Recommended lighting for a double garage
Hi all,
I’m about to have my detached 2-car garage (24′ x 25′) electrified and I’m not sure how much and what type of lights to put in as the main lighting elements. My main concern is not having enough light, rather than having too much. I’m also concerned about placement – it seems I’ve been in too many garages where the light is right above the vehicles, which can make it dark along the walls. Right now I’m looking at putting in three 8′ long florescents spaced evenly across the top. They seem pretty bright in the store, but it’s impossible to tell how they’ll do in my situation. Any opinions on if that will be enough? Any other ideas for lighting garages?
BTW, the garage will be used to store a car, all my tools, and also serve as a workshop when needed. I’m not planning on drywalling at this point, so it may be a bit darker than a typical garage due to that.
Thanks for any advice!
Replies
Wall mount works well. At 6 feet with the light coming off the tube at 360 degrees you'll have even illuimination.
If you're in a cold area get fixtures that will function in that temperature, standard off the shelf fixtures won't light up when it gets cold.
If the ceiling is unfinished -- open to the rafters -- then that will absorb a lot of light. If the ceiling is rocked then that will reflect a lot of light, especially if you paint the ceiling white.
Rather than relying totally on general lighting, just put in a little general lighting and put task-specific lighting where you need it.
If you live where the temps might dip below 30, be sure to get fixtures with electronic ballasts.
My only suggestion is to have a light in front of each car by a few feet.
That way when the hood is open, your Wife can see better when she's checking the oil.
(-;
Romeo's last wish was to be laid by Juliet.
Since you're not worried about too much light, use four circuits.
1: one 8' double in the corner of the wall and the ceiling in front of each car. If this is over your workbench, it will give good lighting there, too.
2: one 8' double above each car, perpendicular to the car. Or, 3 , one on each side of the cars and one between them, running parallel to the cars.
3: One 8' double in the corner of the wall and the ceiling in back of each car. When you have to work in the middle of the garage, this will elliminate any shadows.
4: a motion sensor outside and between the doors, lights aimed at the radiator caps of cars parked a few feet from the doors. The switch should be a 3 position type, Off / Sensor On / Bypass Sensor (forced on.)
For outlets, 5 circuits; 1 for 15 amp regular outlets spaced conveniently around the garage about 4' high, and 3 @ 20amp, each feeding one four outlet box, spaced about 4' apart 1' above your workbench. Finally, 1 @ 20amp 4 outlet hanging from the ceiling in the center of the garage.
Don't forget a phone, a tv cable to a tv shelf with outlet, an outlet for a boom box above the bench, and a ckt and phone tap for the computor. Reeferjerater fer when ya jest gotta take a break from all that hard 'puting.
SamT
My lest favorite installation is one fixture in the dead center of the garage ceiling. This can be very fun when the open garge door blocks it off . . .
I like a simple incandesant fixture, just about centered between the wall and the front doors of the parked vehicle. This puts light where it is needed (like when you drop your keys). It is also indirect enough to give general illumination in the garage. Wall mount fixtures are ok, but will be blocked by any 'stuff" on the walls (no matter when it gets put there <g>). So, I like a ceiling fixture for the application. A plain ceramic base will work, but the bare bulb seems to attract things that shouldn't, but do smack th blub as the least oppertune time.
If there are any "task" areas in the garage--benches, closets, or the like, I like giving them their own switch(es).
I like the idea of motion detection switches for the general illumination.
In my 28 x 30 I've got 6 - 48" 4 bulb lay in troffers (with prismatic lens) screwed to the bottom of the joists. Over all floor lighting is good for shop work, not too many shadows if placed properly. Task lighting around the room in the bench area is a necessity. Pull down trouble light between the cars bout half way back. A light you can turn on so you aren't blinded by all the good light if you don't need it. As mentioned, if in a cold climate, electronic ballasts. You can putz with bulbs for the color of light you want. Switch them so you can moderate the amount of light. Some 3 or 4 ways from man door/house and the overhead door openings so there's no walking through in the dark, nor having to go back to turn them out.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Edited 8/24/2004 8:36 pm ET by calvin
Hi Andy.
