As wonderful as it is to have high ceilings, the lack of light can also be frustrating. These five tips for lighting a building with high ceilings help you combat any dark spot frustrations by implementing the brightest strategies.
The Undisputed Champion: LED Lights
The best football teams win games in the battle of the trenches. The quarterback may get all the praise and attention, but they wouldn’t find success if the five hog mollies up front didn’t block for them. Similarly, any plans for lighting your building go for naught if you don’t have the foundation. LED lights are akin to the offensive line in football because their performance guarantees the best results.
Not only do LED lights illuminate a room the best, but they also last longer. Changing light bulbs often is a pain, particularly if it requires you to ascend a ladder because of the higher ceilings. You can expect LED lighting to last approximately 50 times longer than any other lighting solution, keeping you on the ground instead of standing atop a flimsy ladder.
Getting the Good Angles
Now that you have LED lights setting the foundation, you’re ready to create an effective lighting solution for your building. One way to improve your setup is using beam angles to your benefit. Beam angle—also known as beam spread—describes the direction and width of the light cast by an overhead light.
Most LED bulbs have a selection of different beam angles. Broadening the light’s vantage point illuminates a larger area with a softer, less focused glow. When lighting a room with a high ceiling, a narrow beam angle produces a more powerful, focused light that can reach the floor. It’s rare for the soft, diffuse light produced by standard recessed cans in areas with high ceilings to fail to sufficiently illuminate the floor below.
Covering the Spread
Equally positioning light fixtures over a high ceiling guarantees you the best coverage. Although you may want to focus on a particular area, you don’t want to leave any other areas in the dark. The first step to accomplish this goal is to have a central light source. Then, put recessed lighting around the light every 4 to 6 feet; going this route should shine a light on every nook and cranny of your building.
Good Things Come in Thirds
Each room has three distinct sections: the bottom, the middle, and the top. Higher ceilings are problematic because their top is vastly different than a standard room’s top, leading to several areas of darkness. Using the rule of thirds implies that you should have a light source for each section. Your overhead lighting can only do so much, making it essential to have other lamps, wall scones, and pendants filling in the gaps.
Go Big or Go Home
Going big doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best decision because it may be too expensive or extra. However, bigger is better when we find lighting solutions for higher ceilings. Large spaces, or rooms with high ceilings, need lighting fixtures to illuminate the whole room rather than just one or two specific spots. A room with a high ceiling is the ideal location for something grand—whether that be a chandelier or pendant lights.
Following these five tips for lighting a building with high ceilings ensures that you or the occupants aren’t in the dark. Stylighting offers great deals on bulk light bulbs to style your commercial building today. With our highly-efficient and green LED bulbs, you can expect lighting excellence.