Garage Lighting Suggestions?

[alfacanuck]

Does anybody out there have any advice for garage lighting? I am in the process of building my dream shop and it will have a twelve foot ceiling, with finished size of 28x36 feet. I am concerned that the standard fluorescent lights may not cut it because of the height. Any ideas?

Also I am at the rough framing stage and haven't poured the floor yet, do you have to do any extra concrete work for a floor lift or is just the 4 inch slab enough?

Thanks, Andy

 

[bdaz442]

I'm just about to finish my 30 x 30 with 12 foot ceilings. i recessed 9 2' x 4' fluorescents , Three on each wall and two dual tube x 6' fluorescents on each side of my overhead door. i will put three 8' fluorescents on the ceiling . It looks great and the light is very good.
I will post Pics ASAP.

 

[XR7G428]

When you say on the wall do you mean that they are at the wall on the ceiling, or literally wall mounted? I had considered wall mounting and was told that it would be a bad choice. Too much in your eyes, and not enough on the work.... I wanted them on the wall so I could get some light all the way down the side of the car and even into the interior.

 

[bmwpower]

Does anybody out there have any advice for garage lighting? I am in the process of building my dream shop and it will have a twelve foot ceiling, with finished size of 28x36 feet. I am concerned that the standard fluorescent lights may not cut it because of the height. Any ideas?

Also I am at the rough framing stage and haven't poured the floor yet, do you have to do any extra concrete work for a floor lift or is just the 4 inch slab enough?

Thanks, Andy

Depends what you mean by "not cut it". How many footcandles of light do you need at you designated work height? This is the only way to tell how many lights, what wattage, what orientation etc. you will need. Anything else is just guessing.

If you like the idea of fluoresents but want more output, try high output (HO) T5 or T8 lights. They put out more light and provide a more natural color light (color rendering). Be prepared to spend more as these are still a new technology. Some say the ballasts have yet to be refined, sometimes causing decreased lifespans, others argue otherwise. 12 foot mounting height is nothing for a HO light. Take a look at the ceiling at Lowe's. The one near me has T5 lights throughout..mounted probably 30 feet high.

Another option is metal halide lights. This technology has been used for some time. Light output is comparable to HO fluorescents. Fictures are generally higher, thus you need more ceiling clearance to mount these. The only downside with metal halide lights is the time it takes for them to get up to normal output levels once they are turned on. - Usually 7-10 minutes.

You may decide on a combination, like I have, to get the best of both worlds. FYI, my ceiling is 14'.

 

[TOMWELDS]

2 bulb 96" HO flourescents are the way to go. Tons of light and they'll start in freezing weather too. The spacing will depend on how occupied the floor is. 4 fixtures would be plenty if the floor is empty. If there will be vehicles in the middle, locate them around the perimeter. You might go with 6 fixtures, 2 on each side and one on each end.

 

[vettescout]

I'm just finishing the wiring in my new garage, it's divided into three rooms, a 24x36' bay with a 10' ceiling and two 18x20' bays, both with 8' ceilings. In the large bay I'm putting in 12 two 8'bulb t8 fixtures and in the smaller bays 4 each, same fixtures. I read a pretty good article in "Fine Woodworking" that really went into how much light you need for different types of work, and I'm a little bit shy of what you need for close work but I'll add portable lighting, (halogen lamps) when I need them. One of the small rooms will house my lathe and Bridgeport and the're pretty will lit, the other room will be primarily for mechanical work and ceiling lights don't work well under the hood anyway...

 

[muddy]

concrete piers

For lighting......8 foot fixtures with "daylight" bulbs are excellent....I had them in my last shop and was brighter than a surgical unit.
Regarding concrete, you need to pour concrete piers where the two lift uprights are going to stand before pouring floor...........

 

[Da Bull]

Andy, since you have not poured your floor slab yet, you might consider insulating under the slab. Here is a quote from the Styrofoam Sm site.

Insulating Under the Slab
It is important to insulate slabs to reduce the potential for condensation (or sweating) on the slab and to reduce energy loss and increase comfort. And, it is critical to insulate slabs that are going to have floor coverings installed over them to reduce the potential for condensation and mold. It is easy to insulate under the slab before the concrete is poured (placed). STYROFOAM* extruded polystyrene insulation offers high moisture resistance, compressive strength and R-value and is ideal for this application.