Lets talk garage lighting...
Lets talk garage lighting... Ive got 2 4ft standard flourescent fixtures... two bulbs per. Im ready for more light. Its my understanding that the 8ft flourescent fixtures put out a bunch more light than the 4 footers... not just because theyre 2x as long, but something else about them. Can anyone explain?
Whats everyone else using? My garage is a standard 20x20ish 2 car.
Whats everyone else using? My garage is a standard 20x20ish 2 car.
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From: sneaking in your back door as you leave!/cartersville ga
i have lights on the ceiling and walls. my shop behind my house is only 26x26. i have 10 seperate 8ft lights in it 6 on the ceiling amd 4 on the walls.
super bright. just be sure to use T12 bulbs. they are smaller in size , but are brighter and heat up alot quicker for max output.
my other shop is 50x60. i have 20 seperate lights in it, but i also have roof lights also (clear panels)
super bright. just be sure to use T12 bulbs. they are smaller in size , but are brighter and heat up alot quicker for max output.
my other shop is 50x60. i have 20 seperate lights in it, but i also have roof lights also (clear panels)
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From: Albuquerque NM - The Land of 8000ft DA
I have a standard 20' x 20' ish garage.
I'm running some 32W T8 fluorescent lights, 4 pairs of two 48".
for reference, with the garage door closed
I'm running some 32W T8 fluorescent lights, 4 pairs of two 48".
for reference, with the garage door closed
Last edited by SScam68; Dec 29, 2008 at 09:28 PM. Reason: Correction on Tech Spec
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^ That's a really nice setup... pretty much what I had in mind.
Can someone clarify for me... is the light fixture itself different for a T12 bulb? Or do you just put brighter bulbs in the existing fixture?
Can someone clarify for me... is the light fixture itself different for a T12 bulb? Or do you just put brighter bulbs in the existing fixture?
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Verdad Gallardo Gotcha... I'm probably going to get 4 8-ft T12 fixtures then. Going to replace my 2 existing 4' generic fixutres that run length wise over each parking spot and then run one at the front of the garage and one at the rear. It'll look something like this (front) I = I (rear = garage doors) if that makes any sense.
At my shop we use 2 -2x4 4bulb,T5 high out put lights in each 1250sg/ft bay.
At my house 22'x26' I have 12- 1x4 2 bulb T8 lights.
My shop is alot brighter,the T5 high output lights kick *** and draw very little power.
At my house 22'x26' I have 12- 1x4 2 bulb T8 lights.
My shop is alot brighter,the T5 high output lights kick *** and draw very little power.
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From: Waldwick, NJ
Just wire them up to where the incandescent bulbs are. I hooked up 4 fluorescent fixtures(2 bulbs each) in my buddies 1 car garage. Each set is about 2 ft from each wall and the 4th set is where the garage door ends when it is fully up. His garage looks like a friggin operating room now.
I spent so many years in a few garages with dingy 60w bulbs, I knew when I was building the shop it was going to be BRIGHT.
I've got a 32x31 that I'm using twelve 8' HO cold weather ballast T12 fixtures (got them from Home Depot). They are about 55 bucks a fixture. Pack of 16 bulbs is $90 or so, each bulb is 8800 lumens, I think 4400k color temp.
I run two rows of 3 in the center, and then I put 6 around the perimeter. The perimeter lights make ALL the difference, even being close to the walls, they really add a bunch, especially at the edges.
I can't get 'em all in there, as I'm too cheap to buy a really wide angle lens. But I can shoot at 100 ISO in there with no flash (old Canon Rebel XT)...so it's pretty bright.
I've got a 32x31 that I'm using twelve 8' HO cold weather ballast T12 fixtures (got them from Home Depot). They are about 55 bucks a fixture. Pack of 16 bulbs is $90 or so, each bulb is 8800 lumens, I think 4400k color temp.
I run two rows of 3 in the center, and then I put 6 around the perimeter. The perimeter lights make ALL the difference, even being close to the walls, they really add a bunch, especially at the edges.
I can't get 'em all in there, as I'm too cheap to buy a really wide angle lens. But I can shoot at 100 ISO in there with no flash (old Canon Rebel XT)...so it's pretty bright.
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From: Waldwick, NJ
I spent so many years in a few garages with dingy 60w bulbs, I knew when I was building the shop it was going to be BRIGHT.
I've got a 32x31 that I'm using twelve 8' HO cold weather ballast T12 fixtures (got them from Home Depot). They are about 55 bucks a fixture. Pack of 16 bulbs is $90 or so, each bulb is 8800 lumens, I think 4400k color temp.
I run two rows of 3 in the center, and then I put 6 around the perimeter. The perimeter lights make ALL the difference, even being close to the walls, they really add a bunch, especially at the edges.
I can't get 'em all in there, as I'm too cheap to buy a really wide angle lens. But I can shoot at 100 ISO in there with no flash (old Canon Rebel XT)...so it's pretty bright.
I've got a 32x31 that I'm using twelve 8' HO cold weather ballast T12 fixtures (got them from Home Depot). They are about 55 bucks a fixture. Pack of 16 bulbs is $90 or so, each bulb is 8800 lumens, I think 4400k color temp.
I run two rows of 3 in the center, and then I put 6 around the perimeter. The perimeter lights make ALL the difference, even being close to the walls, they really add a bunch, especially at the edges.
I can't get 'em all in there, as I'm too cheap to buy a really wide angle lens. But I can shoot at 100 ISO in there with no flash (old Canon Rebel XT)...so it's pretty bright.
Do you have garage openers?
Thanks! It's been a lot of work (I'm still working on it, and have been steady since we moved in during April). I sorta left it roughed in when we built the house, the house took all the time (and $$) during the build.
I do have door openers, they are a "high lift" kit, as the ceiling is 12' 4" but the bay doors are only 8' tall. The tracks run up high, and are operated by Liftmaster jackshaft units. This keeps the openers from hanging down in the middle of the shop (wouldn't work where the lift is, at least when my van or an SUV is on it, plus you can't really do that with a high lift kit anyway, as the geometry doesn't work).
Cobra, just keep in mind as you wire these pull about 2 amps per fixture, so just be mindful of that as you run them (together) on existing wiring (12 ga or 14 ga, 15a or 20a switches, breakers, etc)
I do have door openers, they are a "high lift" kit, as the ceiling is 12' 4" but the bay doors are only 8' tall. The tracks run up high, and are operated by Liftmaster jackshaft units. This keeps the openers from hanging down in the middle of the shop (wouldn't work where the lift is, at least when my van or an SUV is on it, plus you can't really do that with a high lift kit anyway, as the geometry doesn't work).
Cobra, just keep in mind as you wire these pull about 2 amps per fixture, so just be mindful of that as you run them (together) on existing wiring (12 ga or 14 ga, 15a or 20a switches, breakers, etc)
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From: Albuquerque NM - The Land of 8000ft DA
Cobra
I took some pics with a better camera. Does it better justice. Winter cleaning, please excuse the mess.
Also some great link I found on lights. Check out the "Color Temperature Selector".
http://www.servicelighting.com/libra...2_lighting.cfm
Something else to consider. Make sure the circuit you're tying into can support the load (amps). Chances are likely that it can, but double checking wouldn't hurt.
I took some pics with a better camera. Does it better justice. Winter cleaning, please excuse the mess.
Also some great link I found on lights. Check out the "Color Temperature Selector".
http://www.servicelighting.com/libra...2_lighting.cfm
Something else to consider. Make sure the circuit you're tying into can support the load (amps). Chances are likely that it can, but double checking wouldn't hurt.
