Hanging Lights Question

[akcooper9]

Below is a pic of the finished garage. I have 4 trusses spaced 10ft a part. I will not be installing a ceiling. My plan to hang lights was to span a 2x4x12 on edge between the two middle trusses and notch the 2x4 so its flush with the bottom of the truss. Then take another 2x4x12 and screw it to the bottom of the 2x4 that is on edge. This should allow a nice flat span to fasten the lights too.

Thoughts? Any issue with sagging?

 

[sands35]

Why not just attach the lights to the girts (or is it purlins?) - the ones that run perpendicular to the trusses. Get the lights above the bottom of the trusses. No sense in giving up headspace if you don't have too.

What are you going to do in the garage? If just parking cars, then just a few would do. If you are going to wood work or something detailed like that, then you will need a lot more.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

If it were mine, I'd either screw the 2x4 to the top of the trusses and hang the 8ft lights under it, more protection, or just screw the 2x4's flat to the bottom of the trusses and screw the lights to them.

 

[Stuart in MN]

What kind of lights, how many, and how much do they weigh? Assuming you're going to use some standard fluorescent fixtures they usually aren't all that heavy, but also note that not all of them are designed to screw flush to a board - they may be designed to hang from a chain.

 

[bmxdad]

I assume your going to use 4 foot fixtures. Try this ... put two eyelets into the girt that is second from the wall, center of each bay. Use chain to set the height of the lights if you don't want them that high.

I have some high bay 4 tube fixtures that I needed to get as high as possible and tried this ... actually works good.

 

[akcooper9]

Update:

Bought a 25 pack of these 5000k 3100 lumen bulbs

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/3506/F-32T8L85025.html#BVRRWidgetID

Decided to spend the money once and just put in 12 lights for 100 lumen per sq/ft.

2 questions:

1) What fixtures (would like flush mount with a reflector and no lenses)

2) what pattern should the lights be in?

 

[falcon64]

Couldn't you buy the fixtures with the bulb in it already?

What kind of insulation did you use?

 

[akcooper9]

The white you see in the photo is the insulation.

No fixtures thats Im looking at come with bulbs.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Use 8 ft long fixtures, with 4 T8 4ft bulbs in tandem. Six fixtures total. Three down the LH half of the bulding, three down the RH half. Centered between the trusses. Hang them on chains from the second roof purlin from the eave, which happens to be the second purlin from the peak, and about centered on the LH and RH halves of the bulding. Run conduit to 4x4 boxes, with metal clad wire from the boxes to the fixtures.

How wide is the building? 25 ft?

As an alternative, run two strips end to end, across each bay of the building, spaced apart so that each light fixture again covers its half of one bay, again hanging from chains with MC supplying power to them.

In either case, each fixture will be covering an area about 10x12.

Charles

 

[falcon64]

Did the insu;ation come with the building? What brand is it? R value if you know?

 

[akcooper9]

Use 8 ft long fixtures, with 4 T8 4ft bulbs in tandem. Six fixtures total. Three down the LH half of the bulding, three down the RH half. Centered between the trusses. Hang them on chains from the second roof purlin from the eave, which happens to be the second purlin from the peak, and about centered on the LH and RH halves of the bulding. Run conduit to 4x4 boxes, with metal clad wire from the boxes to the fixtures.

How wide is the building? 25 ft?

As an alternative, run two strips end to end, across each bay of the building, spaced apart so that each light fixture again covers its half of one bay, again hanging from chains with MC supplying power to them.

In either case, each fixture will be covering an area about 10x12.

Charles

Shop is 24x30 and there is more bang for the buck in the 8ft lights vs 4ft price wise Ill go that route.

Thoughts on mounting them to the perlins on the room vs bottom of the truss or chains?

Also which brand on the two linked below:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...te-Strip-Light-TC-2-32-120-1-4-GESB/100192753

http://www.lowes.com/pd_163723-337-...talux&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=metalux&facetInfo=

 

[akcooper9]

These are the bulbs I bought

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/56690/F-32L359.html

 

[Wirepuller]

Unistrut instead of the 2x4's

 

[sberry]

I like a clip to chain hang them so they are easy to take down. 4 footers too. Put recepts and plug and cord connect.

 

[cybrdyke]

Shop is 24x30 and there is more bang for the buck in the 8ft lights vs 4ft price wise Ill go that route.

Thoughts on mounting them to the perlins on the room vs bottom of the truss or chains?

Also which brand on the two linked below:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...te-Strip-Light-TC-2-32-120-1-4-GESB/100192753

http://www.lowes.com/pd_163723-337-...talux&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=metalux&facetInfo=

Either of those are fine. Both are quality manufacturers.
Are you EVER going to take them down or move them around? If not, hardwire them it as stated by a previous poster. Hang them on chain from wherever you like. Use the length of the chain to increase/decrease the light on the floor. Play with it till you're satisfied. Remember, they will fade some over time, so if they are a little brighter today...that might be OK in a year or two. Make them level and run them from front to back, not side to side. Nothing is worse than trying to look into a space while you can see 20' of bare exposed fluorescent bulbs.
CD

 

[600SL]

I suspended a length of EMT and hung the lights off the EMT. I picked up the center and one side of each end light with the EMT and mounted the opposite ends suspended from a purlin.

Original plan was to couple 3 lengths of EMT together but I found I didn't have to.

Cheapest building material on the market.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The fixtures I am suggesting are 8 ft, using "4ft" bulbs, pairs, end to end (tandem). I use quote marks because T5 bulbs are shorter by an inch or so than T8's, but all are generally referred to as 4 ft.

After looking at this again, I think that 6 of the four bulb 8ft T5HO strip fixtures, (like the ones discussed in this thread) installed across each the three truss bays, in pairs would work well. That would put 4 ft between the fixtures in the middle, and two foot at each side wall from the end of the fixture, and each fixture would be covering a 10 ft wide bay. The insulation will provide a lot of reflected light. Mount them as high as possible, level on chains or rods.

If you feel the need for it, install a couple of boxes at the middle of the two middle trusses and install a couple of large compact fluorescent bulbs for additional lighting and on a separate switch so you can use them for quick in/out when you need something out of the shop.

Charles

 

[akcooper9]

Bulbs will be in Tuesday. Picking up fixtures and conduit/wire Saturday to begin the install. Will post pictures upon final install.

Was out in the shop last night and after looking at things again, I will be installing them on the perlins perpendicular. I do like the idea of the compact florescents between the lights.

 

[akcooper9]

Stopped by home depot this morning and checked out their light I linked above. It has an AccuPro 432IP ballast which appears to have a 2 year warranty. Is this a good ballast?

I need to see what ballast the Lowes fixture has and what the warranty is.

 

[cybrdyke]

Electronic ballasts by the big manufacturers, Advance, Universal, GE, all have 5 year warranty.
This is one of the several reasons that fixtures are cheaper at big box stores.
CD

 

[akcooper9]

Electronic ballasts by the big manufacturers, Advance, Universal, GE, all have 5 year warranty.
This is one of the several reasons that fixtures are cheaper at big box stores.
CD

There is a review on lowes for the link I posted that says the ballast is a 6 year warranty and is made by Sylvania. Im going to swing by after work to see.

 

[cybrdyke]

That would be a better deal, then.
Good luck.
CD

 

[akcooper9]

That would be a better deal, then.
Good luck.
CD

Lights are done! Went with the home depot lights linked above. Very happy with the finished result. Ended up at 103 lumen per sq ft.

Thanks everyone