8' ceiling in garage - lighting options

[Chucktown]

We're still working on the final plans, but the rough drawings are in and we will only have 8 ft ceilings in the garage after it's renovation.

Because we live in an historic district, zoning and architecture review limited the height on our garage to 21 ft. It will have a bed and bath above, so that gets most of the dedicated ceiling height. The room will roughly be 23x24, two car bays along the narrow side and split by a beam that drops down to 7'2 (not happy about that either but the engineer said it was either that or a pole.)

I'm looking for lighting options on such a low ceiling. Fluorescents fixtures will hang below and might come in contact with anything I'm working on, but recessed lights don't provide as great a coverage and are obviously less efficient. I've briefly looked into LED lighting, but the cost is still a bit much right now.

Are there any options I'm missing?

 

[matt151617]

Put fluorescents, but just take some of the links out of the chains so they're close to the beam. If you're concerned about hitting them with something, get those plastic bulb protectors.

 

[eljefino]

I presume b/c of living space you have to have a firewall (drywall) above the garage. Look into what this means but it can be trouble for recessed fixtures.

If the beam ducks down below regular ceiling height, I would just do two U-shaped flourescent tube arrangements over each bay, with the lights paralleling the beam on the inside edges. (Beam will protect them.) Put each bay on their own switches for grins. The U-shape gets down around the sides of cars better. Who cares if you have one bulb that brightly lights your car's roof?

 

[Norcal]

Recessed will be a PITA because you will have a fire rated ceiling, so I would consider wraparound type fixtures, good light & low profile , recessed are not really that efficient anyway as it will take a lot of cans to get a decent light output & adding up the lamp & ballast losses for each, the wraps become a lot more economical.

 

[Chucktown]

I did a little research on the recessed lighting fire rating and it looks like I would have to box out around each light. That just ain't gonna happen! So that pretty much puts LEDs and flourescent tubes as the only two options. Probably just going to bite the bullet and do tubes.

Thanks guys

 

[maxspeed96ct]

I plan on installing recessed lights in my 2 car, I dont have a room above or any living space above the garage .

. So fire rating isnt a issue correct?

 

[Falcon67]

I used T8 8' fixtures screwed directly to the ceiling. Benches, etc also got task lighting.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I used T8 8' fixtures screwed directly to the ceiling. Benches, etc also got task lighting.

Same here. No issues so far.

Some will say they will get hot, but mine have not.

Jim