Hi all,
My upstairs garage loft is where my gym equipment is and I’m really tired of the two 8′ flourescent strips running end-to-end. The area is 14′ X 24′ with 9′ plates, but the cieling follows the rise of th rafters with a flat area at the collar ties (sorry, no picture, but it’s pretty straight forward). Anyway, that put the light source approx. 11 feet above the floor. The entire area is drywalled, painted and dark blue carpeted floors.
There are two light boxes centered on the cieling on separate switches. This is where I had installed 16′ of twin tube flourescent fixtures, but I’m tired of the look.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Replies
sun tube? ... window? .. skylight?
remodel cans, the little ones. You will more than likely be fishing wire.
track lighting should be a fairly easy replacement and will allow you to set up a spotlighted stage where you can do your arnold schwarzenegger poses after coating yourself thickly in oil... It will likely be a bit pricey, however. How about the oak framed rectangular fluorescents that are available from the big boxes. Not all that expensive and should give a bit more diffuse lighting effect.
What is it about the current setup that you don't like? Are the current flour. fixtures T12 bulbs(1 1/2" dia.) with magnetic ballasts? If so, you could change the fixtures to the newer smaller T8 bulbs (1" dia.) with electronic ballasts. Besides being more energy efficient, you will have more available choices in color temperature of the bulbs. They also 'flicker' at a rate of like 20,000 cycles, as opposed to the old type at 60 cycles, big difference.
Why not use a *real* fixture?
View Image
http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1511031&navAction=jump&link=link=ci_sawyer_pendants&cm_re=CI-_-CategoryImage-_-SawyerPendants
You'll get the kind of brightness in the space that you can't get with recessed lighting or strip fluorescents.
Jeff
I would use track lighting. Cans in a Gym enviroment stink in my opinion. Their you are laying on your back and no matter what location you are in the room you seem to be looking dead into a can light.
Or the real fixture idea is good if you have the height. But with track you can move it around and aim them to fit the needs and if they change you can change the lighting direction. DanT
They are still 'accent' lighting and provide little ambient light.
Can you tell I'm on a crusade ;o) - sorry ...
I just think that we've become *afraid* of having real light fixtures in our spaces.
Jeff
Tired of the usual fluorescent lighting effect? Try out these guys .... The first has but lenses to cover 'troffers' .... the second can also make lights that look like windows, with a view to a landscape. With either one, you can change the look by changing the lenses.
http://www.azskyman.com/
http://www.theskyfactory.com/