28X40 Garage Lighting help.

[pinballwiz]

My second post. Just introduced myself in the general forum.

I just purchased a new home with a large 28 x 40 detached garage.

I need help with properly lighting it. The current lighting is horrid.

One side was used for storing a RV. It has 16ft ceilings and is 14X44. The other side has 9ft ceilings with a second floor.

I am going to properly open up the middle wall to at least 20ft length while keeping the second level as is.

I plan to use this garage for a workshop/garage. Mostly working on my vintage Volkswagens and Toyotas. So I need good lighting. I plan on installing a 2 post lift towards the back of high bay.

A few questions I have is:

What is a good layout? Number of lights?
What is the best lighting for 16ft ceilings?
What should I do for lighting when the Large RV door is fully open? Lighting on the walls? What kind?
Should I paint the OSB to help with lighting?

I appreciate everyone's help and opinions. Here are some cluttered pics. I just moved in a few weeks ago.

 

[dave89iroc]

insulate and sheet the interior, paint white(or any light color) and then see what lighting you need

 

[cybrdyke]

The first thing I'd do is to cut some windows into the exterior walls. There's nothing like FREE sunshine!!
OSB and stud walls severly hamper a good lighting plan, but finishing all those walls and ceilings can also be pretty expensive. Plus, you have 2 very different ceiling heights.
For the 16' ceiling bay (14 x 44), hang 4 4-lamp T5HO fixtures, like the Lithonia I-beam. You'll also need lower task lighting to supplement the general illumination when you decide where your tools and benches will be placed.
For the lower ceiling bay, 4 lamp strip fixtures (T8 version) should be sufficient
Good luck.
CD

 

[Platonic Solid]

Wow, that's really poor lighting in there.
Like CD said: F54T5HO on 16ft side and F32T8 on 9ft side. If you drywall the interior and paint white, then I prefer the 8ft tandem fixtures on both sides. If you're not going to drywall and paint white you will need reflectors or I-beam style fixtures mentioned and lots of them. As for layout, keeping it balanced on both sides after you open it up is a challenge best suited for lighting design software.

 

[pinballwiz]

Thanks guys.

I thought about doing windows but don't really want people to be able to look in my garage when I'm not around.

I also want to finish up insulating. The low bay has insulation but the upper bay doesn't.

Sheet rocking this garage would be very expensive I'm afraid and something I may do at a later time but for now want to get the best lighting I can with what I have to work with.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Questions:

1. What are you willing/able to spend for fixtures and bulbs?

Cost estimate for fixtures and bulbs to achieve ~90fc at 30" workplane:
Drywall painted white = ~ $1,100. Bare wood = ~ $1,800

2. Are you planning on installing lighting pre or post insulation?

3. If post insulation and pre dry wall, is it your intention to surface mount fixtures over/on the insulation?
(I'm no code expert, but this could be a fire safety issue.)

 

[pinballwiz]

I think I am going to insulate and then OSB. Paint the OSB white and hang the lights. Been too busy since my last post to do anything. I plan to get this started soon.

 

[pinballwiz]

How many T8 8ft tandem fixtures should I put in the lower bay? 14x40

 

[pinballwiz]

So I opened up the middle section now so I need to figure out which fixtures to go with. Also how many on each side.

Like I mentioned, I am going to paint the OSB walls white so I would like to go with T8 throughout.

Any suggestions on what fixture to go with while surface mounting on both the 16ft ceiling and the 9ft ceiling? How should I space them apart?

Any help would greatly be appreciated as I am ready to buy some lights.

 

[Platonic Solid]

It'll be cheaper if you go with F54T5HO for the 16ft side and F32T8 on the 9ft side.

 

[pinballwiz]

Thanks Platonic.

On the 16 ft side, can I get away with 4 or 6 8ft tandem fixtures of the F54T5HO. I plan to put one F32T8 in the very back of the 16ft ceiling bay suspended low for a work bench area.

 

[pinballwiz]

I am thinking about going with this for the 16ft side

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...ture-TZR-2-54T5HO-MVOLT-1-4-GEB10PS/202516724

Or should I go with a 4 ft I beam with reflectors like this?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...fw-iZI7f7KSxMtcgpaL3mxoC5hLw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[FINLEEtryNit]

My 28x40x12 has four, 4x4 boxes with porcelain bulb holders and those two bulb wye type adapters filled with eight 65W LED flood lights. So I have 88 watts consumption and enough light to suffice for most activities. Sort of reminds me of the old days with six 200 watt incandescent in the farm shop. I also have some repurposed T8s for task lighting and drop cords with CFLs.