Light up your garage effectively
A garage space can be many things. From a craft station to a workbench to a place for your car, a garage is used for many different tasks. But without the right lighting fixtures for your garage, the tasks can be difficult at best. Use these tips and techniques to brighten your garage space and you can be sure that you will get the most out of your garage.
Ambient lighting
One of the easiest and most common ways to illuminate your garage is by using an ambient light source. This easy-to-use strategy can use a variety of accessories to create an ambient light source. The most common ambient lighting systems use a series of four-foot fluorescent bulbs to illuminate the garage area. They should be placed on the roof, out of reach of the garage door. Whether they’re all on a single switch or work separately, it’s a good idea to add a fluorescent-type ballast with a four-foot double bulb to your garage lighting scheme.
Task lighting
When your garage is used as a workbench, craft area, or laundry room, work lights are an important part of your garage lighting system. Task lighting solutions like recessed ceiling lights work great in garage spaces. These out-of-the-way lighting solutions stay away from cars and garage doors with ease and shine brightly and directly in the areas you need them most. A dimmer switch will make recessed lights turn low when you go out at night or bright when you need them for work.
Pendants
When you have a recessed work area or reserved laundry section in your garage space, it is very important to get the brightest possible light as close to the area you need. Pendant lights can be a great addition to any garage lighting scheme. Pendant lights over workbenches, laundry areas, and craft tables keep garage spaces well lit and in style. Be sure to install all pendant lights away from garage doors, hallways, and parked cars.
LED
An LED or light-emitting diode is a fixture that uses a series of small energy-saving light bulbs to create light. When grouped together they produce more lumens per watt than conventional bulbs. LEDs can be used in a wide variety of fixtures and lighting systems, so you can be sure that you get the perfect LED lighting for your garage at an affordable price.
Another question to answer when deciding if under cabinet lights are right for your kitchen is “will they really do any good?” If you use the space under the cabinet for blenders, toasters, and other large kitchen appliances, you may find that under-cabinet kitchen lighting is the perfect solution for your needs. If you have heavy appliances on your counter with very little space under cabinets, you may want to consider another form of lighting.
Access
No matter what type of under-cabinet light fixture you want, getting the electricity to that location is crucial to the entire system. Access to power can come from a nearby outlet or switch. Most electricians can easily hack their way behind drywall or cleverly disguise your wires under the cabinet edge. Access may be limited in kitchen cabinet areas that are separate from main cabinets. Access may be limited for installation under cabinet light fixtures for many reasons:
The nearest electrical source is too far
Plumbing pipes block the path
Building codes prevent under-cabinet lighting
The cabinet profile is too low
Appliances under cabinet block lamp
LED
One of the best ways to get the perfect under cabinet lighting fixture for your cabinets is to install a light emitting diode or LED fixture. These lights are extremely low profile, run on very small amounts of electricity, and have thinner, less visible wires, perfect for hiding under or in any cabinet space. An LED fixture also produces less heat, so you can install it in cabinets with a very low profile.