Planning for my future garage, have some basic lighting questions

[95maxrider]

I'm in the planning phase for my upcoming ~900 sq ft attached garage and I could use some help understanding some lighting basics!

This will be a fully finished 2 bay garage with both a 2 and 4 post lift, with 14' ceilings. I spend a lot of time working on my cars, and I also detail cars and plan to do a full repaint of a car as well. I'm planning on using a lot of 2 bulb 4' T8 fixtures with LED bulbs for this project.

Basic question #1: Is it better to hard wire all of the fixtures, or have a bunch of outlets installed all over the ceiling? In terms of easily replacing bad fixtures, I feel like having plugs would greatly simplify things, but I'm sure there are trade-offs I'm not thinking about.

Basic question #2: Given the 14' ceilings and the type of work I'll be doing, will I be better served with half as many 4 bulb fixtures, or twice as many 2 bulb fixtures? To better see the reflections of the lights in the paint, I *think* more fixtures spaced closer together with fewer lights is a better idea, but I'm not sure.

Basic question #3: What exactly is the use-case for those 8' bulbs and fixtures? I feel like since the 4' versions are so much more popular, I'll be able to find them at better prices. But then again, I would need half as many of everything if I go with 8'. Am I right to just stick with the 4' versions?

Basic question #4: How do I find LED bulbs that run at the right frequency so they won't interfere with my garage door openers? I don't see anyone advertising this, is this a "solved" problem at this point?

Thanks!
Nick

 

[cybrdyke]

I'm in the planning phase for my upcoming ~900 sq ft attached garage and I could use some help understanding some lighting basics!

This will be a fully finished 2 bay garage with both a 2 and 4 post lift, with 14' ceilings. I spend a lot of time working on my cars, and I also detail cars and plan to do a full repaint of a car as well. I'm planning on using a lot of 2 bulb 4' T8 fixtures with LED bulbs for this project.

Basic question #1: Is it better to hard wire all of the fixtures, or have a bunch of outlets installed all over the ceiling? In terms of easily replacing bad fixtures, I feel like having plugs would greatly simplify things, but I'm sure there are trade-offs I'm not thinking about.

Hardwire. If you're using LED tubes, then why would you need to replace an entire fixture? You would just replace the tubes. Ceiling outlets require GFCI protection, which can be a PITA. Most new fixtures dont come with plugs or cords on them, so you would need to add those.

Basic question #2: Given the 14' ceilings and the type of work I'll be doing, will I be better served with half as many 4 bulb fixtures, or twice as many 2 bulb fixtures? To better see the reflections of the lights in the paint, I *think* more fixtures spaced closer together with fewer lights is a better idea, but I'm not sure.

You're asking about 2 different scenarios, one for general lighting and one for inspection lighting. The answer wont be the same. For general illumination, it's best to have the light sources spread out so that the result is even lighting with a minimum of harsh shadows and low contrast. More fixtures also takes advantage of the reflectance from walls, floors and ceilings. So, for good general illumination, more fixtures is better. For inspection, you want more intense light at angles that will help you see what you need to. Alot of inspection lighting is also much blue-er in color as well, which would be terrible for general illumination. I'd recommend that you have a separate plan for inspection, either a certain area of the space or supplemental lights for this purpose.

Basic question #3: What exactly is the use-case for those 8' bulbs and fixtures? I feel like since the 4' versions are so much more popular, I'll be able to find them at better prices. But then again, I would need half as many of everything if I go with 8'. Am I right to just stick with the 4' versions?

At this point in time, there is no real good reason for them. They're a pain to handle and move. They get broken so easily. Alot of shipping companies wont ship them. They dont outperform anything that 4' can do. Stick with 4'.

Basic question #4: How do I find LED bulbs that run at the right frequency so they won't interfere with my garage door openers? I don't see anyone advertising this, is this a "solved" problem at this point?

You wont find this information. It's not a common issue. Occassionally we see a problem and its usually the LED bulb that's on the motor assembly because that's really close to the remote control pickup. The solution is almost always trial and error between brands.

Good luck,
CD

 

[95maxrider]

Hardwire. If you're using LED tubes, then why would you need to replace an entire fixture? You would just replace the tubes. Ceiling outlets require GFCI protection, which can be a PITA. Most new fixtures dont come with plugs or cords on them, so you would need to add those.

You're asking about 2 different scenarios, one for general lighting and one for inspection lighting. The answer wont be the same. For general illumination, it's best to have the light sources spread out so that the result is even lighting with a minimum of harsh shadows and low contrast. More fixtures also takes advantage of the reflectance from walls, floors and ceilings. So, for good general illumination, more fixtures is better. For inspection, you want more intense light at angles that will help you see what you need to. Alot of inspection lighting is also much blue-er in color as well, which would be terrible for general illumination. I'd recommend that you have a separate plan for inspection, either a certain area of the space or supplemental lights for this purpose.

