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Lighting plan 26x40

WECSOG

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Joined
Sep 28, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Prescott AZ
The pic below is my latest lighting plan... Any suggestions? The "office on the left will be lighted using LED recessed lights. The remainder of the garage will be with "T8" type fixtures. A two car bay is on the right. The garage will have white finished walls and ceiling. The ceiling height is ten feet...

 
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2ManyProjects

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
757
The pic below is my latest lighting plan... Any suggestions?

A few questions/comments...

-- You are apparently planning to install duplex outlets in the ceiling, then plug (most of) your lights into those outlets. Bad idea. Quite beyond the ugly rats' nest of wiring that would put all over your ceiling, the current NEC would require all those outlets to be GFCI-protected -- and fluorescent lights and GFCIs are often a rather problematic combination.

-- What is the long/skinny (denoted as 4'1"x 15' on the plan) "room" directly behind the office? If, I I suspect, it is just a storage space and/or "Mechanical Room" (for such things as the air compressor, water heater, HVAC hardware, etc.), then single-tube fixtures will be more than adequate.

-- The "smallish" (6'11" x ~15') are near the entrance door appears to be very much over-lit by comparison to the rest of the space, especially if this area is in effect mostly just an entrance foyer. (It at least appears to be at least a "high traffic" area; so I would not count on using it for such things as workbenches, stationary tools, etc..)

-- I would probably run at least the rear-most row of fixtures in the "Main" garage area the other way (i.e., turned 90 degrees to the way you show them), in a more-or-less continuous "run" about 2-3 feet (4' at the most) off the rear wall.

-- The remaining "fore & aft" runs should be extended to (or very nearly "to") the front wall of the garage, being careful to place the "outer" runs JUST outside the area where the door would block them when open. The center run could be abbreviated and/or switched separately, in part because of that potential blockage.

-- If it's not too late, I would also suggest using a torsion-type spring for the overhead door, and a "Side Mount door opener such as the LiftMaster 8500:

http://www.liftmaster.com/lmcv2/productdetail/19724/liftmaster-products/
GDO-LiftMaster-8500.jpg

GDO-LiftMaster-8500-Installed.jpg


This will eliminate the need for a GDO track stuck in the middle of your ceiling, which in turn frees up that space for more important things.

The "office on the left will be lighted using LED recessed lights. The remainder of the garage will be with "T8" type fixtures. A two car bay is on the right. The garage will have white finished walls and ceiling. The ceiling height is ten feet...

All well and good, BUT... Given that you are effectively creating at least three "entry points", and will have several "banks" of lights (each to be separately switched), you might consider using Insteon (or similar) in place of conventional switching.

 
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WECSOG

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2013
Messages
12
Location
Prescott AZ
A few questions/comments...

-- You are apparently planning to install duplex outlets in the ceiling, then plug (most of) your lights into those outlets. Bad idea. Quite beyond the ugly rats' nest of wiring that would put all over your ceiling, the current NEC would require all those outlets to be GFCI-protected -- and fluorescent lights and GFCIs are often a rather problematic combination.

I was... But with your suggestions I will reconsider. Thanks for the information.

-- What is the long/skinny (denoted as 4'1"x 15' on the plan) "room" directly behind the office? If, I I suspect, it is just a storage space and/or "Mechanical Room" (for such things as the air compressor, water heater, HVAC hardware, etc.), then single-tube fixtures will be more than adequate.

Yup it's a storage area... I figured it was a bit over lighted.

-- The "smallish" (6'11" x ~15') are near the entrance door appears to be very much over-lit by comparison to the rest of the space, especially if this area is in effect mostly just an entrance foyer. (It at least appears to be at least a "high traffic" area; so I would not count on using it for such things as workbenches, stationary tools, etc..)

I will have benches against the bottom wall. I currently have a similar setup, and it works well for my projects.

-- I would probably run at least the rear-most row of fixtures in the "Main" garage area the other way (i.e., turned 90 degrees to the way you show them), in a more-or-less continuous "run" about 2-3 feet (4' at the most) off the rear wall.

-- The remaining "fore & aft" runs should be extended to (or very nearly "to") the front wall of the garage, being careful to place the "outer" runs JUST outside the area where the door would block them when open. The center run could be abbreviated and/or switched separately, in part because of that potential blockage.

Great suggestions. I'll re-work the plan with these issues in mind.


-- If it's not too late, I would also suggest using a torsion-type spring for the overhead door, and a "Side Mount door opener such as the LiftMaster 8500:

http://www.liftmaster.com/lmcv2/productdetail/19724/liftmaster-products/
GDO-LiftMaster-8500.jpg

GDO-LiftMaster-8500-Installed.jpg


This will eliminate the need for a GDO track stuck in the middle of your ceiling, which in turn frees up that space for more important things.

Fantastic suggestion. I had not even considered this. Even with the higher cost I think it will be well worth the $$$



All well and good, BUT... Given that you are effectively creating at least three "entry points", and will have several "banks" of lights (each to be separately switched), you might consider using Insteon (or similar) in place of conventional switching.


Another good suggestion thanks!!!
 

2ManyProjects

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
757
Yup it's a storage area... I figured it was a bit over lighted.

Do also run a circuit in there for at least your air compressor, and make a point of insulating the walls between that space and the rest of the shop/office. Anything you can do to attenuate that racket will seem worth its weight in gold later on.

I will have benches against the bottom wall. I currently have a similar setup, and it works well for my projects.

Even so, workbenches will require (and presumably get) their own task lighting; so you still don't need an overabundance of general lighting in that area.

Great suggestions. I'll re-work the plan with these issues in mind.

Happy to help. Post "Version 2.0" before you actually start building anything, in case any further ideas become evident.

 
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