opinions on lighting plan

[timdhawk]

Hey guys,

Here is a rough sketch of my lighting plan for my new garage that I'm building. Its 24x30 with 10ft walls. In the picture, where the 2 garage doors are, the ceiling will be 10ft (loft storage area). The remaining 20ft will be vaulted ceiling of around 13-14ft at the peak. Everything will be dry walled and painted a light color. The floor will have a light colored epoxy on it as well.
I'm looking at T8 fixtures either in 4 or 8ft lengths. That's where your opinions come in.
2 Questions:
What will give me the best lighting: the 3 8ft's or the 6 4fts?
What would be the best placement for the 10ft ceiling area? I don't plan on having the garage doors up very much, so I want to light it as if they were always down.

Thanks for the input.
Tim

 

[Onewolf]

Do you plan to have have workbench(s)? Where?

 

[Platonic Solid]

I feel like I'm missing something. The space remaining for the storage loft area seems practically nonexistent. Are you mixing vaulted ceiling trusses with attic trusses over the 10' ceiling area? What's the exterior roof rise/run? Are all dimensions interior?

 

[bczygan]

No lighting at all under the 10' ceiling?

If you are only lighting the vaulted area, I would add 8 of the 4' fixtures.

And the spacing is all wrong. The space between the wall and fixture should be half the distance between fixtures.

Light reduces by the square of distance, so a vaulted and tall space causes a lot of loss. Keeping fixtures near walls and ceilings helps. But reflectors will direct more light down.

If you hang fixtures lower, then the ceiling above becomes a darker cavern.

You just need lots of light. More than you think you will. My 9x19 has 6 4 footers and needs 2 more plus task lighting.

 

[timdhawk]

my apologies fellas... it read better when I first wrote it: work bench area will be along back wall furthest from garage doors. I plan on having surface mount fixtures thru out, not hanging.

As you enter the garage thru a garage door, the first 10ft will be 10ft high ceiling. The loft storage area will be above that. The remaining 20ft of garage will have vaulted trusses/ceiling giving me an approx. peak height of 13-14ft. (maybe a little more, I don't have my truss specs in front of me) The roof pitch is 6/12. trusses are running across the 24ft span.

Yes, I plan on lighting the 10ft high ceiling area. However, in hind sight I think I have answered my own question as to fixture placement.

 

[bczygan]

my apologies fellas... it read better when I first wrote it: work bench area will be along back wall furthest from garage doors. I plan on having surface mount fixtures thru out, not hanging.

As you enter the garage thru a garage door, the first 10ft will be 10ft high ceiling. The loft storage area will be above that. The remaining 20ft of garage will have vaulted trusses/ceiling giving me an approx. peak height of 13-14ft. (maybe a little more, I don't have my truss specs in front of me) The roof pitch is 6/12. trusses are running across the 24ft span.

Yes, I plan on lighting the 10ft high ceiling area. However, in hind sight I think I have answered my own question as to fixture placement.

So what is your resulting plan?

 

[bczygan]

And more detail about how the space will be used, would be needed to determine lighting layout. You will need both general illumination and task lighting.

Will cars be parked in the front portion? Will vehicles be parked in the back portion and worked on?

Workbench along the back wall. How about machinery? A lift? Painting?

Think about in floor lighting for a lift and wall lighting for a painting area.

Lighting where cars are just parked, can be oriented more towards the sides, to illuminate into the car interiors. Even wall sconces can function here.

You will need general illumination both above and below the loft area.

A lot more information about uses, will be needed, before exact quantity, type and location of fixtures can be determined.

In general, 4' fixtures allow more flexibility in placement, especially in smaller spaces.

 

[timdhawk]

Sorry... guess I don't know what I need to know to find out what I want to know... = )
Space will be used primarily as a hobby, car/motorcycle building/restoration area. I have a couple workbenches with existing overhead lights. I'm basically looking for good overall general lighting.
I currently have an attached 22x20 with a black floor 9ft walls lit by only 3 8ft double t12's (plus bench lighting). I haven't had any real issues with only that much.
I'm not looking for high end precision, scientific placement down to the nano-candle...just good lighting for autobody and mechanical uses.
Thanks