Incandescent, Fluorescent Or LED: Choosing The Right Lighting For A Multi-Purpose Garage

Electrical lighting in your garage can be a great boon, especially if you prefer to use your garage as a work and hobby area rather than simply storage. However, choosing the right sort of lighting can be difficult, not least because the first choice you need to make is what kind of light generation method you want to go with. Incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent light tubes and LED lighting strips are all popular choices, but they generate quite different kinds of light, making them more suitable for lighting some tasks than others. 

Incandescent lighting

The classic choice, incandescent light bulbs are usually the primary choice for home use, but they also have their place in the garage. Incandescent lighting is cheap and relatively easy to install, and provides a decent amount of light, particularly if using high wattage bulbs. Incandescent lights are also resistant to cold, and will not dim or flicker in a cold, unheated garage. If you have low ceilings in your garage, you might consider installing adjustable incandescent spotlights -- the adjustable bulb makes it easy to direct light where you want it, and the plastic or metal shell surrounding the bulb protects it from accidentally smashing with ladders or other tools.

Incandescent lighting, however, is not really suitable for garages used as workshops, or for more intricate crafting work, as even high wattage bulbs cannot provide the bright light required. Incandescent bulbs also have a fairly short lifespan, and are fragile against knocks, necessitating relatively frequent replacements. Use incandescent lighting for garages used as storage areas for cars or tools, or garages with good natural lighting. Never use incandescent lighting for garages used for car painting or other colour-sensitive work, as the warm 'glow' of incandescent light changes the appearance of certain colours.

Fluorescent lighting

Fluorescent light tubes might not be the prettiest option, but they are certainly effective, providing bright, even light distribution with just a few bulbs. The weapon of choice for many amateur mechanics and craftsmen, the intense light and lack of extensive shadows cast by fluorescent tubes makes them ideal for intricate work -- many people also choose to sheathe their light tubes in protective, transparent plastic casings, which provide effectively defence against knocks.

However, if a fluorescent tube does break, you'll know about it as the thin glass of a light tube tends to shatter into tiny, dangerous shards that are a nightmare to clean up. They also contain chemicals that can be dangerous to inhale that can escape when broken, making them a poor choice for small, poorly-ventilated garages. Fluorescent lights can also be frustrating to deal with in winter as they are relatively temperature-sensitive. In cold weather they can take to warm enough to cast adequate light, and may be prevented from reaching maximum brightness.

LED lighting

Light-emitting diodes are tiny lights powered by electrical luminescence, and are grouped together to create light sources, usually in strips or lamps. This small size makes LED lighting perfect for lighting inside cupboards or tool cabinets, as a small, adhesive LED strip or lamp can light even larger spaces effectively, and with minimal power usage. LED lights are also very robust, and are resistant to vibration damage, making them ideal for garages that see a lot of power tool and engine use.

The main disadvantage of LED lighting is the price. Small strips and lamps suited for task and spot lighting are affordable enough, but if you want to use LEDs as the main source of light in your garage, prices can quickly rack up. Finding a LED light setup that provides even distribution of light instead of a focused beam can also be difficult.