How many lumens for a 12 × 22 ft basement?
Total light needed
7,920lumens
264 ft² × 30 foot-candles
| Room area | 264ft² |
|---|---|
| Target light levelIES guidance for a basement | 30foot-candles |
| Total lumens | 7,920lm |
| Colour temperatureraise it if the ceiling is low and dark | 4000K |
| Bulbs (800 lm each) | 10bulbs |
| Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)466 lm each | 17fixtures |
Notes
- Foot-candles are lumens per square foot at the work surface. Ceilings above 9 ft, dark walls or dark flooring all eat light — add roughly 10% per extra foot of ceiling height.
- Spread the total across several fixtures rather than one bright source. One 7,920 lm fixture and 17 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.
Where 7,920 lumens comes from
Lighting is specified in foot-candles — lumens landing on each square foot of the surface you care about. A basement is worked to 30 foot-candles. Across 264 ft² that is 7,920 lumens in total.
Split it up
One fixture putting out 7,920 lumens and 17 fixtures adding up to the same number light a room very differently. A single source throws hard shadows and glare; several spread the light and make the room feel larger. Aim for layers — ambient, task, and something low for the evening.
Color temperature
4000K suits this room. Warmer light reads as relaxed and is what you want where people wind down; cooler light keeps edges and colors crisp, which matters where there is work to do.
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