To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Need a lighting plan for new garage

B

biggziff

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
623
Location
Upstate NY
I'm about 2 weeks out from installing lighting and am not sure my plan is going to be optimal. I want a lot of light. I also want to be able to tone it down if I'm just in there hanging out with friends, etc. My plan is to wire the ceiling lights with 2-3 switches so I can turn on sections as I need them. Garage is 27 X 36, 12.5' ceilings. White metal going on the ceilings. Walls will either be the same metal or painted sheetrock, ply, etc (also white).

Playing with the online configurators it looks like I need 28 - 35 - 4', 2 bulb LEDs will give me 60-70 FC at a 40" work surface. That sounds like a huge amount of fixtures! Is 60-70 FC enough to be plenty bright for a guy in his 50s with less than perfect eyesight? Too much?

I really only want to do this once!

Thanks
 

Attachments

  • shoplight.JPG
    shoplight.JPG
    108.2 KB · Views: 73
Last edited:
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
J

Jon_E

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2015
Messages
575
Location
Southwestern Vermont
My office at work, which is about 15 x 18 with 9' ceilings, has (2) 2-bulb T8 fixtures. I took a light meter reading the other day and it was 46 foot-candles directly under one fixture at 30" above the floor. Plenty of light to work by. So I figured if I can get 50 lumens in my garage, that would be perfect. I ran a calculation with the same online tool you used in the picture, mine is 24 x 36 space with 10' ceilings, rough pine joists above, white walls and concrete floors. With a 4000K, 3500-lumen LED strip light as my selected fixture, I came up with 24 fixtures, which gave me about 78 ftcd (841 lux) in the space. So your calculations are probably good. Seems like a lot of fixtures but it will be pretty bright in there. I can't figure out how to post a screenshot of my calcs but you already got the idea.
 
T

trashmanssd

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 31, 2016
Messages
489
Location
Ma
My detached garage is 28 by 36 with white ceilings and white walls (no cabinets or other wall stuff yet) and I have 18 4' led 2 bulb strips and it is plenty bright. My house attached garage is 24 by 26 all white walls and ceiling with 16 4' led 2 bulb strips and it is blindingly bright. It hurts your eyes when you go in there at night from the house, during the day there is very little difference going from out side to inside the garage with the doors open.

Jon's number of 24 fixtures sounds about right to me if you want max brightness before you really hit the point of hugely diminishing returns on adding lights.
 
M

matt_i

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
10,723
Location
SE Michigan
I have a 25x40 intended to be 20pc x 42W LED fixtures. With 10 of them switched on (there are two circuits) it seems bright-enough to me. I haven't hung all 20 yet as they will just be in the way of the drywall soon.

One of the things I did and am still happy about was to wire 3-way switches to all the man-doors for light control.
 
P

Platonic Solid

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Messages
3,587
Location
CT-USA
It really depends what you're doing in there. Industry standard for Automotive Maintenance and Machine Repair is 93fc @ 30" workplane. Since you have 12.5' ceiling 4ft LED retrofit 2-lamp strip lights aren't your best option. See this recent thread (link).
 
P

Platonic Solid

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Messages
3,587
Location
CT-USA
Jon_E - Keep in mind these days most people in offices are sitting in front of computers = large screen of light.
 
OP
B

biggziff

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
623
Location
Upstate NY
Platonic Solid said:
It really depends what you're doing in there. Industry standard for Automotive Maintenance and Machine Repair is 93fc @ 30" workplane. Since you have 12.5' ceiling 4ft LED retrofit 2-lamp strip lights aren't your best option. See this recent thread (link).
Click to expand...

Thanks.

I'll be working on motorcycles mainly both on a lift and suspensions on a bench. Personal auto maintenance (4 post lift) some hobby woodworking, etc.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
P

Platonic Solid

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Messages
3,587
Location
CT-USA
Here you go:

Avg 94fc @ 30" workplane
Total Power: 960W
130L/W
Total Cost: $840

Qty.12
2ft. LED Linear High Bay - 80 Watt - 150W Equiv - Dimmable - 10,400 Lumens - LumeGen - $70 (link)

Dialux Report (link) - Location dimensions from interior walls on page 2. Walls assumed to be 6" thick.
Ignore that the report shows a 12000 lumen Lithonia IBH series. I modified that IES file to 10400 lumen 80W
 
OP
B

biggziff

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 9, 2015
Messages
623
Location
Upstate NY
Platonic Solid said:
Here you go:

Avg 94fc @ 30" workplane
Total Power: 960W
130L/W
Total Cost: $840

Qty.12
2ft. LED Linear High Bay - 80 Watt - 150W Equiv - Dimmable - 10,400 Lumens - LumeGen - $70 (link)

Dialux Report (link) - Location dimensions from interior walls on page 2. Walls assumed to be 6" thick.
Ignore that the report shows a 12000 lumen Lithonia IBH series. I modified that IES file to 10400 lumen 80W
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, Platonic! I really appreciate you taking your time to create these reports for us.
 
U

Uncleben78

Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
12
biggziff said:
Will do!

Thanks again
Click to expand...
Biggziff,

I have a similar sized shop ready for electrical and lighting now. Mine is 30' x 34' with half (15' x 34') the ceilings at 11.5' and the other half at 16'. My building is two story with lofts above the work shop. I tried to figure out how to step my ceiling in Dialux but couldn't figure it out....or more likely didn't spend enough time to figure it out. Being that our sizes are relatively similar I am thinking about copying your setup. What bulbs did you purchase with your setup and where did get your plug in whips?

Thank you!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
8

8mpg

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Messages
350
Uncleben78 said:
Biggziff,

I have a similar sized shop ready for electrical and lighting now. Mine is 30' x 34' with half (15' x 34') the ceilings at 11.5' and the other half at 16'. My building is two story with lofts above the work shop. I tried to figure out how to step my ceiling in Dialux but couldn't figure it out....or more likely didn't spend enough time to figure it out. Being that our sizes are relatively similar I am thinking about copying your setup. What bulbs did you purchase with your setup and where did get your plug in whips?

Thank you!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Look at Platonic Solid's post a couple posts up. He suggested the High bay lights and even linked to it. Click the $70 link
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom