Lighting for new shop

[Jammer369]

Our new house with a detached 600 sq ft (20' x 30')shop is almost done. This is where the roadster will be built next year. The builder only put 2 fluorescent light fixtures in the ceiling of the shop and it is going to be woefully inadequate. I have been researching what lights to put in to really brighten it up when we close in about a month. Any recommendations?

I have been looking at these and they look reasonably priced and get decent reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Sunco-Lighting-Equivalent-Daylight-Integrated/dp/B0748YTDMK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Any recommendations or other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Olli]

In my new shop I went with these LED lights. They would be a direct replacement for the fluorescents that you have. They are very bright.
https://www.primelights.com/products/led-4-lamp-t8-stingray-4xl-highbay-fixture-88-watt-clear-pl-4srhbld88fm

Olli

[KDubU]

I installed similar or the same lights that you link to Jammer369. This was in my detached garage that was 24x32 and I had 6 of them about 3’ down from an 11’ ceiling height. They worked great and honestly could have put up another two. They provided great light.

[R. Button]

I also installed the lights you listed Jammer369! You can connect up to three of them together so you do not need as many outlets. I also had the builder install white roofing metal panels on the ceiling to help reflect the light too. It was his idea and live how it worked out.
I have 3 lights down each side and two across the front and rear.

[Mike N]

Our new house with a detached 600 sq ft (20' x 30')shop is almost done. This is where the roadster will be built next year. The builder only put 2 fluorescent light fixtures in the ceiling of the shop and it is going to be woefully inadequate. I have been researching what lights to put in to really brighten it up when we close in about a month. Any recommendations?

I have been looking at these and they look reasonably priced and get decent reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Sunco-Lighting-Equivalent-Daylight-Integrated/dp/B0748YTDMK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Any recommendations or other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

I have those exact light fixtures in my garage and I am really pleased with them. I have 20 fixtures in just over 2000 sqft of floor area with a mix of 10 ft and 12 ft ceiling height and it provides very good lighting. I screwed the fixtures flush to the ceiling sheetrock and didn't use the chains to hang them.

136260

[RRussellTx]

I put up 20 of these in my 800sf shop to get ready for painting in there. (in addition to the 4ea 2X8' fluorescents that were already there)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q49DNGS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like that you can plug them directly into one another and link up to 6 in a string.

It made a huge difference.
You can never have too much light!

[Bob Cowan]

This summer I took down the fluorescent lights that have been up for the last 22 years, and replaced them with these. Wow! What a huge improvement! Not only do you get more light, you get a whiter, cleaner light. The old tubes had a slight yellow cast that I hadn't noticed before. Lastly, they gain full brightness within seconds; even in cold temps. Fluorescents tend to take a while to warm up.

[NAZ]

My current shop is 30'x50' and I have five rows of T-6 duplex fixtures hung end to end with the outer rows 10' off the floor and the middle row high enough to clear the lift. I use 6000 kelvin tubes to give a daylight color and the walls and ceiling are painted bright white. The lighting pulls >50 amps but it's bright in the shop.

[NiceGuyEddie]

136267

Well guys.... I had loads more posts on the other forum, but if you know me you'd know I happen to be an expert in lighting, have over 25 year's professional experience in the industry, and I'm an LC -Lighting Certified by the N.C.Q.L.P. - National Council of Qualified Licensed Professionals.

( Big effing deal. :p )

The Sunco Lighting lights in the top post are the best I've seen for the money. I installed them in my garage last winter. The only disadvantage is they are flimsy, so they will twist a bit if chain-mounted. Will be perfectly fine if surface-mounted. Sorry to say I only have an interim photo. I re-organized the entire garage while I was at it.

Choose your own color temperature, 3000K, 4000K, etc. based on your preference. The CRI (color-rendering index) of the Sunco lights is just so-so, only 80 CRI, but unless you are mixing paint colors in the garage you'll never know the difference.

(The discussion of "6000K daylight" is another one.)

With a 7' or 8' mounting height, they can be spaced on about an 8' x 8' grid. I am getting 80 foot-candles on a 32" work surface.

