As soon as you approach the question of building a garage or a carport, you must ask yourself the question of its lighting, whether indoors or outdoors. Because if not, imagine: it’s autumn or winter, it gets dark early and there’s fog… Can you imagine what’s next? Sometimes accidents happen at home. If the lighting in your garage or carport is poor or non-existent, scratches while parking and exiting are almost inevitable. Therefore, read the X most common errors instead in order to avoid them.
1 – Install lighting that is too weak
You may think that simple lighting is enough to get in and out of your parking space. But if there is no other type of lighting around, it can be problematic. It’s never very easy to find yourself in the dark. Often it is not enough to light the interior of a garage or to install a single lamp in a carport. Your driveway should also have powerful lights, ideally with a motion sensor. This reacts either when you approach or only when the garage door is open. Solar lights are particularly energy efficient and are also very useful for lighting your way safely to your garage. Before buying lighting, decide what type of light source you need, what light intensity and what angle of illumination. And focus on optimal illumination of the area you have to walk through – this must be the case both in the garage and outside to ensure maximum safety.
2 – Use lighting that is too dazzling
At the same time, it is important that the lights are not glare, otherwise glare light can make parking in and out of parking spaces even more difficult.
3 – Forgetting to opt for resistant lighting
For outdoor use, the lamps should also be weatherproof: cold, wind and rain should not affect them. When planning the interior lighting of a carport or garage, weatherproof materials are important because these areas are not always protected from outside influences.
4 – Do not take into account the lighting angle
When planning the exterior lighting of the garage or carport, you should also pay particular attention to the angle of illumination. Attach outdoor lighting so that the driveway and interior are well lit. Ideally, two lamps should be installed at the same time: a high-powered lamp on the exterior wall of the garage ensures maximum safety when parking and leaving, while less lighting inside helps to find the way when entry and exit. Also pay attention to the height of your lights.
5 – Neglecting the size of the garage
The size of the garage or carport is also not unimportant. If the area is very small, a single ceiling light installed in the middle is usually sufficient. In large garages, it can be interesting to install several lamps. This is particularly advantageous if you want to use the area for other purposes, such as repairing or cleaning the vehicle. Therefore, the side areas should always be well lit.
6 – Not considering energy efficiency
It’s no secret that light bulbs are real energy consumers. Some are therefore just as unsuitable for lighting your garage as your home. Halogen is also not a good choice because these lamps not only consume a lot of energy, but they are also very harmful to the environment. LED spotlights, on the other hand, represent a modern and economical solution: they can be used both outdoors and indoors, have a long lifespan and are particularly robust. LED lights consume only a fraction of the amount of energy required to run light bulbs or halogen lamps. This makes it a long-term and economical solution. In addition, the LEDs are very varied: some are more dedicated to ceilings, others reserved for wall lights and still others for the floor.
7 – Forget that a garage is not just for parking
Are you one of those who use their garage to clean their vehicle or to observe its engine? In this case, high power lights should be used. Install at least two light sources in your garage to adequately illuminate all areas. Additional spotlights that can be switched on separately can also be installed. It is important that the interior of your room is evenly lit so that there are no dark corners.
8 – Not going after your idea
Just because your garage is attached to your home doesn’t mean it should be taken into consideration. If your dream is to make it a place to store your vintage cars or, on the contrary, a creative or DIY workshop, give yourself the means to fulfill your desires. Lighting plays such a role in our safety, our mood, that we have to take the time to think about it and then properly install what needs to be installed. Make your garage a place that suits you, pleasant and practical to use on a daily basis.