How to Choose the Right Lumen Levels for Your Home
If you’ve made the switch to energy-saving LED lights, you’ve probably seen lumens listed on the box. Lumens refer to the amount of light each bulb emits. How do lumens compare to watts? How many lumens do you need for each area of your house? Here’s a handy guide.
What Is a Lumen?
A lumen is a measurement of light output. LED bulbs tend to emit higher levels of light at lower wattages than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. For instance, a 5-watt LED gives you the same amount of light as a 40-watt incandescent bulb.
When you shop for LED bulbs or lights, you need to know their lumen levels and what this means in terms of light output. With LED bulbs, you also need to know the levels of warmth and coolness in each bulb. Warm lighting creates a soft, comfortable glow. Cool lighting is best for task lighting.
Calculating Lumens for Indoor Use
It’s exciting to give your home lighting a makeover, but how many lumens do you need?
Here are suggested lighting levels for the key rooms in your house:
- Bedroom: 15 lumens.
- Kitchen general lighting: 35 lumens.
- Kitchen task lighting: 75 lumens.
- Bathroom: 75 lumens.
- Living room: 15 lumens.
- Dining room: 35 lumens.
- Hallways: 10 lumens.
Use the Formula
Lighting designers typically recommend a standard formula for getting the right levels of light in a room. To get the right number, multiply the room’s square foot by the suggested lumens per square foot of the room type.
For instance, if you are lighting a 15 x 10 hallway, multiply150 square feet by 10 lumens for a total of 1500 lumens. If you’re installing under cabinet lights in the kitchen, calculate the square footage of the cabinets. Multiply that by 75.
Remember to Layer Your Lighting
That number gives you a general lighting level for the room, but remember to layer your lighting. Using different lumen levels for general, ambient and task lighting makes your home feel comfortable and inviting.
When you design the lighting in a room, use layering to achieve the most beautiful effects. Different fixtures will enhance this effect. Use a combination of overhead lights, sconces, wall lights, and pendant lights.
Lumens and Landscape Lighting
Calculating lumen levels for outdoor lights depends on where you’re placing lights. Landscape lighting and patio lighting will need lower-lumen LEDs than security lights.
Decorative outdoor lights: Use bulbs with 10 to 100 lumens for hanging lights, string lights, party lights, and other decorative lights.
Path lighting and step lighting: 100 to 300 lumens.
Accent lights on walls: 50 to 150 lumens.
Landscape accents: 50 lumens.
Water feature: 200 lumens.
Outdoor and Security Lighting
When you illuminate for security, you need bright light. LEDs are a good choice for security lighting because they result in clear images on security cameras.
Motion sensor lights: 250 to 700 lumens.
Floodlights and spotlights: 700 to 1400 lumens.
Pool and outdoor security lights: 400 to 700 lumens.
Count on SESCOS for All Your Lighting Needs
If you want to choose the right bulbs for your interior or exterior, talk to SESCOS. We sell and install LED lighting solutions. Our technicians can help you select the perfect lighting solutions for your home.