Light layout for garage with sloped ceiling

[bradpac]

My new shop is a 30x30 metal building, with a 6:12 roof slope. The ceiling starts at 10ft and reaches 17'-6" in the middle. I have been debating between the UFO high bay style lights or 8ft LED fixtures. Probably the 8ft ones as they are better on cost and offer a larger light source for less shadows. I want to follow the ceiling as best I can to keep headroom for my lift going on the right side and plenty of storage/work area options for the left side. The doors will be high lift the follow the roof pitch so my idea is to put any lights in that area under the doors.

Does anyone have some insights they can share on good lighting layout for elevation changes? or is it simply not enough area or height difference to make much difference and I just need to mount the suckers evenly spaced.

 

[rok_hunter]

I've got a 30x40 with similar roof dimensions and used 12 8' LED light bars, hung level using chains at about 10'. Following the roof contour will result in less light near the middle of your building (lights further from the ground) and, being "aimed" towards the middle because of the roof slope, will reduce the available light near the walls as well. It'll probably give adequate light for general purpose work but the lighting won't be even through the building, and you probably won't have a great foot-candle illumination number at your working surface height (those are all things I learned over a couple weeks' reading of a great light fixture threat on this forum). The two rows of 6 in my building give me great illumination and only give me fits if I start swinging 12' boards around without paying attention [emoji23].

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Craftfab]

I have a similar size and roof pitch and spent dozens of hours reading trying to figure out what to do. I settled on four 2' 110W (14,300 lumens ea) dimmable high bays down middle suspended at 13' off floor on one switch. Then on a separate switch, 3' off each side wall, I have runs of 4' 36w (5,346 lumens ea) LED lights suspended at 9' off floor.

These are the bulbs I went with for the side fixtures. https://www.prolighting.com/pl-t8-f18-ab-50k.html

And hung the fixtures with these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithoni...nd-Wrap-Light-Chain-Hanger-HC36-M12/202195802

Can also buy the lights and their housing, but better deals may be found elsewhere: https://www.prolighting.com/commerc...ommercial-lighting/t442ssubcxx00p0-18w5k.html


From a lot of advice and threads on here, verdict seems to be that above about 10' off ground, 4' and 8' strip lights are not the best option and you should consider linear high bays or other options.

 

[LX-Markham]

I went flush with 4’ fluorescent troffers in the vaulted ceiling.

 

[Bert_]

You could do high bays if you get something down around the 12,000 lumen range.

If you can get strips with a high enough lumen output they would do fine also.

I'm not a fan of the UFO style because of the small light source. Makes for a lot of glare. A 2 ft linear high bay would be a better choice.

 

[bradpac]

Thanks all for the great information. Do any of you have links to what linear high bays you used? My plan was to suspend the lights parallel to the floor. I'm thinking maybe 4 of them equidistant from the walls to the center with 4ft LEDs at any work areas along the walls might be the ticket.

 

[jives]

Thanks all for the great information. Do any of you have links to what linear high bays you used? My plan was to suspend the lights parallel to the floor. I'm thinking maybe 4 of them equidistant from the walls to the center with 4ft LEDs at any work areas along the walls might be the ticket.

Are you suggesting that all the lights are also equal distance from the floor? That is, all the lights hanging at, say, 13' from the floor? If so, that seems like a lot of wasted space up high. I assume you simply mean the lights do not follow the pitch of the ceiling.

My interior slope on my 32 x 42 x 14 is 6/12 on my scissor trusses. Interior peak is just about at 20'. I've yet to figure out the best solution, as my garage doors also follow the slope and get in the way of the lights. But, I am looking at minimum of 3 rows of 3 high bays at about 20K lumens each. The middle row will be at about 19' high, outer rows at about 16'. The 3' difference in height should not result in any noticeable light differences on the ground.

The lights will hang parallel to the ground, probably UFOs, so that they do not hang too low.

 

[bradpac]

Are you suggesting that all the lights are also equal distance from the floor? That is, all the lights hanging at, say, 13' from the floor? If so, that seems like a lot of wasted space up high. I assume you simply mean the lights do not follow the pitch of the ceiling.

If I did just 4 high bay lights, I would put them all at the same height as they would all be at the same ceiling height, just at different quadrants of the building. I would mount them hanging off the purlins as far up as I could get them, level with the floor, not on the slope of the ceiling. My doors are only 8ft high so I would probably start my lights right where the doors ended when up on the ceiling. Just not sure 4 lights like that is enough. but if they are more central in the building over the work areas that would probably work. Along the back eave wall will be tool boxes and a work bench, so just having some LED strips over those would get them lit pretty good. Layout attached.