I’m in the process of building a 40x60x12 metal building. The trusses are I beams so it will be an open concept. I’m spray foaming it to insulate. My plan is to paint the ceiling black and put white metal on the walls. I know lights have changed over the years and I’m just wanting some suggestions on what to run for lighting and how to place them. Just looking for a good budget light setup.
Shop lighting
- Thread starter Flinging
- Start date
alfredeneuman
Well-known member
There's plenty of information in this stickied thread.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-best-light-fixture-ever.278420/
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-best-light-fixture-ever.278420/
couch67
Well-known member
Welcome to the forum, that is going to be a nice sized shop. Not sure if you've considered how a black ceiling '***** up' any light and has zero reflectance. Still doable but you need to factor that into your light source so you have the desired light level in your shop. There was one thread I remember from a few years ago :
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/black-ceiling-affect-on-lighting.412663/
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/black-ceiling-affect-on-lighting.412663/
nadogail
Well-known member
My first shop had used fixtures from a salvage yard, my next one had used fixtures from a commercial remodel. My present shop has wife approved inexpensive new fixtures.
Now that LED fixtures have become available, I intend to keep my present fixtures until one needs more than tubes to make it light up.
Now that LED fixtures have become available, I intend to keep my present fixtures until one needs more than tubes to make it light up.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
You can not beat the price on the 4' LED shop lights. You can usually buy them for about $20. Cheap to operate and they last forever !
Spacing for your lighting requirements is the only issue.
Spacing for your lighting requirements is the only issue.
Depends on your definition of forever. If 10 years in residential use is forever then I guess so...
They are cheap but everything else about them *****. I wouldn't use them if you paid me $20 each.
dcg9381
Well-known member
Same sized shop, eves 4' higher. UFO LED lighting is the shiz. Design for a dimmer. I've only got 5 of em..
Thanks for the responses guys! I was thinking the black ceiling may not be to much of a factor with the new style LED’s. I’ve seen several people recommend the UFO style so I’ll look at them closer. Does anyone have a black ceiling in there shop?
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Natty Bumppo
Well-known member
One other issue is that LED lights can cause poor FM reception on a stereo receiver if a garage is so equipped.
Otherwise I do like them, and use them. Though I am curious why Bert doesn't.
Shiftless
Well-known member
I’d guess that Bert approves of LED lighting in general but just not the ultra cheapo $20 shop lights being used for general lighting.
I've never seen a black ceiling in any shop. Only in retail furniture stores IIRC.
"Shop Lights" are not for lighting your entire shop. I know that sounds weird, but it's true. "Shop Lights" are just for task lighting, like over benches and machines. They're made to be plugged in and only used when you're working in that area. That's why they usually come with a cord and a pull string. In that application, they only need to be good for a few thousand hours, where as real lighting fixtures normally last for over 50,000 hours. "Shop lights" use the lowest possible grade drivers and diodes, the thinnest possible steel, and quickest possible assembly methods. Pure garbage on every component.
CD
Ceiling reflectance is important even if your light sources have no uplight. Light bounces off the walls and floors back up to the ceiling, which reflects it back down. It's these reflections that fill in all the areas that have shadows. Once you start filling up the shop with cabinets, lifts, toolboxes, etc...you are blocking alot of these reflections. The ceiling is the largest unencumbered surface that you'll have in the space. You'll get a lot of reflection from it. Making it black is a really bad idea, unless you're making a showcase for fancy cars or something like that. Even then, probably still a bad idea.
CD
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Some people just like the aesthetics of a black ceiling. Go for it if it is what you want. So maybe you need to add some more lights, no big deal.
Nope, you're mixing up 'shop lights' with what is known as 'supplemental lighting'.
The typical cheap "shop lights" ARE intended for supplemental lighting.
Nope. Not mixing up anything at all. A lighting pro for a long time. As I said, shop lights were developed as task lights (you can call it supplemental lighting if you want). Original versions had curved louvers to focus the light from fluorescent tubes more directly onto the machine or bench. Other sources of light were placed for general illumination of the space. Shop lights were never intended for general illumination. Still aren't.
CD
I'd concede that. It's his space, so....
