How much light for a standard 2 car garage?

dom418 · Oct 31, 2012

Hi,

I'm planning on installing some 8' t8 lights in my garage using 5000k sunshine bulbs. How many fixtures would I need to make my garage bright? I was thinking 4 or 5, which is a total of 16-20 bulbs at 2800 lumens each. Is that overkill?

rburke65 · Oct 31, 2012

First of all, welcome to GJ. I have read a good rule of thumb would be 1 watt per square foot of space. But I'm sure a lot of folks will chime in here for you. Good luck.

Ironhorse · Oct 31, 2012

dom418 said:
Hi,

I'm planning on installing some 8' t8 lights in my garage using 5000k sunshine bulbs. How many fixtures would I need to make my garage bright? I was thinking 4 or 5, which is a total of 16-20 bulbs at 2800 lumens each. Is that overkill?

It really depends on what your doing...parking cars, working on cars, painting..etc. I would figure out what your plans are both now and future...and install what is needed.

Garage5.9 · Oct 31, 2012

one cannot have to much light

Garage5.9 · Oct 31, 2012

hobie1dog · Oct 31, 2012

I have 6 in mine, same size garage.

dom418 · Oct 31, 2012

Thanks for the replies. My plans are limited to detailing my cars. I will not be using it as a workshop or anything.

cide1 · Oct 31, 2012

I have a three car, with 6 fixtures, each has four 4' T8 bulbs. If I did it again, I would put more in, at least 8 fixtures, and preferably 10-12 fixtures. As it is, I have OK light, but when I drop things on the floor or need to get a good look, or have the welding shades on, it feels too dark.'

One wall isn't drywalled, none of the walls are painted, and I have bare concrete. I think some drywall and white paint will help reflect the existing light better. A lighter color floor would also help.

Cheap5.0 · Oct 31, 2012

Read this, if you really want a good answer.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/content.php?146-Lighting-the-Small-Workshop-by-Jack-Lindsey

spazegun2213 · Oct 31, 2012

Garage5.9 said:
one cannot have to much light

agreed!!! when it comes to light, the more the better.

machine_punk · Oct 31, 2012

If you are primarily detailing cars, then think about not only how much light, but the angles (a light placed directly over your car isn't going to help much with detailing the sides). You may also want to get a 4-foot fluorescent fixture, with an extension cord, and mount it on a rolling cart of some sort...so you can shine light down the side of the vehicle, from any angle you want. If the light is on an adjustable pole, it would be even more convenient...so you could shine it across the hood or roof too. Of course you'd need some weight on the cart/trolley, to keep from tipping over.

Kev

c4cruiser · Oct 31, 2012

cide1 said:
One wall isn't drywalled, none of the walls are painted, and I have bare concrete. I think some drywall and white paint will help reflect the existing light better. A lighter color floor would also help.

Definitely paint the ceiling and walls. And the garage door too. Use semi-gloss white for the walls and you could even use a hi-gloss for the ceiling; doesn't have to be an expensive paint so look at places like Wal-Mart or similar.

For the garage floor, use a good quality epoxy that is a light tan. I think that gray may darken the area at floor level and that might make it hard to detail the lower part of the car.

For the lights, run them parallel to the car and I would recommend using 8' fixtures with 4 4' bulbs. T8 bulbs have different lumen output and brightness. Use some 5000K lights or 6500K if you can find them. You might also want to install a pair of 2-light 4' fixtures on the ceiling just at the front of the cars. Mount them so they are at right angles to the 8' fixtures.

dom418 · Oct 31, 2012

Yes everything is dry wall and painted in a white eggshell base. I have zero pictures hung so this should help with reflection.

Pat Mickelson · Nov 1, 2012

We moved into our new house two weeks ago. It has a finished, oversized two-car garage. It sounds nearly identical to yours. The ceilings are about 15 feet high. We have six of the fixtures you're considering, and I think it is just enough. The contractor told me I was crazy, but I'm very glad I didn't let him talk me out of it. I think anything less would be suboptimal.
BTW, I also detail cars and think it is just enough for that. I'll be wrenching on cars, too. I wouldn't go with less than five, but going with more might be a little better depending on your ceiling height.

dom418 · Nov 1, 2012

What bulbs are you going with? What about for the side of the car? Do you have adequate light with your setup? I'm going with these

http://www.lowes.com/pd_133047-371-89069_0__?productId=3063317

ezzzzzzz · Nov 2, 2012

22' x 36' with 10' ceilings. Drywall throughout painted white. I have six banks of lights spaced equally apart except for the car lift opening that spans 10' x 20'. Each bank has two 8' T8 4 bulb non-reflector fixtures mounted end to end. There are 6 switches that control these banks from front to rear and side to side so I can turn on what I need where I need. A T5 fixture will be mounted in the car lift ceiling (22') and another 8' T8 4 bulb fixture will be mounted at front of the car lift opening to provide additional lighting across than 10' span when working under hoods. 5000K blubs used exclusively. 6500K bulbs are too blue...trust me on that one. I am very pleased with the results. When all lights are on it is as bright as daylight with no shadowing to deal with. Don't go frugal here! You will only be disappointed that you didn't go far enough.

