Roller Skating Rink Lighting Tips

During the 80's, roller skating rinks were all the rage for a good time on a Friday night. While they aren’t quite as popular as they once were, they still manage to retain their charm and retro feel while appealing to a new generation of skating fans. When it comes to roller skating rink lighting, there are a few things you need to know to make your location look its best to draw in crowds. Here are 3 tips for mastering this area of lighting tailored to the unique nature of your business.

1. Don’t overdo it

One of the biggest mistakes made in roller skating rink lighting is to install too many powerful light fixtures in the space. A skating rink should have lights to offer visibility for safety without being too bright or powerful that it detracts from the vibe. A skating rink has its own unique dimly lit atmosphere punctuated by colorful strobe lights or rotating spotlights to add pizzazz. The key is to make general lighting used in areas where it is absolutely necessary, such as bathrooms, entryways, stairs or rails, or concessions area, yet you maintain that dimly lit quality associated with the rink area itself. Of course, you will want to make sure you have the option of employing brighter general lighting solutions over the rink itself as needed for certain events or cleaning purposes.

2. Opt for LED if possible

One of the biggest expenses for this type of business is roller skating rink lighting costs. This is partly because a rink may run lights continuously during business hours when they aren’t needed. It is also usually linked to an improper bulb type being utilized over more efficient options on the market. While many older rinks employed halogen, incandescent, or fluorescent, there is a better choice on the market today. With LED technology, you get a lamp type which offers a better spectrum of color temperature, longer lasting lamp life, lower energy consumption to drastically reduce operating costs, and a clearer output of illumination in general. Another benefit of LED over other options is that it doesn’t have the heat loss of other units, so the lamp won’t get too hot or add heat to the space. Best of all, LED now comes in everything from tube lights for troffers to spotlights for colorful lighting.

3. Play with temperature

Many people think that to create a warm setting they have to reduce lumen output as the only way to do so. Lumens determine the brightness or the illumination level. When you reduce lumens, you do create a warmer, dimmer vibe, but you also reduce visibility. A better way to create a warmer environment is by keeping the lumens the same for visibility matters but choosing a warmer temperature in lamps. A warm temperature tends to be closer to the yellow side of the spectrum, around a 2700-3000k on the scale would suffice, and it lets you create an illusion of dimness and warmth without compromising on visibility by way of lumens.