How To Choose A Ceiling Fan

If you are renovating a basement one way to make it infinitely more livable is to add lighting & fans. Lighting helps brighten the space especially if you use full spectrum light bulbs in your fixture to simulate the rays of natural daylight. The use of fans can help keep the air circulating in a basement that feels damp from humidity or stagnant because of a lack of windows. Adding lighting & fans to a basement can make a basement that formerly felt like an airless cave feel like a cozy loft studio.

When it comes to lighting it is a good idea to explore your options. Don’t think about installing the traditional form of lighting that hangs down from the ceiling, especially if your basement has a low ceiling. First of all a low hanging fixture simply becomes something for a tall person to bump into constantly. Secondly, lights that dangles from the ceiling make the room look smaller. The idea is to create the illusion of space, not install dangling objects that create an illusion of clutter.

To remedy the problem of lighting in the basement you are best off to ignore the dangling lights all together and opt for lighting & fans in one unit or recessed pot lighting. This type of indirect lighting is very complimentary in a basement and helps eliminate that claustrophobic cave like feeling that most basements have.

Another key to choosing the right lighting is to select the right light bulbs. Forget about fluorescent bulbs. They flicker and their brightness makes a basement look utilitarian, hard and cold.

You are best off choose soft white incandescent bulbs that make the light seem more natural. These bulbs are also a good choice if you are using a light fixture that has the lighting & fans in one unit. You can also install a light dimmer so that you can adjust the look of the basement’s light any time you want.

If your basement feels damp then a fan may not help make it feel more comfortable. Sometimes you need to buy a dehumidifier to help remove moisture from the air. Many dehumidifiers also come equipped with a fan operation as well if all you would like to do is circulate the air in your basement. Some air conditioners come with a fan only option also.

Although you might think that whirling ceiling fans with a light in them might seem to be the ideal solution for a basement that requires both light and air, they often aren’t as they are only available as hanging ceiling fans. Unfortunately unless your basement ceiling is really high it will be nothing but a nuisance or an actual danger to its occupants.

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