Help! Forgot to do my lighting research

[dxii]

So this is not an ideal situation for my first post, but I'm humbly asking for some help with lighting in my new garage. We are building a house in SD with a 32x28x9ft attached garage.

The electrician is starting to wire the house and I spent a couple hours with him today going over everything. We walked into the garage and I realized I haven't spent any time thinking about and researching lighting for this garage (shame on me). He's giving me a day to think about it before he gets to work out there. I'm normally the guy who will spend hours and hours searching these forums trying to come up with a plan, but I'm a little overwhelmed and just don't have the time to figure this one out all by myself. If you have a couple minutes to make some recommendations, I'd really appreciate it.

Like I said before it's a 32x38x9ft space. Electrician wants to do cans with LEDs but I was initially thinking fluorescent. Ceiling will be white, possibly metal, which will make the cans a pain to install. Also seems like I would need to have a ton of them to make it as bright as I would want. Does 5ft spacing sound about right? How about fluorescent? How many bulbs and what kind of spacing? What would you do??

 

[W0rLDWaR4]

I have a 20x20 garage and bought 6 of the Costco LED shop lights ($20 each when on sale). Haven't installed them yet, but tried them on and they're bright! Can lighting just seems like a pain for a garage that is 32x38 but that's just me.


Check out post #131
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=345685&page=7

 

[American Locomotive]

I'd avoid cans. Too limited and a huge hassle if you want to change or add lights later.

I'd either go T8 flourescent with 1.0 ballast factor fixtures & 32 watt 5k bulbs OR just have a bunch of receptacles installed in the cieling on a switch to plug whatever lights you want in later - like those LED shoplights.

For doing fine detail work, you'll want atleast 100 foot candles of light, which means 100 lumens per square foot. With 900 square feet of garage, that's 90,000 lumens of light. A two-bulb high efficiency T8 fixture will put out around 5,000 lumens of light, so you'd need 18 fixtures.

I think geneally down to around 40-50 foot candles is comsidered more than acceptable for basic garage lighting, but it's better to shoot higher than desired, since all lighting fixtures have losses, etc...

So at the minimum, I'd wire for 18 T8 fixtures, or 9 duplex outlets spaced evenly (3 rows of 3?).

 

[ard]

Is the ceiling going to be installed w the build?? Reason I ask is you wrote "possible" metal... If it will not get done immediately, no urgent need to install boxes.

I do not like receptacles and plug in lights in a 9 ft ceiling. Why? Hanging lights on a 9 ft are pointless too. Put them ON the ceiling. Cords and plugs are needlessly 'busy'. IMO of course

I would do a prismatic diffuser with the equivalent of two 4 ft 'tubes' but LEDs, at approx 4000-4400 lumen per fixture.

I'd say 4 rows, 5 lights:

- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
28 ft going left to right in the diagram, 30 going down the page

This would be well lit, imo

Could wire them in 4 banks, 2 banks...depends on how you'll use the space.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I went with 12 two bulb t8 flourescent units with residential ballasts on 2 switches in a 26x26 with 9 foot white ceiling. I have plenty of light and am as happy as a pig in mud. I ordered them from Amazon for about $32 each. I used cool white bulbs.

 

[AntonLargiader]

It really depends how you are going to use the space. As a garage, you can get by with much less light than if you are using it as a shop. And you don't need to light the whole thing as a shop if you aren't working everywhere. You need a layout.

If you're being pressured to make a decision, don't go with cans. Go with wiring that will let you have two levels of light: one for just driving in and out and one for doing work (could be just in part of the space). But that is very generic device; you're way better off with an actual layout where you can plan for some task lighting where you want it.

 

[cybrdyke]

Brand new house and garage with metal ceilings, so you're probably spending a boatload of money making things nice. I wouldn't cheap out on the fixtures in your garage. You can do it relatively inexpensively and still make it look great.
You need to define the space. Is it just parking for the cars or will you be doing surgery in there?
LED strip fixtures, with diffusers and no louvers, that produce around 4000 lumens are tiny and will disappear into the ceiling when turned off. They throw light in all directions. You can get quality brands for well under $100 each. Something like Philips Fluxstream EZ.
LED wrap fixtures are a little larger, have a wrap-around prismatic lens, also use the ceiling for reflectivity. Look for one around 4000 lumens.
Either way, approximately 5 rows of 4 fixtures should be good.
Dont use the ceiling plugs. They make the ceiling ugly.
Good luck,
CD

 

[EOC_Jason]

I would go with florescent fixtures... I did the extra boxes and hung the lights all myself, it's not that hard. I have a 3-car garage and originally they put 3 x incandescent fixtures in there (2 x 2-car and 1 x 1-car). Early on I added a 4th light kind of in the middle between the doors (where I have a bench grinder) because that was a really dark spot. But then I eventually got around to putting in the big lights.

