Garages: Artificial or Natural Light?

Lighting is one of the most important things any room should have. It’s because it plays a crucial role in the everyday actions and functions of people. One of the areas of our homes that should be well lit is the garage, as most of us use it as a space for our hobbies, as well. There are many options when it comes to lightings, and you can find different types of lights in the market. 

Aside from the lights you can buy in stores and install in your garage, you can also opt for natural light by installing windows. However, not all places in the world have long sunny days. That’s why people still need light to properly do their work. But the thing is, most people tend to overuse artificial light, even in situations where natural light is available. So, the question is, for garages, which type of lighting is better. Is it artificial light or natural light?

If you are building or renovating your garage and you want an added illumination in that space, you might also be wondering which is better between natural light or artificial light. If that is the case, read on to know what each option can offer your garage when it comes to lighting. 

Advantages of Natural Light

The use of natural lights can give a lot of benefits to us, and they are mostly related to other life-spheres, including budget and interior design. If you are thinking of improving the natural light in your garage, here are some of the advantages it can offer:

  • Natural light can help in increasing the productivity and comfort of people working in them. Therefore, if you often use your garage as your workshop to build things or work on your hobby, then having a lot of natural light can help in boosting your productivity. When you work in daylight, it can boost your mood and motivation, meaning your work can be done faster. 
  • Natural light can help reduce one’s stress. Since natural light can remind you of the outdoors, it can create a calmer indoor environment, hence, reducing your stress, even if you are working on tough tasks, such as fixing your car or any other appliance. 
  •  Natural light can help save electricity. When you utilize natural light up to the maximum, it can surely help you decrease the amount of electricity spent, hence, reducing your monthly electricity bills. This is essential, especially if you are using a lot of tools in your garage that already require electricity. 

Advantages of Artificial Light

Though natural light is very beneficial, it is not always available. That’s why artificial lights are still needed, especially at night. If you choose to work only under natural light, then your day would be so much shorter. Therefore, here are the advantages of artificial lights:

 

  • Artificial light can give you extra time to work. If you are using your garage to work on your hobbies, fix your car, or work on different projects, then you definitely need an artificial light so that you can continue working even after sundown. This is also beneficial for people who choose to work at night rather than during the daytime. 
  • Artificial light can increase safety. Since most people use the garage to store different tools, good artificial lights are needed to avoid accidents during the night. They can also help you find the things you need faster.
  • Artificial lights are great additional designs: Aside from the illumination that artificial lights can provide, they can also add to the design of a garage. For example, you can install hanging working lights in the garage, which is a decorative and useful tool that can create a cozy atmosphere while providing light to important parts of the garage. 

 

Which One Is Better for a Garage: Natural or Artificial Light?

After knowing the advantages that each of the lighting options can offer, it’s time to answer the question, which is better for a garage? Well, you can’t really just stick to one option because if you want a well-lighted garage, you need to combine both natural and artificial light. Having good, appropriate lighting makes all the difference in garages. Whether your garage is only for parking your car, or you use it as a workshop and a storage hub, you need good lighting in there. 

If your garage is poorly lit and you want to improve it, then here are some tips you can try:

 

  • Artificial Light: Select Light Fixtures Based on Function

 

When choosing artificial light fixtures for garages, there are three categories you need to know, which are ambient, task, and accent. To have a well-lighted garage, you need to have all three forms. 

Ambient lighting is a soft overhead that you can use to illuminate the floors and walls of your garage so you can safely walk around and park your car. Task lighting is a brighter form of light that you can install in the work and storage areas of your garage. Accent lighting is used to shine on areas that you want to emphasize in your garage. For example, if you have a trophy collection displayed on your garage or a foosball table. 

When choosing these lighting forms, you need to base them on function. For ambient lighting fixtures, choose garage door openers with built-in lights, and as well as linear flush-mount lights that affix to the ceiling. For task lighting fixtures, you can include trouble lights and shop lights that you can hang from the ceiling by a chain. And for accent lighting fixtures, you can include sconces that you can mount to walls. These will look great on either side of a garage door, and can also be useful for easier nighttime entry. 

  • Incorporate Natural Light

After deciding on the artificial light fixtures for your garage, it’s important to incorporate natural light, as well. It’s because natural light can boost the overall warmth and brightness of your garage, and will also help you reduce your electric bills a bit, especially on daytime. 

Here are some of the best ways on how you can incorporate natural light in your garage:

  • Add Windows: If your garage does not have any windows, then adding some can greatly contribute to allowing sunlight to fill that space. If it has windows, but the natural light is still not enough, then you might want to see if you can extend your current windows. Of course, you will need professional help here to know how to do it the best way. 
  • Install Skylights: If adding more windows is no longer possible for your garage, then try to install a skylight instead. It is a great tool that can transfer more daylight inside your garage. Skylights are not easy to install, but they can be worth it. 

When it comes to garage lighting, it’s better to opt for a combination of artificial and natural light instead of just sticking to just one option. Having the right kinds of light fixtures mixed with the right amount of natural light can definitely make your garage a bright and workable space where you can park your car and do different projects.