Lighting recommendation for storage shed

[jjscott]

I need a recommendation on lighting for my storage shed. It’s 12x18 and the roof peak reaches 12ft. I have a loft on one end that is 5ft deep and spans the entire 12ft width. I will probably put a small work light under the loft, so I’m really not too concerned about the main lighting covering it.

I would prefer to get an LED fixture for the main lighting, but I have no clue as to the length, lumens, etc. I was at Home Depot last night and saw 2ft high bay LED’s with lumen rating of 18,000 & 23,000. The box listed a mounting height range of 16-23ft. I’m guessing that I would suspend the light from the roof peak at about 9-10ft?? So, I think the high bay’s would be out of the picture.

They also had 4ft LED’s that had an average lumen output of 5,000 lumens, but I’m not sure that would provide good coverage. I looked at one from Commercial Electric model #54591142 with 5500 lumens, 96 Watt equivalent for $69.97. There was also another one from Commercial Electric model #54103161 with 3200 lumens. Both of these were 4ft.

As far as what will I be using the space for…I can see doing some wood working and servicing lawn equipment. Really looking for a good balance between not too dim, but not blinding.

Let me know what you think.

 

[PWC Repair]

I would go to Harbor Freight and pick up 2 of the Braun 4ft led lights. Hang them about 1/2 way up directly on the rafters. Let them shine down in an x pattern. Should work great.

 

[bad_idea]

I would (and did in my shed) hit the Habitat ReStore and pick up a couple cheap 4' strip light fixtures and convert them to LED when and if the ballasts fail. You can get the fixture with bulbs for just a few dollars at the ReStore. Many times they have brand new fixtures contractors have left over from a job. If the fixture doesn't already have bulbs in it, there should be a barrel loaded with bulbs somewhere around the shop. No need to spend good money lighting up a shed.

 

[Platonic Solid]

jjscott - Regardless of fixture lumen output, the ideal qty of fixtures is 9. Here's a Dialux report (link). You didn't provide roof pitch or eve height, but it should be close.

 

[driftpin]

We just got one of these Commercial Electric 1' x 4' x1" thick https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...anging-CCT-3-Pack-FP1X4-4WY-WH-HD-3/310572376 and I'm very-pleased with the amount of light it provides. The thin height of it is good for under your loft area, mounted directly to the loft rafters. I just use exterior grade phillips screws ~1-1/2" with washers to provide a wider bearing area, and I screw through the sheet metal directly into the wood, I don't try to align the punched holes of the light box with the rafter. The low thickness makes them ideal for your ceiling. In the loft, I'd just screw them again, directly to the pitched rafters, though if you use platonic solid's program for placement, the ones at the ridge beam would need to be on cables from-which to hang them. I suggest that up there, you just mount them at 4' from the side walls, directly-to the rafters, and eliminate the ones in the middle, I think you will find for the infrequent amount of time you're up-there, the lighting you get will be sufficient for your needs. I would wire the lights on two separate circuits, one for 'downstairs,' and one for 'upstairs.'

Where you have the open ceiling (no loft), then following the below the ridge beam placement program of platonic solid would provide the most-even lighting.

 

[Citation]

Lots of cheap 4' led light fixtures that are kind of a modern fluorescent bulb setup. If you have some strategically placed outlets 4-6 would likely do. Put two up over the open section, two in the loft and two under the loft. I put a pair in my attic and they work great over a 12x16 area.

At $15-25 each such lights are cheap to experiment with. Some have pull cords but they would be fine with a switched outlet.

These are examples but no first hands experience. The second ones are similar to what I have. They are very light weight but so far so good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FF3R16Z/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TM97LWY/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[yatg]

One reason for using LED in a shed is that when its cold they don't have problems starting and they go to full bright. Not to mention they don't hum or buzz.

 

[jjscott]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm gonna start out with two in the open space and configure them in an "x pattern" as PWC Repair suggested and then evaluate.

 

[MikeF2316]

My shed is smaller, only 8x12, the peak is about 7 ft high. I put 2 of these as high as I could in the peak. There's plenty of light everywhere, and because the light source is so large, there's no shadows. And they start instantly in the cold.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm gonna start out with two in the open space and configure them in an "x pattern" as PWC Repair suggested and then evaluate.

That'll give you 30fc in the center of the open space (@ 30" workplane), 20fc average, 15fc in the corners, 5fc under storage area. Suggest nothing farther than 2ft from wall if mounting at roof pitch angle. Fine for storage, not great for wrenching. Let's say you're working on one side of a lawn tractor in the middle of the open space. The lawn tractor will block light from opposite side and your body will block light from the side your wrenching on.

 

[jjscott]

Thanks for the info. I'm probably going to add another light underneath the loft to cover that area. Will post results when done.

 

[jjscott]

I finished the lighting installation tonight and I am very happy with the results. I installed two Metalux 4ft LED 4000 lumen lights...one on each rafter opposing each other for the "x" configuration that PWC Repair suggested. I mounted them about 27 inches from the roof peak.

Not getting any shadows and they really light the place up. Not even sure I need to put a light under the loft. If I do, it will be a very low output one just to cover the very back of that area.

Thanks again for all the info.

 

[PWC Repair]

Yay! I have found that works good in a typical shed.