How to Light a Room in Square Feet

Lighting is a necessity in homes, illuminating darkened areas at night and giving you space for working and living. The amount of light you need varies, depending on the square footage of the room. Larger rooms typically require more lumens, which is a term used by manufacturers in reference to the amount of light produced by a lamp or other item. Determining the square footage of your room helps you decide how much lighting you need.

Measuring tape

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the width and length of the room. Multiply the two numbers to get the square footage.
- 2
  Check the number of foot candles required for your specific room on the Maximum Lighting website. A living room requires 10 to 20 foot candles, while a hallway only requires 5 to 10 foot candles.
- 3
  Multiply the number of foot candles required against the square footage of the room, which gives you the total number of lumens needed in the space. For example, a kitchen of 100 square feet needs as much as 4,000 lumens because that room type requires 30 to 40 foot candles.
- 4
  Look for lighting fixtures that release the number of lumens based on your calculations. Use one overhead lighting fixture that meets the requirements or opt for several lighting fixtures that produce the same amount combined.
- 5
  Calculate the wattage needed by multiplying 1.5 against the square footage of the room. For example, a 100-square-foot room requires wattage of 150 in the lights around the room.

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