Garage lighting basics

Are you building a new garage? Maybe you are considering an overhaul of your existing garage? Whether you are working with a blank slate or simply reconsidering how to make the garage more functional, you need to give some thought to the lighting. After all, even if your garage is the place where the car resides between uses or a full‑blown workspace, it is going to be far better when it has effective lighting installed. To help you get the most out of each lighting decision, we’ve created a simple list of “basics” that will allow you to make informed choices.

Start with a Plan

Almost everything you will do in terms of home improvements will be better with solid plans in place. Where lighting is concerned, you will most definitely benefit by plotting out the garage and identifying all of the areas where lighting is essential. Just consider, your schematic (which should include windows and doors that will let in natural light) might include:

• A workbench area where overhead lighting is key to safety.
• Various storage areas where you will often need good lighting.
• Seasonal storage spaces where large fixtures may be deemed unnecessary.
• Areas with additional appliances such as refrigerators or freezers or with utility gear like a central vacuum.
• Any spaces available overhead. After all, many garages have high, open rafters that give space even above the garage doors and door opener apparatus.
• Spaces outside of a garage that can benefit from lighting, such as entry doors, walkways and so on.

The plan makes it so much easier to see where natural light, lower light, smaller fixtures or full-blown hanging fixtures are most needed.

The kind of light to use

Of course, not all bulbs are alike, and it is important to understand your actual needs and wants in order to make the most cost effective and energy efficient choices. This typically begins with the bulbs to be used in the fixtures you select.

Fluorescent bulbs

Familiar to most of us, these are the long, tubular lamps that use mercury vapor to create light. They are coated with phosphor on the interior of the bulb and one of the most commonly used varieties of overhead lighting. They are reasonably priced and last for longer periods, though the lighting itself can be harsh and unpleasant.

CFL or Compact Fluorescent Lamps

You may already have many of these at work in your home or office. They are made in that unique, spiral shape and are famous for consuming much less energy than standard incandescent lightbulbs, while creating far more naturalistic lighting. They don’t put off heat and can perform for roughly ten thousand hours, creating the same amount of light, but using roughly 75% less energy. They last ten times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.

LEDs

For a long time, many consumers hoped that “Light Emitting Diode” bulbs, or LEDs could appear in a wider array of options. They now do and are some of the most efficient lighting options you can find. Using them allows you to enjoy around 90% savings over many other kinds of lighting. The LED never creates heat and uses no chemicals. They are frequently chosen for accent lighting because of their higher prices, but they do offer a remarkable return as they last longer, are replaced infrequently and keep a lot of cash in your bank account over the long term.

Halogen

With some of the clearest and brightest light, halogens are also superior to incandescent bulbs. Though they cannot offer the same level of savings as CFLs, they can last for roughly 3,000 hours and result in savings of roughly 33% over other options. They too have no toxic chemicals and are available in designs suited to nearly any sort of fixture.

Making the choice

What is most important in your selection process? That is really a personal matter. Maybe you want to save money. Perhaps it is more important to you to get thousands of hours or to have zero heat emission. However, even with that in mind, most experts say that garages typically fare best from fluorescents because of their size, brightness and affordability. They do last a long time and really perform. The buzzing of a ballast and the wait for a fixture to heat up to maximum brightness is a down side to consider.

The more common size is the T8 that offers optimal efficiency over T5 or T12 bulbs, and which come with rapid start ballasts that extend the life of the bulbs. Available in four and eight foot lengths, most garage owners choose the easy to handle four-foot style. Additionally, most choose the 3000k intensity as it is warmer than the 5000k with its cooler, blue light.

Of course, you don’t have to go with what others choose. Consider the length of time, the kind of work and whether you’ll be able to use smaller, supplemental fixtures to get the right outcomes. However, if you are also working exterior bulbs into the plan, CFLs may be the best choice.

What about the doors?

While doing all of this planning for the garage, have you also considered the doors? If so, feel free to contact us at 709-368-7222 with any questions. We can walk you through issues like insulation and weather tightness of your garage doors and how this can boost everything from home comfort to overall efficiency.

Not sure about the right style of doors? Just pay a visit to our showroom. We can show you the different styles and help you determine the right design and style for your property. We also have a fun and innovative online design center where you can upload a photo of your garage or home, and see what the doors available will look like installed. If you are still unsure, get some inspiration from our image gallery. If you have more than a few choices and hope to narrow the options or use some figures to develop a budget, feel free to send us a request for an online quotation.