Home garages are a super convenient part of any residential unit as they are multi-purpose. These garage spaces serve as parking spaces, storage areas and workshops for smaller businesses. They are super convenient even when used as multipurpose garages for automobiles and repair zones. Due to the reason that they provide extra room for many different tasks the lighting layout of these garage spaces must match with their purpose. It should be good enough to pace up and facilitate the working conditions.
Traditional options like fluorescent tubes or incandescent lamps are largely of use in garages. The lighting conditions are poor and most garages are dimly lit as people only use them for parking vehicles or storing goods.
During the pandemic most people have turned to homes and rediscovered their hobbies where garages play an important role in channeling them as well. They are largely tuned for working spaces and thus require a better lighting layout to facilitate the process.
It is highly convenient to work with LED light fixtures in places like a garage which usually does not have any natural source of light and requires additional light to enhance visibility and focus.
Planning a garage lighting layout
To plan a lighting layout for a garage with LED light fixtures, it is important to consider a few features of both the garage and the lighting tech. There are several different designs of lighting with different specifications available for garage lighting and it gets quite confusing for someone who does not know the key difference between traditional and LED options.
The first and foremost consideration prior to purchase and installation must be the layout of the garage. It can be determined in two simple steps:
- Calculating the area of the garage
- Checking the ceiling height of the garage
These two parameters have the biggest impact when it comes to choosing the most appropriate fixture with the most suitable customisations to achieve a normal or personalised garage lighting layout. These parameters help in determining the following:
- The total lumen requirement of the garage
- The adequate fixture which can provide it
- The number of fixtures required
- The placement of the fixtures
Once narrowed down to minor details it is easy to select the best fixture from a huge selection of fixtures suitable for any garage layout.
A layout generally carries three types of lighting layers:
General lighting layer
The general or ambient layer is optimal brightness levels of light which fills the area with uniform lighting. It is a very important layer as it requires to be uniform and provide adequate lumens for visibility as well.
Task lighting layer
The task lighting layer is prioritised in work areas where it is essential to have extra overhead lighting to enhance focus on the detail of the object under it. The task light fixtures hang above the work desks.
Accent lighting layer
Accent lighting layer is essentially the ambient lighting which brings comfort in the surrounding. Most light is bright, too sharp and often uneven which ends up creating bright or dark spots in the surrounding.
Accent lighting balances the uneven layer and throws light over objects which are not directly under line of sight. They impart light on storage shelves and blind corners which is essential for effective visibility and efficiency.
Type of fixtures suitable for garages
To achieve these layers the most usable fixtures are:
LED shop lights
Shop light fixtures come in a variety of sizes and design for garages or task areas. This linear fixture has aluminum housing covered by a glass or polycarbonate lens which covers the lens. This housing is IP rated and can survive any extremities. It also has mounting brackets present at the back of the fixture which allow mounting at different levels, it also has hooks and often the smaller sizes support plug n play option.
LED wraparound lights
LED wraparound lights are another very convenient form of shop lights which serve the efficient design made to facilitate tasks. These fixtures mostly allow surface mounting options and have a glass lamp which wraps around the lamp. It throws light from all over the lens which is also fixed for optimal beam angle. The wide beam spread is actually beneficial in low ceiling garages and these fixtures are quite excellent light fixtures for general lighting.
The size and lumens of this fixture vary as per the requirement.
LED strip lights
LED strip lights are another convenient form of lighting for domestic and multipurpose garages. These strip lights have a very linear and thin frame while also having a wide frame. The size differs with application or customisation and they are super convenient to install around workstations, under or around storage shelves.
LED high bay lights
LED high bay lights are another powerful source of light and even in domestic garages they are somewhat convenient unless incompatible with the ceiling design. Most of the time round high bay lights are of use in conventionally multi-purpose garages with ceiling height around 25 feet.
UFO or round high bay lights require to be positioned according to the layout as they are quite powerful in comparison to other fixtures and must create a uniform lighting layout. The housing of these fixtures are made up of aluminum and they carry a metal hook present on the top of the housing through which the cord or chain passes. They can suspend at any level and produce effective illumination.
Advantages of LED lighting for domestic garages
LED lighting upgrades to traditional garages have a very convenient way of enhancing the everyday processes which are a part of the garage. They provide:
More lumens
LEDs produce more lumens despite running on the same wattage as that of traditional options. They ended up reducing costs of electricity by producing more light and wasting little to no energy in the surroundings.
Extra efficiency
They are quite efficient in terms of lighting as they produce no heat and give out light more than any other form of energy. They are also compatible with smart lighting controls which are ambient and also dimmable as per feasibility. These options allow the consumer to have their choice of ambiance for suitable working conditions without dispensing extra dollars. LEDs can produce various colours on the RGB spectrum and also have correlated colour temperatures along the range of 2500K-6000K which produce either warm or daylight-like light for focus.
Low maintenance costs
Despite all these options these lights have very less maintenance costs and they do not require frequent replacement like traditional lamps. They reduce the cost of electricity and maintenance by almost 80% over the span of the years.
Environment friendly
LEDs are quite environment friendly and ambient light technology for almost any space. They are designed for convenience and hence work on green lighting technology which neither produces nor interacts with UV radiation. They also have a very positive impact on the health of individuals and keep the environment fresh.