It can be difficult trying to decide what lighting to fit in any room of your house. But, this can often be even harder when you look at the basement where there is already limited light.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be hard. With the aid of this guide, you can choose the perfect lighting solution for any space in your home. It will probably be necessary to get a qualified level 2 electrician to fit the lighting system.
Room Use
The first thing you need to consider is what is the room used for? An office will need good overall light to see the space, files, and other relevant information. It will also need directional light to allow the best possible lighting on the desk area.
In contrast, a games room may need direct light on a pool or billiard table but it will want subdued lighting behind you for game consoles and similar.
Understanding what the room is used for will allow you to decide the brightness of the light you need and where it needs to be located.
Light Required
As mentioned, you need to define where you will position your lighting; wall, ceiling, or perhaps on the floor. However, deciding this is only the first step. You also need to consider how bright does the light needs to be? This controls the size of the light bulb and lumen level.
The greater the lumen the brighter the light will be.
It is worth noting that some spaces need different light levels which means you may be better off with a dimmer switch. But, to install this you need to make sure that the fitting can handle a dimmer switch connection.
Don’t forget that there are also different types of bulbs, LEDs tend to be the most efficient and are usually the best choice.
Type Of Light
With a good idea of how much light you need and where you will be able to take a look at what type of light to fit your basement space.
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Recessed
Recessed lights are usually LED or halogen and are mounted into the ceiling. In most cases, they can be angled to allow you to direct the light. This type of light gives plenty of illumination, minimal glare, and very little shadow in a room.
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Track
Track lights are simply several lights on a bar or track, operated by one light switch. Each light on the track can be pointed in a different direction, making it easy to highlight specific areas and create the right ambiance.
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Pendant
The pendant is a more traditional light and simply hangs in the center of the room. They come in a huge variety of styles but do create shadows and may struggle to illuminate larger rooms. They are, however, great as a task light.
There is no right or wrong solution, just what works for you best. It is even possible to adopt more than one type in a room to create the perfect basement space.
