Show off your garage door with new outdoor lighting

Map out your doors

The best way to plan for the lighting that goes around garage doors is to sketch your actual door and the garage surrounding it. The lighting styles that look best and the design approach that you use will be different for double doors than for single doors. You might even have a double and a single door on your garage. Regardless of how many doors you have or what size they are, you need to look at the space around them.

How much space is between the doors, or on the side of the door between it and the edge of the garage? Do you have eaves over the door or a wall where you could install lights along the roofline? Are you just trying to improve the look of the garage or will these lights be functional also?

These questions are important to answer. This will help you determine how much space you have for garage door lighting and make sure that you choose the right lights for the job. Most designers will suggest leaving a little bit of space around fixtures, so you don’t want to choose anything that is too oversized. You can even install smaller fixtures or multiple fixtures if you’re pressed for space around the door.

Now to look at styles of light fixtures for your home

For starters, you need to consider the style of your home. A country cottage, for example, is going to have different style requirements for lighting than a modern condo with the garage on the front of the building. The most common types of home architecture include:

• Modern and contemporary
• Classic or colonial styles
• Carriage house or country style

The overall goal, after all, is to enhance the look of your home by adding lighting around your garage door. Make sure that you choose fixtures that look good during both day and nighttime, and that provide the lighting that you need. Also, if you have a lot of street lighting or any other house lights nearby, consider scaling back with smaller fixtures, so you’re not duplicating or competing with existing light sources.

With so many different choices of outdoor lights and fixtures to improve the look of your house and show off your new garage door, it can be hard to narrow down your options. Fortunately, the internet offers a lot of resources, including sites like Pinterest and Houzz, where you can find inspiration. Here are some popular choices:

Modern

Rustic

How to choose the right light bulbs for your new fixtures

While it might seem obvious, the right bulbs can make all the difference. LED bulbs are great for saving energy, but make sure that your first consideration is following the manufacturer’s recommendations. Also, choose bulbs that are specifically rated for outdoor use.

You should look at durable bulbs that aren’t going to exceed the wattage of the fixture itself. A majority of outdoor fixtures are designed for up to 100 watts, while some fixtures may only operate at 60 watts of power. Look, also, at the individual bulb wattage if the fixture has multiple bulbs.

Spiral CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs are not designed for outdoor use, even in covered fixtures. These contain a small amount of mercury and will lose their intensity and become frail in the cold weather.

LEDs are really your best option. They are energy efficient, but they are also weather‑resistant and can offer as many as 100 hours of use. Keep in mind that there are still some fixtures that require specific bulbs, so make sure that you read the specifications before choosing or installing any bulbs.

Once you’ve taken all this into account, you’re just a few twists of a bulb away from putting in your new bulbs and enjoying the new look of the exterior of your home.

Ready to learn more?

Contact us today at the numbers below to discuss your new garage door needs. We can also show you our image gallery, which is full of inspirational project ideas, and provide you with a secure quotation via email.

If you’re close by, check out our local showroom and all of the garage door models that are available. You can even use our virtual Design Centre from the comfort of your home to custom design your new garage door.