Cans

[bugnett]

My beloved detached garage is at electrical rough in stage. I read tons on this forum about lighting alternatives. Though many advised otherwise, I made a decision on site with the electrician to do all 6" recessed cans. Should look awesome. Better than my house, actually, which is making my wife really happy.
I'll have pics to post soon. Hope it works out for light, though my garage is more of a hangout/music space than a car workshop, so the mood of the cans should be cool.

 

[IONH]

Sounds good Bugnett. I'll subscribe to see how it turns out.

What size is the garage?

Are you concerned that the 6" cans may be too focussed on one area? Most of us go with tube fluorescent bulbs as they are a more broad area of lighting each.

 

[z28toz06]

If the cans are high enough and spaced appropriately so they overlap each other, they will deliver sufficient light. The other nice thing is you can buy tilting heads and can use spots in some of them or just angle it so it delivers the light precisely where you need it.

 

[bugnett]

The garage is ~25x26, with a 12x12 room open on the side for my cave.
The whole thing is kind of a cave, actually; it's half buried due to the grades on my lot.

 

[MrMark]

What are the plastic bags over the cans for?

 

[bugnett]

Not sure. Had the electrical inspection yesterday and passed. Woot! Insulating today ...
and it's snowy and cold here all of a sudden. Beautiful fall turned into blizzard town overnight. Scraping ice and snow off of two cars multiple times a day gets old really quick, especially when your garage is about to be ready.

 

[IONH]

Great news that your electrical passed without issue! Time to insulate and close it all in so you can park some cars in there.

Don't even mention snow! I have been in my house coming up on 4 winters now. The first winter I fit 3 cars in my 2x~2 garage the first winter but never had one I was driving in there again! Doesn't look like this winter will be any different either.

 

[rhdave]

What are the plastic bags over the cans for?

Those are vapor hats, they must be installed on any electrical fixture on an exterior wall/attic to ensure continuity of the vapor barrier. Smaller versions of these will be on all the outlets and switches on the outside walls.

 

[IONH]

Those are vapor hats, they must be installed on any electrical fixture on an exterior wall/attic to ensure continuity of the vapor barrier. Smaller versions of these will be on all the outlets and switches on the outside walls.

Is that code?

If so, for just new structures or also for locations where you have access to put in new work boxes?

 

[rhdave]

I'm not familiar with electrical codes in the US, but I would presume this would be code in any building with a vapor barrier.

 

[ddawg16]

I did my garage with 6" cans....quite happy with it. What is really nice is that the options for light output and color are a lot better than for tubes.

 

[MrMark]

Those are vapor hats, they must be installed on any electrical fixture on an exterior wall/attic to ensure continuity of the vapor barrier. Smaller versions of these will be on all the outlets and switches on the outside walls.

thanks, that's wild. Except for a bathroom, we don't do vapor barriers here in

Southern California, at least not where I live.

Educate me. What is the current practice for vapor barriers for a climate that has airconditioning and high humidity in the summer and cold and dry air in the winter?

 

[IONH]

I did my garage with 6" cans....quite happy with it. What is really nice is that the options for light output and color are a lot better than for tubes.

Another benefit to cans it that they are flush mount. Many of us are mounting the T8/T12/T5 fixtures up against the ceiling and not recessed.

 

[SSCR]

Very cool garage! Where are you located? Look forward to seeing this completed. I also decided to go with 6" cans for my garage with maybe a fluorescent hanging over my work bench.

 

[bugnett]

Very cool garage! Where are you located? Look forward to seeing this completed. I also decided to go with 6" cans for my garage with maybe a fluorescent hanging over my work bench.

Yeah, I figured out the vapour barrier last night when I went in to see the insulation install. All made sense after seeing the barrier in place.

Thanks for the compliment. I'm in Calgary, Canada. I see you're in Chicago. I'm going to see the Blackhawks destroy the Flames tomorrow night, actually.

I've only got lights in about half the cans so far and it looks awesome. I'll get some more pics taken tomorrow.

Drywallers should have started today.

Next decision I have to make is; projector or flat panel tv for my 12'x12' hangout area ...

 

[ddawg16]

Another benefit to cans it that they are flush mount. Many of us are mounting the T8/T12/T5 fixtures up against the ceiling and not recessed.

Yep....forgot to mention that....it was one of the main reasons I went with cans....I do a lot of woodworking and tubes do not last long when you are swinging long pieces of wood around in the garage.

Here is an early pic of my garage shortly after the build.....what is significant is that you can actually see the difference in color in the CFL's. Right side has warm white (2700K), right side is daylight (about 4500K). The picture was taken during the day...so you can see that these 23W CFL's are putting out enough light.....oh, and not all of the cans had lights installed.

Here is another taken at night...no flash. Once again, 23W CFL's.

I plan to replace them all with 30W daylight bulbs.

 

[bugnett]

Oh man, things are taking shape. I've got a total of 28 cans, I think only around 1/3 have lights in them so far.

 

[stellar91]

This is gonna be very nice !Considering doing cans in some the the workspace if not all. With all the options and styles , did you find a good value light for this application?, if so where ? oh yeah......Nice Beam!

 

[bugnett]

Hate to admit that I don't know exactly what each can is costing me. They're HALOs http://www.metrosupply.ca/product/1290161/Pot-Lights-Recessed-All-Types-466098-LA16

 

[michaelscheuren]

Your garage is looking GOOD!

I was thinking of using cans in my pole building. How high is your ceiling?

Anyone know the operating costs between cans and fluorescent lights?

Is there a program to determine how many cans you would need for the size of building? My building is 30x54 and is 9'8" from the floor to the bottom of the rafters. It is not finished at all inside yet.

Thank you.

Michael.

 

[ddawg16]

Mine are Halo.....I think I paid $6/ea...came in a case of 6. But don't forget that the trim is extra....cheap ones run about $7 each....and can be up to $20-30 ea.

My ceiling is 8'.

 

[bugnett]

Your garage is looking GOOD!

I was thinking of using cans in my pole building. How high is your ceiling?

Michael.

Hey Michael. because I wanted my garage roof slope to match my house, and because of the local bylaws, my ceiling height is quite low on one side, as you can see in the photos. It's 7'4" on the low side and rises to 9'10" at the high point, down again to 8'9" at the far side of my hang out space.

Garage doors went on yesterday! Went with these openers: http://www.marantec.com/ca/customers/residential.html?id=5
Mudding and taping starts tomorrow ...

 

[bugnett]

The electrical is going to be finished off tomorrow end of day. Really excited to see all the pots with trims on .
ALso pulled my HDMI cable last night for tv. I think I'll be cracking a beer or seventeen on Saturday in there.

 

[Notch1988]

Looks very good. I'm just south of Edmonton. I used 30 cans in my 24X40 and love the lighting and get compliments all the time. I'm sure you'll be very happy.

 

[hubgarage]

I plan to use cans too, my ceiling has 14" beams so there is plenty of room up there and there is no sheet-rock yet. 9' ceiling.

With the number of lights I plan to use I don't think there will be any room for a ceiling fan as it will creates a rotating shadow under the cans. Perhaps a corner fan would be better, I like to have some sort of air circulation most of the time.

Is there a program to determine how many cans you would need for the size of building?

That's what I am wondering now. My garage is 24X24, was thinking 5 rows of 4 lights. Rows 1,3,5 on one switch, rows 2,and 4 on another. Will probably use CFL reflector bulbs.

Looks very good. I'm just south of Edmonton. I used 30 cans in my 24X40 and love the lighting and get compliments all the time. I'm sure you'll be very happy.