I started putting one over my work bench, then replaced the two incandescent in the 2-car side. Then added two boxes on the one-car side so it would be symmetrical. So 5 x 8' fixtures total, and I could probably still do with more light on the 2-car side. I left a couple of the incandescent fixtures in place and just put LEDs for extra light, no reason to cap them off.

If you get an 8' fixture, get the quad 4' bulbs, or a bunch of 4' fixtures. Do NOT get 8' bulbs, they are a pain to store, install, and dispose of! There is really no advantage to 8' bulbs...

 

[sendokatum]

Check out post #131
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=345685&page=7

Thanks for Link suggest

 

[aptdweller]

I recently went the 4' T8 route and am pretty happy with the look.

If you do go with the LED lights, check and make sure you are getting the same number of lumens. The T-8 replacements in Home Depot near me gave off half the light, so you will need to double your fixture count.

 

[ard]

FWIW-

I have a room that is 16x36. I has two rows of light, 5 lights long each. One end has 4 cans that light just the end, where there is a work surface. The main lights were the 10 dual tube fluorescents... T12, prisms. Nice looking fixtures.

Even though the room is heated, I never liked the brightness- replaced with direct wire LED bulbs, 2200lumen each. Tremendous improvement.

I mention this since some of the 4 ft complete LED fixtures are only a 'single bulb equivalent'. As mentioned aboive, this would up the number you need. Know your specs. There is a sticky as I recall with a lot of data on layouts. Author is Platonic Solid I think, worth a read.

 

[dxii]

Is the ceiling going to be installed w the build?? Reason I ask is you wrote "possible" metal... If it will not get done immediately, no urgent need to install boxes.

I do not like receptacles and plug in lights in a 9 ft ceiling. Why? Hanging lights on a 9 ft are pointless too. Put them ON the ceiling. Cords and plugs are needlessly 'busy'. IMO of course

I would do a prismatic diffuser with the equivalent of two 4 ft 'tubes' but LEDs, at approx 4000-4400 lumen per fixture.

I'd say 4 rows, 5 lights:

- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
28 ft going left to right in the diagram, 30 going down the page

This would be well lit, imo

Could wire them in 4 banks, 2 banks...depends on how you'll use the space.

Thanks. I said "possible metal ceiling" because I haven't bought the material yet and still have time to change my mind on the material. Ceiling will be finished with something as soon as the wiring is complete.

I have no interest in putting receptacles on the ceiling. Want a clean look.

 

[ard]

Thanks. I said "possible metal ceiling" because I haven't bought the material yet and still have time to change my mind on the material. Ceiling will be finished with something as soon as the wiring is complete.

I have no interest in putting receptacles on the ceiling. Want a clean look.

Got it, so you DO need to make a decision on boxes, locations, banks/switches...



In your OP you say "Attached" garage...

Do keep in mind that there may be specific fire codes at play around your choice of ceiling materials... in other words, I do not think metal alone is a fire rated barrier. Whether this applies to you case depends on the design of the structure and where the garage is in relation to living spec, fire walls, etc. Just FYI

 

[American Locomotive]

Thanks. I said "possible metal ceiling" because I haven't bought the material yet and still have time to change my mind on the material. Ceiling will be finished with something as soon as the wiring is complete.

I have no interest in putting receptacles on the ceiling. Want a clean look.

Okay, then what do you plan to do in your garage? Do you plan to do work in there, or just park cars? Because the two have vastly different lighting requirements.

 

[matt_i]

In your OP you say "Attached" garage...

Do keep in mind that there may be specific fire codes at play around your choice of ceiling materials... in other words, I do not think metal alone is a fire rated barrier.

I agree with this, most likely an IRC requirement is going to be Type X drywall, but your locality would have to answer definitively. Personally I wouldn't do metal after taped drywall already was installed....

