Welcome to The Redneck Guide to Garages
Light Up Your Garage Article
Light Up Your Garage
from:If you haven’t been using your garage as much as you want to because of poor lighting, it’s time to consider a home improvement project that lights the way. In years past, there weren’t nearly as many options for garage lighting as there are today. And the garage has become more than just a place to park the car. Garages today are used for shops, playrooms, craft or hobby areas, artistic creation, and many other uses. The naked light bulb no longer does the trick when it comes to a multi-purpose garage “room”.
Not only does extra lighting increase the usability of the space, it increases the safety of your garage as well. Stairways are safer and maneuvering around cabinets, storage containers, bikes, and other items in the garage is easier with good quality lighting. It’s also easier to keep unwanted animals out of the space because you can see them before they make a home.
Fluorescent light fixtures are always a great option for garages. Unlike years past, today’s fluorescent fixtures are quick and easy to install. They also are environmentally friendly since they use minimal energy. These fixtures use less energy but they produce an amazing amount of light for an otherwise dingy, dull garage space, making it much more useful.
Track lighting is one of the most popular options for garages today since it is very effective in work areas. Track lighting can be installed above cabinets and workbenches to make it easier to find what you need and make it easier to work on your projects. It can be easily installed in corners where overhead lights don’t illuminate space, making the area safer and more useful.
When installing additional lighting in your garage, always consider motion-sensitive and occupancy sensors. They are a great advantage when you are handling craft boxes, groceries, and other items and don’t have a free-hand to switch on the lights. And again, they greatly increase the safety of a garage space.
In addition to traditional lighting installation, there are also a variety of flexible lighting systems available today. Do-it-yourselfer’s can purchase panels and lighting systems that snap into place in the garage. These lighting fixtures use power cords so there is no extra drilling and wiring needed. You can simply plug them into an existing outlet and tuck the cords behind the panels.
Even more advanced are flexible lighting systems that come with panels that mount directly on the wall. The panels are mounted on the walls easily and they serve as the power source and storage unit for cords. There is a master fixture that plugs directly into a 120-volt switched outlet, so again, no electrical wiring is needed. GarageTek is one example of these flexible lighting systems.
Garage lighting doesn’t have to be bare and stark anymore. There are a variety of lighting options that include well-designed fixtures with an ‘indoor’ look. When evaluating your garage lighting needs, don’t forget about the outside too. New light fixtures to create more light on the outside will make the inside of your garage more appealing and useful too.
Just because your garage appears dark and dingy today doesn’t mean that’s your only option. Install additional fluorescent, track, or flexible lighting systems and you’ll find there are many more uses for your garage than simply parking your car or storing junk. It can become an additional “room” that has varied uses for you and your family when you light up every corner.