Lighting...

[Timpala]

Just finished the shell of a 40x60 barn and I need to wire it for decent lighting and outlet power.

I see forums for flooring but not for lighting...

I'm sure there are lots of ideas and stories out there, care to share?

TH

 

[SKINNER]

Timpala,

I've read that 0.5W/sq ft is the minimum recommended wattage for fluroescent lighting. For you this would equal 1200 watts. 4' T8 bulbs are 32 watts a piece so you would need 38 bulbs; 19 2 bulb fixtures, 10 4 bulb...

Of course this is only if you are looking for 0.5W/sq ft. I personally opted for 1W/sq.ft. I'll let you know how it works once I get them hung.

B

 

[wrigh003]

Timpala,

I've read that 0.5W/sq ft is the minimum recommended wattage for fluroescent lighting. For you this would equal 1200 watts. 4' T8 bulbs are 32 watts a piece so you would need 38 bulbs; 19 2 bulb fixtures, 10 4 bulb...

Of course this is only if you are looking for 0.5W/sq ft. I personally opted for 1W/sq.ft. I'll let you know how it works once I get them hung.

B

I'll throw my hat in here- my shop is a 1-car bay (12x24, which works out to ~250sqft) in my house's unfinished basement. I just changed from a single incandescent to two 2-bulb fluorescent fixtures. By the math above, I have about half the minimum lighting, and it's better than before, but still not enough. I think I'll probably get two more before it's all said and done, but for now it's enough just to be able to see while I'm down there. Woe is me if I drop a fastener or something, though.

 

[DOM!]

Skinner- That makes me feel better about my calculations on lighting needs in my 22X40 garage. I was planning on 6 4 foot 2 bulb T8 fixtures and an additional 8 foot (2 4 foots) that I had from the old garage closer to the bench. Plus a twin halogen shoplight hung over the bench.

 

[Stuart in MN]

There have been a number of discussions on lighting in the past, do a search and you should be able to find a lot of info. If you tell us more about what you're going to do out there in the shed it will help - do you need the whole place lit up like a Christmas tree, or just good lighting in one work area while the rest is for storage? How high is the ceiling? Will it be heated, and where are you located?

 

[toxicz28]

I have a 15' x 23' one car with 2 8'x8' kickouts on a 23' wall. I have 10 48" two bulb fixtures in there, and I sometimes don't think it's enough.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I've got the only garage I've ever seen with enough lights. I had a buddy do a professional lighting design which led to 19 4' T8 fixtures with 2 bulbs per fixture. Fixtures are dropped 2' down from the ceiling and have reflectors (industrial style fixtures). He also specified electronic balasts. The garage is '38' X '28. The lights are on 2 switches. Each switch brings on every 2nd fixture. In other words, every other light is on, or all the lights are on. Sort of like having bright lights and dim lights.

Here's a pic that shows some of them:

I found the fixtures on the internet. lightmart.com or something like that.

Phil

 

[cc_rider]

Nice setup Phil!

I agree, most garages are pitifully under-lighted. I have four 4' three-bulb fixtures in my garage. It's a regular 2-car but has 12' ceiling (for the LIFT whenever I get it!) The fixtures are actually 'suspended ceiling' fixtures I liberated from an old remodeling job, so it's not like I really calculated anything out. It seems like plenty of light for most anything, except under-hood work since the hood blocks a lot.

The workshop side of the garage is smaller, under 300 sqft, and it has four 4' two-bulb fixtures, just the cheap generic kind. Also seems like a nice amount of light, although my workbench is under a storage 'loft' so I have a row of halogen track lights (also 'liberated') under there for better task lighting.

c.

 

[Hawk231]

My shop is a little over 1000 Sq Ft. There are 15 4' 4 bulb fixtures suspended from the ceiling. I currently have 2 32W bulbs in each fixture. This comes out to .89W per Sq Ft. Personally I think it's just enough light. I may even put 4 bulbs in a few of the fixtures.

 

[Timpala]

Great discussion.

This is a true barn, horses etc. It's my wife's barn, she is an artist and hates fluorescents. Plus they can have trouble in the winter in this unheated space. We live in Lexington, KY so winter won't be AS bad but the fluor's are out.

I overread a conversation about some kind of incandescents (big honking ones) out here but don't remember the name of the devices.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Wardrum]

This is a true barn, horses etc.

Timpala -
In our horse barn, the 108' center aisle has stalls on both sides with 7 low-bay 400 watt metal halide lights above the aisle. 3 of the fixtures are on one circuit and the rest are on another circuit so we can turn on just 3 lights for feeding or all 7 if we need additional light for stall cleaning, vet work, etc. They throw plenty of light in the aisle and enough into the stalls where the demand isn't as much. They are economical to operate and, best of all, we have had them up for 9 years and have yet to change a bulb.

The thing that my wife likes most about them is that they become bright slowly so they don't spook the horses.

 

[Stuart in MN]

[jamaicabraden]

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