Garage lighting

[88CRX]

Moving in just over a week and have a bare detached garage (20'x22') to finish. Currently the garage has two light bulbs and the o/h door light. Needless to say that's not going to be sufficient, I want bright.

Went to Home Depot and Lowes to find some fluorescent lights and nobody stocks anything with a reflective guard on them (which is what I currently have). They're all either bare bulbs or the enclosed fixtures with diffusers.

If I slap up 4 or 5 of these fixtures is it going to be bright?
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/96-in-t8-double-strip-tandem-light/972616
http://www.homedepot.ca/wcsstore/HomeDepotCanada/images/catalog/39636_4.jpg

Any other suggestions on lighting or things you wish you did differently?

[project240]

Depends how bright you want it... I originally put in 4x4 bulb T8 fixtures in my 24x26 garage and even though it was reasonably bright, I still had some shadows against the walls/corners so I added 4 more (or 32 t8 bulbs in total). Depending on how much time you plan on spending in the garage, I'd definitely suggest going "too bright" than not bright enough.

[Zero102]

I have a 18x24 attached garage, in there I have 4 2x4ft T8 fluorescent fixtures and I find it is generally bright enough. Obviously if you're under the hood or under a car it isn't enough but that is what trouble lights are for. When I'm running wood through table saws or building shit in my garage it is plenty bright.

I find even though the T8s will start right down to -20*C they are pretty dim until they have run for 10-15 minutes.

Rona has some fixtures that have a white "reflective" guard behind the bulbs. It does a little better than just the bare bulbs. I have both types in my garage and I do find them a little brighter directly underneath the fixture.

For 20x22 I would be on the fence between 4 fixtures and 6, I guess it just depends on how bright you want it. Maybe put up 4 then add 2 more if you find you need it? They are only $20/each + bulbs (or about $24-25/fixture with bulbs) so they aren't too expensive and it isn't hard to add more :)

[CanmoreOrLess]

My garage is a dark zone, I have yet to be in a residential garage where someone said, "It is too bright in here". I might look at these LED tubes in the future. I do need to do something though, perhaps a local dealer has them:

http://www.ledlightsworld.com/led-fluorescent-tubes-c-51.html

[roll_over]

i saw a few here

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8288474/Worklights/4-ft-Shop-Light

[raceman6135]

Originally posted by Zero102
Rona has some fixtures that have a white "reflective" guard behind the bulbs. It does a little better than just the bare bulbs. I have both types in my garage and I do find them a little brighter directly underneath the fixture.


Yup, Rona carries the ones you want:

http://www.rona.ca/en/shoplight-fluorescent-fixture

http://www.rona.ca/en/fixture---48-in-industrial-fluorescent-fixture

http://www.rona.ca/en/48-in-fluorescent-fixture

http://www.rona.ca/en/fluorescent---2-tube-fluorescent-fixture

http://www.rona.ca/en/fluorescent---2-tube-fluorescent-fixture-11005191--1#

http://www.rona.ca/en/fixture---96-in-industrial-fluorescent-fixture#

http://www.rona.ca/en/industrial-fluorescent-fixture-96-in

Also a lighting supply store, such as Sav-On Electrical in Calgary, will have more options:

http://www.savonelectrical.com/

[tsi_neal]

i have 9 2x4ft t8 fixtures evenly spaced and it is generally pretty good in a 22x22, but still ended up adding 2 more more hanging above the work bench. if i were to do it again I'd go 12 fixtures, 4 rows of fixtures running front to back + the hanging ones over the work bench.

[nzwasp]

Does anyone know if these (the ones pictured above) also put out heat. Reason is I left those style of lights on in my garage overnight last night and my garage was pretty warm this morning, the only other thing I can think of is that the light switch is also connected to some sort of heating device in the garage.

[roll_over]

the bulb probably gets to about 30 but the internals could reach higher temps, if you left them on i could see it warming up a garage if there wasent to much heat loss.

thinking about it those 4ft bulbs come in a 40watt and 30watt maybe one make more lumen over the other.


EDIT: Looking at thermal pictures and knowing the limitations of thermal imaging
http://facultypages.morris.umn.edu/~sboyd/index_files/Thermal%20images_files/image016.jpg

[carson blocks]

I'm going with 8-10 4ft 2 bulb T8 flourescent fixtures in the center of my 24x26, then adding whatever lights are needed around the edges for workbenches / task lighting etc.

