Amount of Light
Brightening an indoor space is a matter of personal preference. Some people may prefer brighter light, while others may choose a dimmer light. Several factors determine how much light you need in your room. Most of us use beauty as the primary reason for lighting in our rooms, but being practical implies that beauty isn’t the only significant factor.
Factors like the size of the room, the use of the space, and the choice of outlook you want for the room also come into play. Different spaces require a different amount of light. For instance, a sitting room is used for different tasks such as reading, doing homework, watching TV, entertaining or relaxing. Hence, it requires a different amount of light for different tasks. Such place may need a light controller to adjust the amount of light suitable for each task.
This guide helps you to know the amount of light you will need for the room. It provides you with the process of determining the size of your room and also measures the number of lumens your room requires.
1- Determine the length and width of your room
The size of your room determines the amount of light your room needs. By multiplying the length of the room by its width, you will get the square footage. For example, if the length of your room is 4 meters and its width 6 meters, this means that your room has an area of 24 meters.
2– Know the purpose of the room
Different rooms serve different purposes. Hence the amount of light needed differs by the type of room. For instance, a library requires more light than a sitting room used for watching TV.
Below are approximate light quality ranges using foot-candles for various room lighting applications:
- Living Room (10-20)
- Kitchen (30-40)
- Dining Room (30-40)
- Bedroom (10-20)
- Hallway (5-10)
- Bathroom (70-80)
3- Estimate how many lumens you will need to light your room
Lumens refer to the amount of light emitted per second by a light source. It is estimated by the square footage of your room by the number of foot-candles needed for the room. For a dining room that is 70 square feet with a foot candles ranges 30 40, you need from 30 x 70 to 80 x 70 lumens.
4- Acquire a fixture and bulb that attain the estimated amount of lumens
Now, you will have to choose the kind of source of light to achieve the calculated lumens. It is advisable to select the bulb carefully you will use and also note its lumen count. Hence, confirm that the number of lumens matches up with the overall target. Moreover, the fixtures are also very important to note. Ensure that the fixture can achieve the intended result.
