility lights for tight spaces, high bay lights for large areas, and recessed or wraparound lights for intense or spread-out illumination.
Outdoor lights, such as motion-detecting and coach lights, improve visibility and security. Various bulbs like LED, CFL, and halogen offer different benefits, including energy efficiency and emergency features. When choosing lighting, consider brightness, mobility, durability, energy use, and easy installation. Creative designs, reflective surfaces, and natural light can also enhance the garage’s lighting and reduce energy costs.
