KelvinPlanHow much light each room needs, and what color it should be.

How many lumens for a 8 × 14 ft garage?

Total light needed
5,600lumens
112 ft² × 50 foot-candles
garage · 8×14 ft8 ft14 ft5,600 lumens total · about 7 fixtures · 4000–5000K
Room area112ft²
Target light levelIES guidance for a garage50foot-candles
Total lumens5,600lm
Colour temperaturecool white for detail work4000–5000K
Bulbs (800 lm each)7bulbs
Recessed cans (4 ft spacing)800 lm each7fixtures

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 5,600 lm fixture and 7 smaller ones add up the same but look completely different.

Where 5,600 lumens comes from

Lighting is specified in foot-candles — lumens landing on each square foot of the surface you care about. A garage is worked to 50 foot-candles. Across 112 ft² that is 5,600 lumens in total.

Split it up

One fixture putting out 5,600 lumens and 7 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

4000–5000K 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.

Nearby sizes

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