I don't think 4 x 4ft 2 bulb T8 fixtures will be enough in a 20x22, but I guess it depends if you're using your garage for parking or wrenching. I'll be using mine solely for wrenching, and doing some paint/body so I want to err on the side of 'too much' light.

[nzwasp]

Originally posted by roll_over
the bulb probably gets to about 30 but the internals could reach higher temps, if you left them on i could see it warming up a garage if there wasent to much heat loss.

thinking about it those 4ft bulbs come in a 40watt and 30watt maybe one make more lumen over the other.


EDIT: Looking at thermal pictures and knowing the limitations of thermal imaging
http://facultypages.morris.umn.edu/~sboyd/index_files/Thermal%20images_files/image016.jpg

Hmm my garage must be more insulated than I thought it was because it was -7 outside last night in our area.

[jyotiint]

My friend has a 15 x 15 garage and has 4 light tubes. That 4 tubes bring the garage more than enough light which is very bright that hurts the eyes. So, I would recommend you using about 3-4 light[BRIGHT ONES]. I guess that it would be sufficient.

[AndyL]

Honestly, if your going with flourescents, spend the extra 10$ and get T5's - less wattage more lumens, and your pretty much guaranteed to get electronic ballasts not the old transformer/tar ballasts...

High output T5s are even better - but they come with a price...

[tbgallant]

Old thread bump..

Who has the best deal on T8 fixtures locally in Calgary? The electrical supply places might have a better price than the big box stores?

Just trying to save driving all over.. $50/fixture is kinda nuts for a 2 tube 4' T8 fixture.

Cheers

[Zero102]

I paid ~$20/fixture for dual-tube 4 foot T8 fixtures. Rona / Home Depot usually have one on for around this price (between $19 and $22) that will have an electronic ballast. If you want something other than a shop light, with a plastic lens on the front or that is decorative you'll pay around $50/fixture

[eblend]

Originally posted by Zero102
I paid ~$20/fixture for dual-tube 4 foot T8 fixtures. Rona / Home Depot usually have one on for around this price (between $19 and $22) that will have an electronic ballast. If you want something other than a shop light, with a plastic lens on the front or that is decorative you'll pay around $50/fixture

My fixtures came from Home Depot and were like $20, and did come with a plastic lens on the front, so there are options out there with the lens. I have 8 in my garage. Lights up like daytime anytime I use em.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by Zero102
I paid ~$20/fixture for dual-tube 4 foot T8 fixtures. Rona / Home Depot usually have one on for around this price (between $19 and $22) that will have an electronic ballast. If you want something other than a shop light, with a plastic lens on the front or that is decorative you'll pay around $50/fixture

I paid the same, bought 9 of them for my garage, however the plastic light diffusers all fell down and broke after one winter, lol. Not that it made much difference to the lighting anyways.

[88CRX]

I used the same ones
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/4-t8-2l-wraparound/908105

I ended up putting in 4 of these and it's pretty damn bright haha. Put two at the front end of the cars above work bench running side to side and then one above each car running front to back. Its not as bright at the back ends of the cars but we leave them parked so close to the o/h door we can't work back there anyways.

[eblend]

Originally posted by 88CRX
I used the same ones
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/4-t8-2l-wraparound/908105

I ended up putting in 4 of these and it's pretty damn bright haha. Put two at the front end of the cars above work bench running side to side and then one above each car running front to back. Its not as bright at the back ends of the cars but we leave them parked so close to the o/h door we can't work back there anyways.

Yep those are the ones.

I had mine for two winters now, no problems with the lenses, been up there the whole time, so not sure why all of yours fell out. I got 8 and still have all the lenses

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by eblend


Yep those are the ones.

I had mine for two winters now, no problems with the lenses, been up there the whole time, so not sure why all of yours fell out. I got 8 and still have all the lenses

I bought them all at once, maybe I just had a bad batch or something. The plastic was just too short, and a slight expansion/contraction of the metal sides seemed to doom them to falling and breaking into pieces on the ground.

[88CRX]

My lenses have also been fine, might give the metal frame a little squeeze when I get home to tighten them up though.

Here's a picture showing the light levels in there (excuse the mess as we just finished painting). The work bench also has its own fluorescent light built into it for more light while working.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/88crx/garage_zps78ebe0f7.jpg