Increased height = increased challenge?

[USAFpj]

After reading through a lot of Platonic's imagery- is it generally accepted that the higher a lighting fixture is, the more of a challenge, or expense, it will be to get the same lighting quality versus a lower ceiling?

I'm still debating 12ft vs. 14ft bottom truss height in a 30x50 pole barn

 

[finn]

I've got a building wit 12' ceilings and another with 16' ceilings.

The 16' ceiling building required some compromises when installing a hanging heater.

I also have to service the fluorescent lights, or preferably update them with led bulbs.

Because of the height, I'll have to hire this project out, at no small expense.

The message is that higher ceilings sometimes come with hidden costs.

 

[sberry]

I just finished 2 weeks in the ceiling. Very slow process. Mine are higher at 20 ft though.

 

[ishiboo]

After reading through a lot of Platonic's imagery- is it generally accepted that the higher a lighting fixture is, the more of a challenge, or expense, it will be to get the same lighting quality versus a lower ceiling?

I'm still debating 12ft vs. 14ft bottom truss height in a 30x50 pole barn

I wouldn't say that at all. 12-14ft is not a substantial height and you can take care of it with regular, inexpensive fixtures no problem. Plus at 12-14' it doesn't change the fixtures really at all, you just might need a few more... if that. I would definitely go with the higher ceiling.

 

[sands35]

12 vs 14? Just need a taller ladder. 10' ladder is sketchy at 14' reach.

You don't get to "High bay" lighting until you north of 24' or more.

Easier to fit an overhead car lift at 14'

Don't worry about it. When you get to the lighting part, be smart about wire runs so you can add in more lights without too much trouble later. At 30x50, you don't need a lot of light everywhere anyway (assuming a hobby garage, not a revenue garage).

 

[nadogail]

The Inverse Square Law applies to lighting. I can't explain it but as the distance from the source increases, the foot candles at the lit surface decreases.

Everything seems to be a compromise, usually the benefits of high ceilings are compensated for by stronger light sources.

 

[USAFpj]

Nado- it makes sense, and that's why I asked. If you take a flashlight that is turned on, and place the lens down on concrete, and slowly lift straight up, the beam gets wider, but has less 'focal light'. Is this what you're referring to, or did I just make up my own version of incorrect science?

 

[Gerald O]

The Inverse Square Law applies to lighting. I can't explain it but as the distance from the source increases, the foot candles at the lit surface decreases.

Everything seems to be a compromise, usually the benefits of high ceilings are compensated for by stronger light sources.

Not actually...when it comes to room lighting.

It's not as if the distance is somehow 'absorbing' the light. What happens is that the light spreads at different angles as it travels away from the source. The total light is not diminished but it is spread over a wider area, so it's less 'dense'. This is for an open area.

Now for an enclosed area like a room or a garage the situation is quite different. Yes the light spreads but then it runs into a ceiling, or a wall, or a car, and then it is ether reflected back into the room or absorbed into the surface of what it hits. So, the more reflective the room surfaces are, the less loss of light there is. The effect on 'illumination' then is not strictly inverse square loss. That's why a white room can be illuminated with less light than a dark colored room.

Another factor is the reflector type of the lamp. Some reflector designs are very good at focusing the light into a narrow spread pattern. Think spot 'floodlights' as an extreme example. These will spread the light less over a given distance than a reflector-less lamp. So a reflector lamp can be positioned higher with less loss.

 

[wssix99]

12 vs 14? Just need a taller ladder. 10' ladder is sketchy at 14' reach.

You don't get to "High bay" lighting until you north of 24' or more.

Easier to fit an overhead car lift at 14'

Don't worry about it. When you get to the lighting part, be smart about wire runs so you can add in more lights without too much trouble later. At 30x50, you don't need a lot of light everywhere anyway (assuming a hobby garage, not a revenue garage).

+1 I researched this when I did my garage and you aren't close to "high bay" territory.

I'd also go cheap here - you won't be using these lights in their original configuration long! By the time you get to changing your first or second set of bulbs, there will be better LED options and you'll be switching out the fixtures or cutting out the ballasts for LED retrofits. So, you won't be up on a high ladder in your old age changing the bulbs, either. (Once you get in to your final set of fixtures/bulbs.)

 

[BruceMc]

The Inverse Square Law applies to lighting. I can't explain it but as the distance from the source increases, the foot candles at the lit surface decreases.

Spherical spreading loss:

 

[nadogail]

Yes, that is what I meant; even if I didn't explain myself correctly.