Let’s face it—most of us don’t think about the lighting in our garage until we are stuck using our smartphones for flashlights while digging through toolboxes. Yet, whether you use your garage for storage, parking, as a workspace, or a combination, having good lighting can make a huge difference.

If your garage is a bit too dark, but you aren’t sure what you need to fix it, your local electricians here at HedgeHog Electric are here with some garage lighting ideas and suggestions!

DON’T SKIMP ON YOUR GARAGE LIGHTS

In many garages, there is often only one light fixture in the middle of the garage. While that may be enough light for parking your car, it isn’t bright enough to do pretty much anything else.

Instead of bumping around and tripping over things, invest in plenty of lighting for your garage. Fluorescent light fixtures are a great option to bring light into your garage—and depending on the size—you may not need that many fixtures added.

There is a caveat to using fluorescent lighting. For our customers in St. George and Southern Utah in general, there isn’t usually a problem with using fluorescent lights. However, in colder climates—like some of our customers in Salt Lake City—fluorescent lighting can be damaged by very cold weather. By consulting with our electricians about our lighting services, we can help steer you to the right fixtures and bulbs for your area.

INSTALL UNDER CABINET LIGHTING

Plenty of garages are where storage cabinets, toolboxes, and workbenches are placed. But, if you have cabinets or overhead shelving, it can block the lighting you need to make the most of your work station in the garage.

A handy workaround for this issue is to have under cabinet lighting installed. There are many types of under cabinet light fixtures available—from simple strip LED lights, you can peel and stick to having lights installed by our electricians.

Which type of under cabinet lighting you go with will largely depend on the position of your cabinets or shelves and what kind of projects you tend to work on.

CHOOSE PENDANT LIGHTS TO PROVIDE BRIGHT TASK LIGHTS

Along with fluorescent lights, pendant lights can be a good option, particularly for garages that have high, exposed ceilings. Pendant lights can provide excellent task lighting, with focused areas of light provided. However, if you don’t have windows, pendant lights can be a little restrictive.

If you do decide to go with pendant lighting in your garage, you may want to use multiple fixtures as well as other types of lighting, like under cabinet lights.

REMEMBER TO LIGHT THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR GARAGE

The interior of your garage isn’t the only area that can benefit from being better lit! Exterior garage lighting can be helpful in a number of ways—from providing help with parking in the garage to security.

There are even more options and styles available when you want to add exterior lights to your garage, whether you want a matching pair of stylish sconces or motion-detecting sensor lights, we can help.

CONSIDER PORTABLE LIGHTING OPTIONS

Even with good fixed garage lighting, you may benefit from also having some portable lighting options available for projects that require more flexible lighting. Some options you may want to consider are:

Portable Work Light With Guard

Common with mechanic work, a portable work light with a guard can help where your garage lighting might fall short—like the inside of your car or when you are under it! These lights often also have hooks that allow you to switch between holding the light and hanging it nearby for visibility. Also, with the guard around the light, you can avoid smacking the light bulb into things without a good deal of force being applied.

LED Handheld Light

For a bright light that won’t heat up much, an LED handheld light can be the ideal portable work light to have in your garage. LED lighting is often brighter than your average incandescent bulb, and as there is very little power draw, an LED handheld light won’t drain the battery nearly as quickly as other types of handheld work lights.

Tripod Work Light

Larger-scale projects may demand that you go hands-free with your portable lighting. So, if you are looking for good illumination for your projects, a tripod work light is the way to go.

These lights are fairly stable, as they have three stabilizing feet and are often bright colors to prevent people from missing them and bumping into them. Tripod work lights may come with one or more lights that you can adjust the direction of the light.

Also, you don’t have to choose the tripod variant. There are smaller work lights that sit on the floor and can be angled in the direction you need.

CUSTOMIZE THE LIGHTING IN YOUR GARAGE WITH HEDGEHOG ELECTRIC

Whether you want to revolutionize the lighting in your garage or just add another fixture or two, HedgeHog Electric is here for you. We can help you determine the best locations for your lights, what style of fixtures best suit your area and layout, and more.

Whether you are looking for help with a residential electrical project, or have commercial needs, feel free to contact us today for a consultation.