At this point in time, there is no real good reason for them. They're a pain to handle and move. They get broken so easily. Alot of shipping companies wont ship them. They dont outperform anything that 4' can do. Stick with 4'.

You wont find this information. It's not a common issue. Occassionally we see a problem and its usually the LED bulb that's on the motor assembly because that's really close to the remote control pickup. The solution is almost always trial and error between brands.

Good luck,
CD

Well that's /thread right there, thanks for the excellent response!

Regarding inspection lighting, do you have any idea what sort of kelvin rating they use in automotive paint booths? 6k? I was thinking of using 4k bulbs for the majority of the garage, but I could add some supplemental 6k fixtures for my inspection work. I wasn't aware that inspection work required/uses bluer bulbs, that's interesting.

Reading some of your other comments, it seems like you think Halco, Phillips, and LedVance make good bulbs, is that correct? Care to recommend any good vendors? Does the manufacturer of the fixture matter much with LED bulbs?

 

[95maxrider]

So with white painted walls and ceiling, 25' width, ~35' depth, and 14' ceilings, and my rather high lighting requirements (maybe 80 FC?), here's my initial "design" thoughts:

Each row of lights going across the garage would have five of the 4' x2 lights, with a little less than 1' between them. So 5 columns of lights. I'm thinking about spacing the rows out 4' from each other. This adds up to.....45 fixtures and 90 bulbs. That sounds like a lot. Maybe only 4 fixtures per row?

 

[Jon h]

Place light fixtures on the wall too. When you have your car on the hoist it block the light from above. It will also create less shadows.

Jon h.

 

[95maxrider]

Place light fixtures on the wall too. When you have your car on the hoist it block the light from above. It will also create less shadows.

Jon h.

Way ahead of you on that! I recently put up some cheap ones on my current wall and they're amazing. I'll totally be putting up some in the new garage.

I'm also considering finding a good way to mount lights on the lift itself....

 

[dave*99]

I'm using this under my 2 post lift. It attaches magnetically. Works great. I like light sources that sit between my eyes and where my hands are working. I don't want my head or body blocking the light.

Please post back here any lighting you attach to the lift. I'll follow.

 

[imma_stocker]

I have similar usage and currently drafting how to light my 40x40. I'm planning to run GFCI switch to power at least 3 separate "light" circuits. 2 of the circuits will be ceiling mounted lights (each half of the shop). 3rd will be wall lights. So my wiring will go: breaker panel, GFCI switch panel, plugs for lights (wherever the plugs land for logistics).

Might end up running 4 lighting circuits through a switch since LED have such low amp draw: switch #1, half ceiling lights on both sides; switch #2, remaining lights on north half; switch #3, remaining lights on south half; switch #4, wall lights.

100% chance I'll still use standalone lamps and light fixtures above benches, under the lifts, tripods for mobile lighting, etc.

Irony or paralysis by analysis... built wish lists for all my years leasing shops and making due with what I had. Now it's my own creation I'm stuck between all the things I wanted in each place but can't pull the trigger.

 

[75gmck25]

Like the flexibility of plug-in lights that I can move around or hang at different heights as the need arises.

I have my ceiling wired with surface conduit and switched receptacles and protect them with a GFCI accessible on the wall. It would be easy to change or expand the system by just pulling additional wire through the conduit and adding more switches.

 

[WildBill]

I went with double receptacle boxes for the ceiling with GFI breakers, one duplex receptacle switched and one not. The switched ones are split up over two light switches so I can turn on half the lights at a time.

The unswitched duplex receptacles are on separate 20 amp breakers and good for stuff like hanging extension cord reels and are also being used for flat led strips run between my normal 4" shop lights, they are app controlled and and can be set any color and even have an automatic daylight mode that very closely mimics the changing outside light throughout the day. Which is really nice. They can also be set to all kinds of crazy "party" light type modes, which my niece and nephews like messing with. The strips are surprisingly bright and can be used without the normal lights for a warmer less operating room type lighting.

I have a friend who paints cars and he uses led strips around his walls, you hardly notice them when they are off but they are great for seeing details when on. And it's really nice being able to tune them to the exact color and brightness needed. He used some sort of flat track that the led strips just slide into.

I have a tablet mounted above the normal light switches that controls my led strips and hvac/audio/air quality monitors/cameras etc.

I have found having the receptacles very handy and use the unswitched ones a lot. It is sort of an industrial look though, so maybe not the best for everyone. I have exposed conduit for wiring so it matches my space. I was able to easily compare a couple different 4ft shop lights before settling on the ones I have and will be able to very easily swap in different ones at some point if I want. Not that the wiring on a light fixture is hard, but it's a lot more time on a ladder to do a bunch of them compared to just having plugs.