Workshop lighting…why does it confound so many of us? I think it’s because there are so many options and subjectivity. After spending way too much time researching lights, I settled on a system that works best for me. Unfortunately, I still have a few spots in the shop that are dark. I have some duct work that goes directly over some of my main tools and it’s difficult to get good lighting in those areas.  The above video shows me trying to fix this problem. 

If you are new to lighting, there are two things to consider: lumens and kelvin. Lumens is the measurement of how bright the light shins. The lower the number, the dimmer the light. A flashlight is about 1000 lumens. Many 4ft long tube lights are between 1800-2500 lumens. Honestly, I don’t spend a lot of time focusing on this. I use 4ft long bulbs and they seem to be plenty bright enough in my shop. I have 7-1/2ft ceilings so if your shop ceilings are really tall then you may want brighter bulbs.

Kelvin is much more important to me. This is the scale used to determine the temperature of the color of the light. You will typically see bulbs range from 2700k to 8000k. The lower the number, the more yellow/orange the color. The higher the number the bluer the color. For comparison, the lights in a person’s kitchen is usually around 3500k. It’s a comforting light color. Natural daylight is around 5000k.

I like to use 5000k lights in my shop. I want the most neutral lighting as possible for two big reasons. The first is that the light helps to reduce shadows and it’s easier for me to see my work. The second reason is that it helps me with finishing. It’s possible to have a wood or stain color look one way in the shop, but a completely different way once it’s in another room with different color lights. Neutral lights ensure that I don’t have a massive color change once the project is in it’s final location. Remember when I said that lighting is subjective? This is the most subjective part. Some people can’t work under 5000k lights for extensive periods of time. It’s too white of a light for their comfort. I recommend picking the lighting that works best for your eyes, but try not to stray too far to the left or right on 5000k.

I installed LED lights in my shop.  They are a little more expensive (though the price is much lower than in the past) than florescent bulbs. The plus sides are too much to ignore. No delay in lighting, no flickering, no buzzing, they don’t feel like heat lamps, and they last seemingly forever. I purchased really cheap, traditional florescent light fixtures that hold T12 bulbs.  I replaced those bulbs with universal fit LED bulbs.  These light bulbs can fit into T8 or T12 sockets and they don’t require rewiring of the light fixture’s ballast, like some lights do. I’m sure that I can buy specific LED ballasts that save electricity. Perhaps in the future I will.

Check out the above video to see how I installed additional lights and the impact it made to the lighting in my shop. Please remember, I’m not a licensed electrician and building codes vary from region to region.  Do not take this video as instruction on how to install your own lights.  I am showing you my shop and what I did.  If you are not comfortable with electrical work then hire a professional.

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