Lighting for 19x24 woodworking space

[jaydo]

I am trying to fix up my dark, attached garage. The space is 19x24, with 7'6" ceiling height. The ceiling is open at as it is under a deck(duradeck) and I'm worried about not seeing a leak if I enclose it.

Trying to determine how much lighting to put in as I'm having a sub-panel put in soon.

One option I'm considering is spraying the ceiling with white pant to improve lighting. Would this still be worth it if I install enough 4ft Led strip lights.

I've read the sticky threads on light types. Being in Canada I do not have easy access to those sources, and can't find the same types here. I have found several sources of non replaceable bulb two led 4ft strips. Costco is one source, but have heard they don't always have the in stock. The other is

Hyperikon Linkable LED Shop Light, 4FT Double Tube, 4000K (Daylight Glow), Frosted Cover, 4000 lumens, 40W (100W Eq.), Linkable Integrated Double Fixture, for Workshop Garage Basement from amazon.ca (can't post links!) $143 for 4


These are all plug in lights, so I though I could convert the existing fixtures into receptacles. As they are linkable, I wouldn't need to add too many receptacles.

Could I nest the fixtures so that they are almost flush with the ceiling joists? on some blocking between the joist?

I used visual-3d com

And came up with 9 lights for 100fc. Is that overkill, not enough?

I'm thinking 4000K would be best for woodworking?

Thanks!

I have attached a rough (future) layout. The giant block by the window is a workbench

Thoughts?!?

 

[pjmariner]

I have a similar space, 18x24 2 car under garage with just over 7 foot ceilings. The white paint will make a big difference with the low ceilings.

I used the 22w Hyperikon light on amazon, 4000k, 2200 lumen, I think there were and still are about $60 for a 4 pack.

I used 20 of them, 3 rows of 4 lights on the shop side, 2 rows of 4 on the parking side. The light to me is about perfect.


83101206-AEC9-416D-9BBD-FE733BC94B46 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/120925262@N04/, on Flickr

 

[mike93lx]

I have the same height ceiling in my 2 car. Don't go with anything super bright on its own... You want a bunch of fixtures spread out. Based on what i have in my garage, i would probably do more than 9 fixtures, but as most plug in fixtures are linkable, adding more shouldn't be hard.

Start with what you listed and get more if needed.

 

[Jazzman442]

I have a 4.5 car garage. 12' ceilings and just went through all of this.

I had 4 along one long side of the garage of 4' double t12 4000 k lights. Then I went to the web site and it told me I needed 60000K worth of light. I purchased 10 4' Honeywell LED multimode lights from Samsclub. I installed 4 of them in the middle of the garge 5' away from the other 4 T12 Fluorescent.. All I can say is WOW. The website must be wrong. My garage with all of that is really really bright. I really love the fact that the 2 different colors. T12 are 4000K and the Led's are 5000K. I am thinking I only need 2 more at one end. Good Luck I am lucky I can turn down these lights.

 

[pjmariner]

also, good point from mike93lx i forgot to mention. I went with more (20) of the 22w 4foot lights so i could cover more area with lights, as opposed to 10 high powered fixtures. Since the ceilings are low, you dont have the benefit of height to help spread the light, so I used more lower powered fixtures so i could keep the rows of light closer together to prevent shadow as much as possible.

 

[Shiftless]

I also have a deck over the garage roof and want to keep open rafters to monitor for possible future leaks.
I recessed Costco LED shop lights into the open spaces by supporting them with short lengths of metal super strut and lightweight L brackets.
I ran a row of receptacles with EMT. The floodlights are to light up a wall of open shelving.

My ceiling height is even worse...just 7 feet

If you go this route, painting the ceiling white won’t make any difference. In my opinion, rough wood painted white and then getting dirty looks worse than bare wood.

 

[jaydo]

also, good point from mike93lx i forgot to mention. I went with more (20) of the 22w 4foot lights so i could cover more area with lights, as opposed to 10 high powered fixtures. Since the ceilings are low, you dont have the benefit of height to help spread the light, so I used more lower powered fixtures so i could keep the rows of light closer together to prevent shadow as much as possible.

I thought the 2 tube 4' LED fixtures which have a 140 (vs 90 for the single) dispersion angle would be defused enough. Seems you can only link about 4 lights per chain.

 

[jaydo]

I also have a deck over the garage roof and want to keep open rafters to monitor for possible future leaks.
I recessed Costco LED shop lights into the open spaces by supporting them with short lengths of metal super strut and lightweight L brackets.
I ran a row of receptacles with EMT. The floodlights are to light up a wall of open shelving.

My ceiling height is even worse...just 7 feet

If you go this route, painting the ceiling white won’t make any difference. In my opinion, rough wood painted white and then getting dirty looks worse than bare wood.

So one vote paint it white, one keep it wood!

Thanks for the photos, that is a LOT of flood lights!!!

Did you do anything to reduce summer heat/winter cold on the ceiling??

 

[fourjeepin]

Paint will help

 

[pbon]

White paint will help.

 

[mike93lx]

Paint will help, but once you paint it, you'll see all the sawdust and dirt, and you can't go back. I don't knownif i would want to have to clean and maintain that.

 

[Shiftless]

Paint will help, but once you paint it, you'll see all the sawdust and dirt, and you can't go back. I don't knownif i would want to have to clean and maintain that.

That’s why I keep my garage unpainted rafters and wall studs. BTW, my floor is bare 70 year old steel troweled concrete.
The climate here is very mild and I don’t need heat or AC. If I lived elsewhere, I’d probably have insulation and drywall.

As far as the overhead lighting goes, with LEDs, the light is directed downwards and not emitted 360 degrees like a fluorescent tube. So the white ceiling that helps with fluorescents is not as important when using a directed source of light like LED tubes.
In that case a white floor would really bounce extra light around but not very many of us would want to maintain a white floor.

 

[jaydo]

I think I might try adding the lighting first, then decide later if I need to paint...

 

[Shiftless]

I think I might try adding the lighting first, then decide later if I need to paint...

Good plan
In the picture of my installation, I placed one fixture in every other ceiling joist cavity so they are 32 inches apart. Lots of light even with dirty dark gray floors and no paint anywhere. Those fixtures are only $25 each at Costco so lots of fixtures spread out over your low ceiling is the way to go.