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Need Help Lighting up a 40x60x16

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GoodStuff

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Versailles, KY
Read through the Lighting stickys (several hours worth) and decided Platonic Solid was a rock star who has helped SO many! After reading through the litany of posts, however, I find myself more confused than before on what I actually need... Different lights require more or less fixtures to achieve the required lumens... I have no idea what target I should be shooting for. Shop is built and my contractor will be installing the ceiling (white 29gauge premium metal ran lengthwise) soon. I am thinking I should be wiring the ceiling before he installs the panels so I can access the rafters because the trusses are 4' apart and walking across them afterwards just sounds like a tragedy story waiting to happen.


Anyone have a similar shop and care to share their solutions? Have 2 14' doors where I will be parking my trailers and work related stuff (I'm a contractor). That takes up roughly 32x40. 28x40 approx. will be my workshop for woodworking and guy stuff.
 
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cybrdyke

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Your target light levels are measured in foot-candles, not lumens. For the areas where closeup work is done, you should have around 90-100 foot-candles. For areas where you are just storing stuff or parking vehicles, you should shoot for around 20 foot-candles. In a space that is as big as yours, you should have several circuits so that you can turn lights on/off as the spaces are being used.
With a 16' ceiling height, small LED highbays would work well. Using several small ones vs. a few large ones will give you a much more even spread of light with fewer shadows, less contrast, etc.
Good luck,
CD
 
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Junkyard Jim

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GoodStuff

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Junkyard Jim said:
Here is a link to the ones i put in my 30x60 shop for general lighting. Due to my dimensions it was easy to space them 15 feet apart in all directions. I have a total of 6 in two rows of three. I am using a four switch box at the door with the ability to turn on the one in the middle or the two on the ends for each row. I am lovin it so far. I will put specific lights as needed.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/beeslighting/website+files/specsheets/Generic/canopy/canopy-scl-specs.pdf
Click to expand...



Thank you junkyard Jim! Are you worried about shadows? I keep watching all the threads of people using so few fixtures and wonder about even lighting



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Platonic Solid

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Junkyard Jim - That's no where near enough fixtures or lumen output, unless this is for storage.

GoodStuff - I'd do 16 (4x4 layout) or 20 (4x5 layout)of the 110W 16,400 Lumen James fixtures (link)
 
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GoodStuff

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Thank you Platonic. I went to the link you sent and looked at the lights, am thinking maybe the 165w version may be better because the 4' length would offer a wider distribution of light? Attached a sketch of the shop area I am building. The garage door bays are primarily vehicles (bigger ones noted), riding mower, ATV, and etc... will move them around as needed for working on them. Ceilings are 29 gauge white metal and walls will most likely be same for top 8-10' with painted plywood bottoms. Remaining portion of shop is wood workshop (saws, dust collection, all the goodies normally associated with such... layout TBD but work stations mounted to walls and saws with countertops in center). back corner has 10x10 area for noisy stuff (dust collector, air compressor, 3 phase converter) and other 10x14 is a long term project to build a dedicated spray booth. When I do so, I will add a 2nd story mezzanine extending 8-10' into the shop area from the 10x24 area. Do not want to plan lighting for this area yet... am planning on ignoring the future design for lighting and want to light up the entire workshop area.
 
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Junkyard Jim

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I mentioned this was for “general lighting” and I usuall only have one or two of them on at a time and seem to get everything done that I need to do. I don’t do much open heart surgery but do rebuild carbs and chainsaws and general automotive work. I have more light where i need it and have portable lights as well. Your mileage may vary.
 
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Platonic Solid

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Junkyard Jim - If it suites your needs, that's all that really matters. I aim lighting layouts towards eliminating shadows and portable work lights as much as possible.
 
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Bopbop

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I have a 30 x 60 with 12 foot eve height 17 foot height in the center. The ceiling is white and the walls are being finished in galvalume tin.
I did an over kill on the lights. I have 24 metalux VHBLED-LD1-9 series lights. They are 9000 lumens each. The shop is really bright, better than any I have seen. Lots of good lighting at the work area. With the LED's you can set them up on dimmers if you like.
With the height make sure you go with a high bay fixture
 
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ken275

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You'll be happy with them. I just finished installing 14 4' 165 watt james lights in my 40x72. One suggestion is to run the dimmer wires. Either separately or luminary cable. 1/2 power is plenty of light for general work. Then if you need more you've got it.
 
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hemiallen

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Last edited:
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ken275

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The lights are 14'8" high. I got them as close to the trusses as possible. From the wall to the center of the light is 8'. 11'3" between them center to center. I have pallet racks on one side so I didn't want them too close.

Also look at how your mounting them. I went with the 4' 165 watt version because they're the same width as the 110. My trusses are 8.5" wide. The lights are 12.5". I put nutserts in each corner and used a .50 cent bracket from lowes.

I originally ordered the maxlite brackets from bees lighting but they cancelled my order without telling me. When I called a week later to check on them they said they will only sell them to you if you buy the lights from them.

I'll post some pictures later.
 
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soj

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ken275 said:
You'll be happy with them. I just finished installing 14 4' 165 watt james lights in my 40x72. One suggestion is to run the dimmer wires. Either separately or luminary cable. 1/2 power is plenty of light for general work. Then if you need more you've got it.
Click to expand...

Ken, just curious about your layout. Your picture shows three lights per row. If you did 5 rows that would be 15 lights. Did you leave one corner unlit?
jp
 
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GoodStuff

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soj said:
Thanks.



Do you plan to wire them for dimming? Don't know if it is worth it or not, and I am not 100% clear on wiring options.

jp
Click to expand...



For dimming purposes… There needs to be an 18 gauge wire ran to each light (I am using speaker wire that I had left over from my media room) that is connected to a dimmer… The dimmer has nothing to do with the power for the lighting… It controls the dimming function of each light separately. When I spoke to lighting warehouse they told me one dimmer can control up to 12 lights. Purchased luttron dimmer‘s at the same time I purchased the lights and I will run all of my workshop area on one dimmer and the garage bays on another. When I get in front of my computer tomorrow I will add a revised layout of my garage with the lights so you can see how I am placing them.

PM me when you get a chance… I would love to compare notes on our builds Knowing that yours is so similar


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ken275

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GoodStuff said:
For dimming purposes… There needs to be an 18 gauge wire ran to each light (I am using speaker wire that I had left over from my media room) that is connected to a dimmer… The dimmer has nothing to do with the power for the lighting… It controls the dimming function of each light separately. When I spoke to lighting warehouse they told me one dimmer can control up to 12 lights. Purchased luttron dimmer‘s at the same time I purchased the lights and I will run all of my workshop area on one dimmer and the garage bays on another. When I get in front of my computer tomorrow I will add a revised layout of my garage with the lights so you can see how I am placing them.

PM me when you get a chance… I would love to compare notes on our builds Knowing that yours is so similar


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
Click to expand...
You should be able to dim all your lights from one dimmer if you want. I've read another post from cybrdyke an eaton sf10p could theoretically handle 100 fixtures. The dimmer is powered from output of the led driver in the light.

Where the switch may limit you is on the power side. Depending on what switch you use 8-10 amps is what I've seen. So your 12 110watt lights pulls 11 amps.

On my lights I have all 14 dimming and controlled from one lutron dvstv. The switch is only capable of 8 amps. So I ran the two circuits through a square d lighting contactor switched by the one lutron switch.

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