Recessed flourescent lights?

[streetdaddy]

Hi, first post here. Going to build a separate two car garage in a couple months.

Just turning to look at lighting options.my dad has recessed fluorescent lights in his garage.I think they look great.

But when I look at advice from the pros on here, everyone seems to recommend the cheap looking kind that mount on the ceiling.

Is it strictly a cost issue? Or are they that much better versus the flush mounted fluorescent?

 

[cybrdyke]

This forum is notorious for folks sharing the cheapest of this thing and that....
That's not necessarily a bad thing in some cases. But sometimes it gets a little ridiculous.
You'll find thread after thread of someone seeking the "Best _____", and invariably what they are really asking for is the "Cheapest".
That said, recessed fixtures can work great in a garage. The efficiency is slightly less than strips when it comes to garage use.....but, after all, we're not doing brain surgery in our garages. Us lighting nerds can nit-pick the details until the cows come home...but it's your garage. If you want recessed, they'll work just fine. I agree...strips look like ****.
Good luck.
CD

 

[soob]

There's a million recessed fluorescent lights in the building I work in. The maintenance guys love them because they're constantly failing and the ballasts are impossible to reach.

 

[Platonic Solid]

There's a million recessed fluorescent lights in the building I work in. The maintenance guys love them because they're constantly failing and the ballasts are impossible to reach.

LOL
Many here fall over backwards if you suggest spending over $1,000 on lighting and then run off to buy $1,000 of unbranded LED Chinese mystery fixtures with unverifiable specs from some guy on online.

If you're willing to go recessed and spend a few bucks, I'd go for the edge-lit LED panels.

 

[cybrdyke]

^^^
He said what I was trying to say.....only, he said it better.
CD

 

[bmw57isetta]

I love mine! Got six Lithonia troffers with silver reflectors, three T-8's per unit in a 19' x 21' garage. They get a lot of comments, nothing to collect dust and put out a lot of light.

I priced them at HD for around $100 each complete with T-8's installed. Local electrical distributor had them for around $60 without bulbs. These are the same one's you see in commercial buildings all over the map. Go to HD's site and search on "Lithonia, troffer". Several to choose from. The part number they show is no longer valid. New number to use for the 2' x 4' / silver reflector lights with bulbs, if shopping for them at a distributor, is PT3LW MV.

For what it's worth, it probably cost me more in mod'ing the ceiling to get them all to fit than the lights cost but that seems to be the way everything I do turns out.

 

[splam]

I was considering recessing troffer's but they are to wide to fit between 24" on center trusses. I really like the clean look and no lost height.

 

[Norcal]

I was considering recessing troffer's but they are to wide to fit between 24" on center trusses. I really like the clean look and no lost height.

There are 1X4 recessed fixtures avail, the only problem w/ recessed is that if the ceiling is required to be fire rated, such as living quarters above the garage, then it can get sticky.

 

[AndyCBR]

Hi, first post here. Going to build a separate two car garage in a couple months.

Just turning to look at lighting options.my dad has recessed fluorescent lights in his garage.I think they look great.

But when I look at advice from the pros on here, everyone seems to recommend the cheap looking kind that mount on the ceiling.

Is it strictly a cost issue? Or are they that much better versus the flush mounted fluorescent?

They look great but as others have said a fair amount of framing work is needed to get them to fit in between your joists/rafters.

If your design and budget will accommodate them I would go for it.

If either of those don't work out there are nicer surface mount fluorescent fixtures that you can get.

One significant con though;

My current shop/garage is on its 3rd different lighting configuration since the house was built 13 years ago so I like the ability to change things around with the surface mount option. Bought the place and the original owner had 4 60 watt bulbs in a 24x24 space. 1st change was to 2-8' T12 fixtures. 2nd change was the current 4-8' T8 fixtures. As you age you'll want more light.

With the recessed your pretty committed to the layout.

 

[streetdaddy]

Any recommendations on these 1x4 led toffees? I like the ease of installation between the joists and the clean look of recessed. I will be have an electrician install them.

My garage will be 24x26.

 

[vintovka]

I'm thinking flat panel leds are very close leaving only power supply run issues.