I would do both a basic set of lights for "parking cars and unloading groceries" and also a set of work-lights for, well, actual project work. The former could be cans. The latter could be surface mount fluorescent fixtures (I now prefer LEDs due to their insta-start in the cold) you add later on, just get the basic switch(es) and the wire landed in a j-box in the attic with proper circuit sizing so that much is already done. Now you also have time to research and plan the work-lighting setup.

 

[happy2rv]

As others have said, too many variables. How will you use the space, how much is your lighting allowance (and do you care), do you care more about cost or aesthetics, etc...

One way to go is to have the builder install "keyless" fixtures, basically bare bulbs attached to a ceiling box somewhere between 6 and 10 feet apart each with a 60-100 watt equivalent LED. These are dirt cheap and functional to stay within the builder's lighting allowance, but allow for easy switching to fluorescent tubes or LED fixtures in the future. If you're more interested in aesthetics and being truly finished now, then you will have to decide what works for you. Shop lighting will be completely different from "show" lighting which will be completely different from just parking and unloading the groceries lighting.

 

[Slednut]

This is an addition I did to my garage, its 30x26 with 9.5 foot ceilings. The lights are 8 foot T8s, with four 4 foot bulbs each. The spacing is weird because there is a stair case to the right.

 

[dxii]

Thanks so much for all the responses. I'm not too worried about the lighting allowance for the garage. Original plan wasn't to finish it, so I'm doing most of it myself and it's all out of pocket. Haven't thought about fire being an issue with a metal ceiling. This is in a rural location with no building inspections, but I want it to be safe, so I'll ask my builder. We'll obviously be using fire rated drywall where it connects to the house, didn't know there would be a requirement for the ceiling (no living space above garage).

The garage will be used for parking cars, working on boats, cleaning pheasants, and occasional projects, but it won't be a full time shop. I'm leaning toward fluorescent fixtures with LEDs placed in a higher concentration over the "work" area. Electrician didn't make it back out to the project today so it gave me a little more time to think about it.

 

[dxii]

As others have said, too many variables. How will you use the space, how much is your lighting allowance (and do you care), do you care more about cost or aesthetics, etc...

One way to go is to have the builder install "keyless" fixtures, basically bare bulbs attached to a ceiling box somewhere between 6 and 10 feet apart each with a 60-100 watt equivalent LED. These are dirt cheap and functional to stay within the builder's lighting allowance, but allow for easy switching to fluorescent tubes or LED fixtures in the future. If you're more interested in aesthetics and being truly finished now, then you will have to decide what works for you. Shop lighting will be completely different from "show" lighting which will be completely different from just parking and unloading the groceries lighting.

I like the "keyless" fixture idea a lot. But I think I'll be able to settle on something before the electrician gets back out there now. Out of curiosity, what do you mean by "show" lighting and how would that be different from shop lighting? Just softer light and a little less of it?

 

[American Locomotive]

"Show Lighting" may be something with a lot of spot lights/recessed lights, think like something you might see at the mall or a trade show.

"Shop Lighting" is generally a very even light, with maybe an extra fixture or two where you need it (say over a bench).

If you only plan to have a smaller "work area", I'd aim for 40-50 foot candles of lighting throughout the garage, and then a couple of extra fixtures over the work area to bring it up to 100 foot-candles in that area.

You'd only need ~10 dual-bulb T8 fluorescent fixtures to achieve that much lighting. But remember there are lot of different fluorescent fixtures and bulbs. To get the most out of your bulbs, you'll want a 1.0 ballast-factor fixture, and the better 32 watt bulbs that are 3000+ lumens.

 

[happy2rv]

Yes by show lighting, I meant spotlighting specific areas or vehicles. Something like special lighting to highlight a painting inside the house. Might sound silly, but some people want to build museums that are designed specifically to show off their collection.

Workshop lighting would be brighter, perhaps whiter. A higher concentration of daylight fixtures, providing even bright light across the entire work area. Something like multiple rows of fluorescent or LED tube fixtures.

If money isn't a factor, I like LED light fixtures and as many as the budget allows for. Although they've gotten competitive with fluorescent, they still aren't cheap. The advantage to installing the keyless fixtures is that you can change them out over time, replacing them in locations where you need more light first.