Homeowners tend to choose the light fixtures in their homes carefully, but they often give less thought to the lighting in and around the garage. The lights that you select should make it easy for people to move around the garage safely, provide enough light for car repairs and other work done in the garage, and deter burglars.
How to Choose the Right Lights for Inside the Garage
In your garage, like your house, you need a combination of different types of lights to provide adequate illumination. Ambient light comes from overhead fixtures and covers a large area so people can walk around without tripping and park a vehicle without bumping into anything. You can make sure your garage has enough ambient light by installing one or more fixtures on the ceiling, as well as additional lights that turn on when the garage door is opened.
Task lighting is used to provide extra illumination for specific activities, such as fixing a car or working on a hobby. Depending on the types of tasks you do in your garage, it might make sense to have one or more lights mounted in certain areas or to have lights that you can easily move around as needed.
Accent lighting is used to highlight specific objects or parts of a space. If, for example, you have a pool table or a collection of prized items in your garage, you can install accent lights to draw attention to that area.
How to Select the Right Lighting for Outside Your Garage
When it comes to outdoor lighting, safety should be your top priority. Make sure there’s enough light for someone to park a car in the garage at night without accidentally hitting anything. Depending on the length of your driveway and the design of your property, it might make sense to have motion-activated lights mounted above the garage door, lights on the wall on either side of the garage door, and possibly lights on the ground along both sides of the driveway.
Some garages have an exterior door that leads into the garage, in addition to a door where vehicles enter. If that’s the case at your home, make sure the area is adequately lit so you won’t have to worry about a trip-and-fall accident.
Burglars often target garages. An attached garage can provide easy access to the rest of a house, but a detached garage with a vehicle, tools and other valuables inside can also be tempting to a thief. Motion-activated outdoor lights can reduce the likelihood that your garage and home will be burglarized.
Focus on Energy Efficiency
LED and fluorescent bulbs are more efficient than incandescent bulbs. LED and fluorescent tubes cast light over a larger area than bulbs do, which can help you cut down on the number of light sources you need in the garage. Installing motion detectors that turn off lights automatically is another easy way to avoid high energy costs.
