How Many Lights Do I Need?
Remodeling your kitchen? Or is it your living room? Regardless of where you choose to put your DIY skills to the test, understanding how to pick the correct amount of lighting can turn dimly-lit kitchens into michelin-star deserving, fine-dining experiences. Read on for our guide on selected a lighting setup to provide ample lighting without wasting money on energy costs.
Step 1: Measure
We want to start by correctly estimating the amount of lumens you will need for a specific space. Start by measuring the width and length of the room or space you plan on hanging or mounting the lights in, then multiply them together to get the square footage. So, in the case of a 10’x10’ room, our square footage would be 100.
Step 2: Convert
Next, we need to understand how to convert our square footage into lumens. In order to do that, we have to understand what foot candles are first.
Foot Candle
How much output a light has from one foot away.
Estimated Foot Candles Needed Per Application
Kitchen 30-40
Living Room 10-20
Bedroom 10-20
Dining Room 30-40
Hallway 5-10
Step 3: Calculate
Now that we have a basis for how many foot candles we need per room, we can begin calculating the total amount of lumens we’ll need.
Let’s use an example of a 200 square foot living room: 200 square feet X 10-20 foot candles = 2,000 to 4,000 lumens required.
You can use this same formula for any room you will be needing lights in. Next, we need to find which bulbs will work best for our application.
Step 4: Bulb Selection
So, we’ve established our square footage, foot candles and lumens. Now, let’s talk light bulbs. We personally sell three different kinds of light bulbs, all with different lumen outputs.
Our 8W LED bulbs produce approximately 800 lumens. So, in the case of the 200 square foot living room, we’d need approximately 3-5 fixtures equipped with those 8W bulbs.
These are our 12W LED bulbs capable of producing 1500 lumens. In which case, you’d need 2-3 to properly illuminate 200 square feet.
Our most powerful bulbs are these 22W bulbs, capable of emitting 2500 lumens! In this case, 1-2 fixtures would be ideal for 200 square feet.
It’s also important to note that part of these calculations depends on how high you mount the lights. If they’re too close to the ground, the light won’t properly spread far enough to be effective.
For Warehouses/Facilities
Please keep in mind that this guide was specifically written for the home, garage or barn in mind. For larger or more extensive applications, please contact our team to work out a more accurate lighting layout.
There you have it!
We hope this has helped you in your process of finding the right amount of lighting. If you need additional help, please feel free to reach out to us.