TIPS: You can DRAMATICALLY improve your lighting if you paint your ceiling white. It will also help a lot if you paint your walls white. If you want to do another color along the bottom, say a chair rail, 30" and any color below will be negligible when bouncing light around.

[Ray]

Lighting is like horse-power. Too much is not enough.

Ray

[NiceGuyEddie]

What’s up Ray.

I see what you are saying from a figurative point of view. But believe it or not, from a methodical point of view, the opposite is true.
Our eyes adjust to light, so there’s a point where all that happens is you pupils get smaller and your electric bill gets larger.

Another thing: for detail work such as leather-working, painting, or rebuilding gauge clusters, or even reading, too much light can decrease the contrast ratio.

A basic app for your cell phone is good enough for a residential application. 60 foot-candles is good for shop work, although older guys 50+ like us should shoot for 80 foot-candles.

If in doubt, over-light the shop and use at least two separate circuits. I use only half the lighting when hanging out at night, watching TV in the garage with friends, etc. I also have one additional separate light over the main work bench.

[NiceGuyEddie]

136267

(The discussion of "6000K daylight" is another one.)



Quoting myself :p

Just for education:

Daylight is a tricky one. The actual sun’s rays are one color temp, how the sunlight “appears” is another color temp because the sky is blue.
What’s important to understand is if you buy “daylight” bulbs this does not mean the lights render colors like natural sunlight. Even if you buy “full spectrum” lights it still does not mean it’s exactly like daylight, what it means it contains all the wavelengths of sunlight – but not in the same proportions. Color temperature and CRI are not related, although higher color temp bulbs on the market tend to be industrial, and do usually have a low CRI.

Many people like 6000K lights for a shop because it provides a “clean and crisp” look. Totally one’s preference - I personally think it looks to blue.

Since I sometimes hang out in my garage at night playing cards, drinking beer, etc. so I use 3000K.

[txboiler]

I have those exact light fixtures in my garage and I am really pleased with them. I have 20 fixtures in just over 2000 sqft of floor area with a mix of 10 ft and 12 ft ceiling height and it provides very good lighting. I screwed the fixtures flush to the ceiling sheetrock and didn't use the chains to hang them.

136260

That is one awesome shop (err garage)!! it appears you have multiple garage doors on an angle. I have always liked that design because of the space it creates in the corner in between the garages...

[Jammer369]

Awesome info guys!! I really appreciate all the help!

Mike N - I agree with txboiler that you have an awesome garage!!

Ralph, the white metal roofing on the ceiling is a good idea the builder gave you. I had our builder paint the ceiling and the walls a semi-gloss white so that should help reflect some of the light and be easy to clean.

NiceGuyEddie - I agree that 6000k looks too blue. I think I am going to go ahead and order these lights in the 5000k version.

I also think I am going to install all 10. I like the idea of putting them on 2 circuits so I can cut down the light when just hanging out.

The shop has 12' ceilings, do you think it would be alright to surface mount them if I use all 10?

The one issue I still need to figure out is how to install the lights near the garage door such that when the door is up, the area under it is still lit decently. It is a 9'w x 10'H garage door I am having installed.

Thanks everyone!!

[Mike N]

That is one awesome shop (err garage)!! it appears you have multiple garage doors on an angle. I have always liked that design because of the space it creates in the corner in between the garages...

You are spot on. The extra 'pizza slice' makes a ton of difference. From the outside it looks like a regular 3 car garage. I was worried but the roof trusses didn't appear to be much of a challenge to engineer without any mid-span post supports.

[NiceGuyEddie]

You will have plenty of light if you surface-mount on the 12' celling. Maximum spacing is probably 12' as well.

I have the same problem with the garage door. I mounted two of mine on chains right in front of the top part and angled the fixtures back about 15º.

[Jammer369]

You will have plenty of light if you surface-mount on the 12' celling. Maximum spacing is probably 12' as well.

I have the same problem with the garage door. I mounted two of mine on chains right in front of the top part and angled the fixtures back about 15º.

Sounds like a plan! Thanks!!