Garage Lighting Plan

[porschedude996TT]

I am finishing up with the structural part of my 30' x 40' build and I am at the point to do the final planning for my shop/garage lighting. I will have 8 skylights planned but the spacing is not working out to be symmetrical. I am going to use troffer lights with a bezel around the outside so that they will fit between the trusses (24” on center). I saw that trick on this forum and can’t remember who it was or I would give them credit…
I may increase the number of 2’ x 4’ skylights to 10 and place a troffer light fixtures in between the S/L’s. This will provide the center lighting day or night. I will also have perimeter over the bench area lighting and I already have some six tube 4’ fixtures that work out nicely. These will post mounted and hang down from the ceiling.
Here is the crazy part. I added up all the fluorescent tubes and it comes to 132 tube. Am I out of my mind. It sure sounds like bunch of 32watt tubes.
Comments on the tube, never mind the mind comment…

 

[Rowdy Rat]

Here is the crazy part. I added up all the fluorescent tubes and it comes to 132 tube. Am I out of my mind. It sure sounds like bunch of 32watt tubes.

I thought that I had a lot with 72 54W tubes... It worked out great though and I have plenty of light in the garage.

I like your skylight idea. Would love to see photos of what you eventually decide on.

My cousin picked up a 996 TT about two years ago... Gorgeous car. Wouldn't mind seeing photos of that either!

Regards,

Stan

 

[rsanter]

with that many lights you may want to look at breaking them into areas and bieng able to switch them on individually. that way you can turn the lights on only in the areas you will be working

bob

 

[CenTex52Chevy]

seems like a lot of light, works out to 3.52 watts per square foot. Some one on the board recommend 1.3 watts per square foot. I second the idea of breaking them into groups.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Troffer lights are generally designed to fit in a 24" wide space, so make sure they will work...your trusses are 24" on center so the space between them is less than that.

 

[porschedude996TT]

I thought that I had a lot with 72 54W tubes... It worked out great though and I have plenty of light in the garage.

I like your skylight idea. Would love to see photos of what you eventually decide on.

My cousin picked up a 996 TT about two years ago... Gorgeous car. Wouldn't mind seeing photos of that either!

Regards,

Stan

Hi Stan, these will be 32w tubes and yes, they will be broken into 10 different zones. Thanks, I will post the pictures to a thread that I have been trying to keep up with...http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17276

I don't have any pictures on this computer, but I will when I get home tonight. It is fast and fun...

with that many lights you may want to look at breaking them into areas and bieng able to switch them on individually. that way you can turn the lights on only in the areas you will be working

bob

You're so right, break it into zones...

seems like a lot of light, works out to 3.52 watts per square foot. Some one on the board recommend 1.3 watts per square foot. I second the idea of breaking them into groups.

As I grow older, I find the more light the better. Just to the point of a sunburn or you hat bursting into flames.

Troffer lights are generally designed to fit in a 24" wide space, so make sure they will work...your trusses are 24" on center so the space between them is less than that.

Under control, someone posted an original idea, not mine, to frame the opening with a 1" x 3" picture frame that measures 24" x 48" and the offset allows the troffer to seat into the opening. Plus I will frame around the Skylight the same way and it would look like 20 skylights or 20 fixtures in the ceiling. See attached sketch.

Here is my car which is going to be the hanger queen of the my new shop.

 

[Rowdy Rat]

Gorgeous car... Thanks for posting the photo!

Great color too!

Regards,

Stan

 

[Dragster Racer]

I am doing a 40X40 with 15' ceilings. My plan is to have two or three zones and a total of 64, T8 daylight tubes. Yours seems like an awful lot of light. But, if you are zoning it that finely, you can use half the lights where you are working when you don't need a good sterilization.