WanderingSol · Nov 2, 2012

I have a 24' x 24' with 10' ceiling. Ceiling and walls drywalled and painted white. Inside of doors painted white. Concrete floor. I have six 4' T8 type lights on the ceiling now. Plan to add another six fixtures to get the light I want. Plan to build one wall of 6' high 1' deep cabinets to hide the stuff hanging on the wall. Cabinet doors will have white Melamine surface, good reflectivity and dry marker surface.

Oldbear · Nov 2, 2012

In my past two shops (and soon to be the new one) I installed my lights on a few different switches. Going to the shop to drink beer or grab a tool - flip on a two light circuit. Only working at the bench -flip on the front (task or overhead) lights... Working on the bikes or hot rod - flip all 4 switches powering up 10 - 4ft 2 bulb fixtures. Plus, worklights and trouble lights if under a car... there is no such thing as too much light when working.

You only plan on detailing now... but leave room for expansion.

elav · Nov 2, 2012

Assuming a 20 x 20 foot garage you need 40,000 lumens if you assume all the light goes down and doesn't get absorbed. Assuming only half is visible light on the ground you will need 80,000 lumens. If each bulb is 2,800 you will need approximately 14 bulbs for 40,000 lumens and 28 bulbs for 80,000 lumens. I'm basing this on the Jack Lindsey article that Cheap5.0 referenced above...

gatchel · Nov 2, 2012

I have 24 T8 bulbs in my 20X25. 4 footers. 8 footers are too much of a pain in the *** for a few reasons. Plenty of light for now. I will be adding a few more over the bench once it is built.

buzz4041 · Nov 2, 2012

I have a total of 9each 4 foot 4 lamp flourescent fixtures in the 24 x 27 side of the shop. Switched into 3 zones. It is like daylight when all is on with no shadowing. Great for doing anything including detailing the hotrod.

Ray916MN · Nov 3, 2012

I'd go with 5.

Here is what roughly the same amount of lighting per square foot looks like in my 24x48x14 workshop with 88 4' 6500K bulbs in four rows of fixtures.

Here's what it looks like with the 182 square feet of overhung areas lit with an additional 32 4' 6500K bulbs.

toddah · Nov 3, 2012

I have a 24x30 3 bay I have (6) 8 foot fixtures with (6) 54 watt 4 foot bulbs in each fixtures,
2 fixtures on the outside walls up against the wall, 2 over the workbenches in front of the cars, these are on one switch for worklights. the final 2 are in between the bays and those are the general lights that come on with the switch by the door. I am running 2.7 watts per SF and I love it. I also have two of the cheap 250 Watt swivel / gimbal floodlights where I removed the clamps and screwed them into the ceiling just to the sides and in front of the cars parked position to flood the motor compartment areas when doing big jobs. Very happy with the lighting setup this way.

dom418 · Nov 4, 2012

Well everyone I just finished up. 5 8' T8 fixtures and $140 in 8000k super white bulbs later I am thrilled. I went from 1 incandescent bulb to this...

I painted the entire garage eggshell on Friday. I'm keeping the decor to a minimum as to maximize the reflection. I have absolutely no problems with shadowing even though I hung the lights above the garage opener.

RCStocker · Nov 4, 2012

I have done so much comercial remodeling throgh the years. I removed 200 double 8 footers form an old pharmacy years ago. I have 8 doubles in each of my 2 car garages pluss 4 four footers. My tractor barn, wood shop and machine shop are much larger than a w car garage. I have the on diferent switches. I can light up any shop space I have and have it look like a landing strip at the airport. I am over kill but then again they did not cost me anything I got to save all the bulbs and they had boxes of extra tubes. I still have not bought a replacement and that was 20 years ago. I still have 50 of them in my 150 year old barn. I keep giving them away.

8 will be great. Put the switchs so they turn everyother light on. Thre will be times you wil not need all the light and other times you will want more.

If you are near any comercial remodeling see if you can make a deal when they take out the old fixtrues. I have sold most of the ones I have had. I just kept this lot because they were expensive high end fixtures.

theoldwizard1 · Nov 4, 2012

IMHO, 4 double fixture is plenty for the "average" 2 car garage. Actually 2 double fixture is adequate.

bob_the_builder · Nov 4, 2012

I went with 8 fixtures (4 bubl T5 HO 54W each). My garage is about the same size. I posted some pictures of my garage and lights in the garage gallery. The link is below:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=172577

I also posted the spec sheet on the lights I went with. I have been super happy with them. I do mostly detailing in my garage as well.

Bob

HiWind · Jun 28, 2016

wow ... short and simple but great rich thread on simply 'what works for me' - thanks all!

How much light for a standard 2 car garage?

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