CD
Natty Bumppo
Well-known member
Thanks for taking the time to respond CD. Makes sense.
I've got a couple lights with a cord and pull string that I suppose I would call shop lights. Not sure about the rest though, steel seems pretty heavy but so far this one's only lasted 74 years so maybe it's too early to tell about the quality
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@Bert_
I scored 10 similar ones for free. Super heavy duty. Mine are dark machine silver looking on the outside and I believe the white on reflector is porcelain. Came from a really old indoor ice skating rink that is now municipal storage. I needed more than 10 and wish I could have been earlier to get more.
I gutted them all to use non ballast led tubes. Kept the pull chains too. Center row of the shop is on the light SW, but everything down the walls for the work benches, parts washer etc are on pull chains and used as needed.
I scored 10 similar ones for free. Super heavy duty. Mine are dark machine silver looking on the outside and I believe the white on reflector is porcelain. Came from a really old indoor ice skating rink that is now municipal storage. I needed more than 10 and wish I could have been earlier to get more.
I gutted them all to use non ballast led tubes. Kept the pull chains too. Center row of the shop is on the light SW, but everything down the walls for the work benches, parts washer etc are on pull chains and used as needed.
75 years is the bench mark. You've got another year before you can do a full evaluation. Back then, they were made very well.I've got a couple lights with a cord and pull string that I suppose I would call shop lights. Not sure about the rest though, steel seems pretty heavy but so far this one's only lasted 74 years so maybe it's too early to tell about the quality
I wish I could find more of the porcelain version. I like that style. I have several of the "barn light" style that are porcelain and they're great. The linear ones are much harder to find.
CD
Shiftless
Well-known member
That remind me of a moving sale I went to about 10 years ago. The guy was selling tools at very friendly prices. I picked up a very clean Craftsman “block” grinder with the Craftsman stand for only $40. The seller had a big box with about 6 of those porcelain hooded barn light fixture that take a single bulb, green top - white underside. I asked about those and he said they aren’t for sale. I offered $50 a piece and he said again…they aren’t for sale.
Several friends and neighbors have been using the $20 LED shop lights from Costco (FEIT) for years for not only supplemental but for overall lighting in the work areas of their garages. They are all quite pleased with them.
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Wiz02
Well-known member
I have a 24' x 30' garage with scissor trusses on 9' walls providing a 12' ceiling height at the peak. This means that I have a sloped ceiling that allowed me to install a 2 post lift. I also did not have the budget for quality lights and put in the Costco 4' "shop" lights when they were running a special, 2 for $20.
Interior is still non insulated and unfinished with open stud cavities, but I ran 3 circuits with a total of 6 ceiling outlets. One for each garage bay and one for the work area. 4 lights are daisy chained per outlet for a total of 24 lights at 9 foot high, with the one over the bench at 7 foot. All 3 sets of switches are 3 way (some 4 way) so that I can turn on the banks from different areas.
I am not a lighting expert, so I suggest reading the threads mentioned previously for general lighting layout recommendations, like don't run lights over the top of where vehicles are parked and you want to keep strip lights parallel to the wall, and you decide on your lighting budget.
I am happy with the level of lighting (bright no shadows) especially for a couple hundred dollars, plus I bought a few spares. I admit that fixtures on chains with power cords running between then are ugly, if that is a concern, but overall for a garage intended for automotive work, no complaints especially for the level of investment and DIY use.
Interior is still non insulated and unfinished with open stud cavities, but I ran 3 circuits with a total of 6 ceiling outlets. One for each garage bay and one for the work area. 4 lights are daisy chained per outlet for a total of 24 lights at 9 foot high, with the one over the bench at 7 foot. All 3 sets of switches are 3 way (some 4 way) so that I can turn on the banks from different areas.
I am not a lighting expert, so I suggest reading the threads mentioned previously for general lighting layout recommendations, like don't run lights over the top of where vehicles are parked and you want to keep strip lights parallel to the wall, and you decide on your lighting budget.
I am happy with the level of lighting (bright no shadows) especially for a couple hundred dollars, plus I bought a few spares. I admit that fixtures on chains with power cords running between then are ugly, if that is a concern, but overall for a garage intended for automotive work, no complaints especially for the level of investment and DIY use.
