Help finishing interior

[steed]

Ive searched high and low. Ive read hundreds of threads here. I can't find a concise answer...

Im closing on this shop (it even comes with a house!) the end of next month and I need some help. I want to get the ceiling finished and insulated with new lights up before I move all my equipment. I can finish out walls after move in as there is another garage to hold overflow.

Wall height is 14 foot. Entire shop is 30 foot wide by 40 foot deep. Id like to attach a ceiling to the joists- but they're spanned 8 feet.

It looks like I may have enough room for 2x6- and tie those across the width to attach a ceiling (steel or drywall)... but I don't know if there is a better way.

Thoughts?

 

[larry4406]

Are the trusses rated for ceiling weight?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'm looking at this on my phone, are those metal or wood trusses ? They way they are built, I'm hoping, metal.


I'm pretty sure ribbed metal is lighter than drywall. The metal may have an initial higher cost per sq ft but it is one and done. No mudding, sanding, priming or painting.

 

[steed]

I'm looking at this on my phone, are those metal or wood trusses ? They way they are built, I'm hoping, metal.


I'm pretty sure ribbed metal is lighter than drywall. The metal may have an initial higher cost per sq ft but it is one and done. No mudding, sanding, priming or painting.

It’s all metal in there. The joists are spanned pretty far, but tied into the roof along the span.

Larry- I couldn’t tell ya. I don’t own the place yet, I was just hoping to get some planning done beforehand so it’s less downtime for the shop space- since that earns some of my living

 

[Viper98912]

Aside from the engineering/weight questions, while I normally prefer "finished" garages, I actually think this one has some character just the way it is. The extra height in the roof (by not putting in a flat ceiling) will also help keep the heat up and away from you in the summer time.

I would consider just painting everything if you don't like the red iron look, and/or consider integrating insulation as part of the "look".

 

[Shiftless]

Wow!
Did the previous owner NOT have any lights in that space?

 

[BobnCO]

(You can see old high pressure sodium lights w/o reflectors in the photo.. pretty ancient tech)

 

[CraigStu]

I think ceiling weight is going to be a problem for you. I'd want to contact the building manufacturer about installing a ceiling before doing anything. Metal liner panel might work as some designs of that can span 8ft on their own. Maybe the old school ceiling panels that are hung on aluminum channels suspended by wires?

 

[Bert_]

Looks round. Made out of oil pipe?

PBR panels might span 8'.

 

[nadogail]

(You can see old high pressure sodium lights w/o reflectors in the photo.. pretty ancient tech)

They may be “Ancient” but if they are installed and paid for, you might consider leaving them in place. Will they provide adequate light for your needs?

 

[steed]

I do not want to run the couple old sodium halides that are in there.
Another reason for a ceiling; I ran very modestly sized(and priced) LED high bays in my current shop that rule. And they don’t cost $40 in electric to run every day.

I didn’t see a MFG or anything, but I may be able to ask the previous owner- as it seems to only be 15-20 years old according to the last survey

 

[NUTTSGT]

It’s all metal in there. The joists are spanned pretty far, but tied into the roof along the span.

I know what I would do if it was mine. I'd use 2x material to span the distance, ribbed metal and fiberglass insulation.

I wouldn't bat an eye.

 

[Shiftless]

(You can see old high pressure sodium lights w/o reflectors in the photo.. pretty ancient tech)

They may be “Ancient” but if they are installed and paid for, you might consider leaving them in place. Will they provide adequate light for your needs?

I see them now. I wasn’t expecting such an unusual lighting source. I can’t imagine how awful the glare would be from such a super bright concentrated source of light while dealing with the harsh shadows caused by having just 2 of those basically point source bulbs. Ouch!

 

[steed]

its a bit overwhelming, but Id REALLY like to have a NICE finished space. It just feels better when you go out and it's nice lighting and a nice finish and a decent climate inside.
I also have this nagging bit that tells me; the way you do anything is the way you do everything.
So, every morning I've been digging through steel building refinish threads and articles trying to make sense of it!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Don't feel overwhelmed....start with a plan of what you want....work through the list in the correct order so you're not pulling stuff back apart or redoing it.

One thing at a time and mark it off the list...one goal at a time.

 

[Bert_]

I see them now. I wasn’t expecting such an unusual lighting source. I can’t imagine how awful the glare would be from such a super bright concentrated source of light while dealing with the harsh shadows caused by having just 2 of those basically point source bulbs. Ouch!

Probably not that much worse than some of the layouts I see here. Not enough, way too big, cheap led UFO's. Or the 3 wing screw in bulbs...

 

[AC-WC]

I think ceiling weight is going to be a problem for you. I'd want to contact the building manufacturer about installing a ceiling before doing anything. Metal liner panel might work as some designs of that can span 8ft on their own. Maybe the old school ceiling panels that are hung on aluminum channels suspended by wires?

This-or a contractor that has experience with this style building. As nice as drywall is it's tons more work and metal panels are one and done. As a side note you can get fiberglass in 4' widths.

 

[Shiftless]

Here is another reason to ditch those sodium vapor lamps.

I remember the ghastly yellow orange glow from the streetlights back in the day.

I found this ranking of color rendering on the interweb.

• Incandescent/Halogen: CRI of 100 (perfect).
• Ultra-high-CRI LED: Some specialized LEDs have a CRI of 99.
• High-CRI LED: Modern, high-quality LEDs achieve 95+ CRI, with some reaching 96.5.
• Tungsten Halogen: CRI of 100 (same as incandescent).
• Tri-phosphor fluorescent: CRI of 95 (with high-quality versions reaching 89).
• Ceramic Discharge Metal-Halide: CRI of 96.

Mid-ranked for color rendering

• Quartz Metal Halide: CRI of 85.
• Standard LED: Typical modern LEDs are in the 80-90 range.
• Standard fluorescent (Halophosphate): CRI of 64 (cool white) to 76 (cool daylight).

Lowest-ranked for color rendering

• Coated mercury-vapor: CRI of 49.
• High-pressure sodium: CRI of 24.
• Clear mercury-vapor: CRI of 17.
• Low-pressure sodium: CRI of -44 (very poor).

 

[Bert_]

I love hearing all the miss matched hid terms in here. It kind of shows how clueless some of the posts are.

High pressure sodium is the yellow monochromatic light often used for outdoor lighting. There's also low pressure sodium but they were never very common.

The lights in the picture are almost definitely metal halide. Metal halide produces a normal white light. I can see the bulb and the arc tube inside. It doesn't look like HPS, it looks like metal halide.

 

[steed]

I am not a lighting expert, nor do I want lights hanging from wires suspended from the rafters. (notice its bare wire EEK!- the wiring to the lift is the same; I personally am a conduit man)
That's why im here though! tons of experts! Once I get the ceiling situated, ill be moving onto the lights and probably asking advise there too!

 

[Shiftless]

The lights in the picture are almost definitely metal halide. Metal halide produces a normal white light. I can see the bulb and the arc tube inside. It doesn't look like HPS, it looks like metal halide.

Thanks for educating me and most of the rest of the responders. It’s still good to ditch those lights and get something like lots of 4 foot LED tubular fixtures or maybe multiple flat panels to get bright, even, and shadow free lighting in your new space.
High bay fixtures might also be the way to go if you don’t drop a ceiling.

 

[no704]

Had lights like that at a place I used to work at. Takes about 15 minutes for them to turn on. Place got a huge subsidy for replacing them with led.

 

[steed]

Would it be completely insane to build a stick structure inside and tie to the walls and ceiling?!
I am downsizing shops in hopes to heat and cool it.