Instead of only installing three (3), 8ft florescent light fixtures on your ceiling, install SIX of these bad boys. You'll have plenty of light. Run 3 rows of lights; with 2 fixtures per row. Put the middle row on a seperate switch so you can turn them off if too much light for the occaision...turn them on when occaision calls. According to everyone I talk to, electronic ballasts are the way to go, They are supposed to be more forgiving, run cooler, and last soo much longer than a standard ballast... but the lamps ( bulbs) for this type of light fixture do cost twice as much in my area.
For the record, I have a 36 X 24 detached garage, the ceiling is unpainted. I bought and installed regular ( cheap), 4ft long, 2 bulb florescent (shop) lights. Bought them at Lowes.
I wired up standard electrical outlets (mounted to my ceiling joists) and simply plug in the fixtures. The chains that come with these lights are affixed to my ceiling joists using accoustical type lag screws ( same type used in suspended ceiling work). I mounted the light fixtures in rows...3 rows with 3 fixtures per row...I have plenty of light. I also have 2 windows that adds some brightness.
I live where winters get down to the low teens with a negative windchill...my garage is heated...I keep it around 50, and then hike it up a bit when I'm inside working...my light fixtures are now approx 8 years old...they cost me approx $8 each plus the bulbs...all fixtures still work perfectly To date, I've only had to replace the lightbulbs in every fixture just once....so to me it sounds like BS when people advise you to buy high priced electronic ballasts due to cold weather..... My low grade shop lights do not have electronic ballasts....But perhaps I'm just lucky.
Lots of luck!
Davo
Well, yesterday I put in 6-8' "high output" flouresants (2 bulb).
Its a 30x30'x 9'high garage. Used 110 W white bulbs. 20 amp outlets.
Lets put it this way....I need my sunglasses when I turn the lights on.
Be lit
andy
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Thanks for the replies all! A lot of great information there.
The electricians are here wiring today. I've decided to go with 4 8' long high-output double-tube florescents (with reflectors) for the main lighting. I'm not sure where my workbenches and stuff are going yet, so I'm having a lot of outlets installed, and will use individual task lighting where needed. The building is a 1.5 story, with a "bonus" room above the garage, so the stairway cuts into the square-footage that I need to light. 3 of the lights will be roughly centered in the building parallel to the cars (or where cars would go) - one directly between and one each near the outer wall. The final light will be perpendicular to the first 3, placed at the back of the garage. It will keep the fronts of any cars well lit. There are also some other fixtures for illuminating the stairs and the upper floor (which will mainly be just storage), plus the outside lights.
Again, thanks for all the tips!
Andy
For your square footage, about 350 to 400 watts of fluorescent light would be quite bright, though not enough for fine work on a bench.
You'd want to minimize shadowing, so more, smaller fixtures would be better than few, larger ones. Eight foot lamps are difficult to handle, too.
I would install six single tube, 4-foot fixtures. One a few feet out from each corner, and two along the centerline between the cars, but behind and in front of them. Like the six spots on a domino. That way if you lift the trunk lid or hood you'll have light coming from both sides and you won't cast a shadow into them.
A ballast being electronic does not necessarily mean it will operate in cold weather. It has to be an HO (high output) ballast. Each ballast is rated down to a certain temperature, which you can get from the manufacturer's specs.
If you don't spend much time in the garage, you would save much money by installing incandescents instead. Six 100-watt lamps would be less light than 6 fluorescents, but would not have cold weather problems, and would cost only about $4 each vs. $50 each for the HO fluorescents with electronic ballasts. Burning them only a few hours a year you'll never save enough in electricity to pay for the higher efficiency. Then, put a single fluorescent over the bench if you wish.
I like my set-up. For each side:
4' double fixture in each corner (well 2 feet out to allow for shelves) on one switch
And two incandescent fixtures on the centerline. 2x60 watts each. On a separate switch
Plenty of light. No shadows. And the incandescent switch is closer to the door, easier to hit. So you get light instantly instead a waiting a second or two for the fluorescents.