Metal Buildings
How to Choose the Right Lighting for Your Workshop
Everyone understands how essential lighting is for setting up a comfortable, functional workshop. Good lighting will help you work with equipment safely and it can make your workshop feel comfortable; it can even make your workspace aesthetically appealing and relaxing.
Lighting impacts how a space looks and feels and how we perceive colors. For anyone who uses their workshop for creative or detailed projects, lighting is seen as essential (especially if customers visit your shop). So, why is lighting one of the more neglected aspects of setting up a workshop?
We’re here to help you understand how to choose the right lighting. Here’s what to do:
Get Down to the Basics
Before you can do anything, you need to map out your space and determine a few things. First, where will you be working the most? Second, where will the majority of foot traffic be? Third, what level of lighting will you need and do you plan to utilize any natural lighting?
Make sure that the areas you plan to work in the most, have the best and brightest lighting. On the other hand, areas designated for relaxation would do better with soft lighting (preferably from a lamp). In other words, put lights where they’re most needed and softer light levels in low-traffic, low-risk areas.
Pick the Right Type of Lights
You can keep your lighting simple and opt for a good set of ceiling lights, or, you can add depth and layer your lighting using different types of lights. There are 4 types of lights that you can work with: ambient lighting, general overhead lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting.
If you choose to go with the bare minimum, overhead lighting is your best bet. If you want an attractive or interesting aesthetic, try combining task lighting (ex. floor lamp) with accent lighting (ex. Wall sconce) and a standard fixture (overhead LED lights). Ambient lighting is optional and nice for bathrooms and other low-key areas. It’s said that every space should have at least 2-3 light sources.
A lesser-known fact is that different bulbs have varying looks, colors, and lifespans.
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LED - This type of bulb comes with a higher price tag but has a long lifespan and is energy efficient. There’s no end to color options with LED lights and usually the colors are high quality.
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Halogen - These warm colored bulbs not energy efficient but they last longer than incandescent. They should be handled with care as they become very hot to the touch.
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Incandescent - We do not recommend incandescent lights for workshops. The incandescent bulb offers warm light but lacks energy-efficiency and has a shorter lifespan.
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Fluorescent - We do not recommend fluorescent lights for workshops. They offer cooler light, don’t dim well and turn on with a delay.
In short, try to pick lights that will last you a long time and are energy-efficient.
Don’t Have a Workshop Yet? We’re Here to Help!
At VersaTube, we pride ourselves in our Garage/Workshop Steel Building Kits. We know that building a workshop can be daunting. Luckily, we do everything we can to simplify the process for you from offering quality customer support to providing you with easy to follow assembly instructions, to our 20-year warranty and more.
Pick your kit from our Standard Kits section or design your own! We promise that we will help you every step of the way. Just ask any of our past customers! Contact us today by clicking here or calling us at 888-743-9098 to get started!