I'm planning to install some 8' T8 flourescent fixtures in my garage.

Is there some type of design guide to help choose the layout and number of lights required to light a garage, depending on the ceiling height, colors, type of work being done, etc? Or even just a common rule-of-thumb?

 

One watt per square foot is a good starting point. 1 1/2 - 2 watts is better - especially if the walls are a dark color. This may sound like overkill to some, but I have never heard anyone complain that their workspace had too much light.

Eight foot T-8 lamps are 60 watts each, so a two lamp fixture is 120 watts. Place them mostly over areas where close work will be performed - like workbenches. The best placement for bench lights is in line with the front edge of the counter so you don't work in your own shadow.

Alternately, you space your over head lights evenly and use task lights on the benches for close work.

 

My plan is to light up the entire garage, especially the 16x26 "work bay" area with the flourescents. That's the area where I'll do most of my mechanic work. I'm not as worried about the 22x24 portion - that will be mostly for parking cars, but I will probably end up doing mechanic work there as well. I'll put a 4' flourescent above the work bench.

My floor is off-white, and the walls/ceiling will be sheetrocked and painted white.

Not sure if I should do 8' or 4' lights. The 8' fixtures at Home Depot use 4 smaller T-8 lamps. How much power do those use?

I'll post up a drawing of my garage later.

 

Rough sketch of the garage:

 

Weez,

If we were wiring this Garage we would put (6) 4' flours in the garage area and this would be (2) equal rows of (3) flours. and in your work area we would put (5) Flours of the same length...(1) in the center and the (4) others around it spaced out correctly to make sure the high demand for lumens is met.

Hey......just the way we would do it in a custom request....if the house was a SPEC...we would probably just put (3) in garage and (3) in mechanic area.....but you have a need for light....the more the better......in my opinion for close special work...more light less shadows.

 

Thanks for those tips.

One other thing to think about, that I meant to mention earlier:

Since my primary reason for the flours is working on cars, I tend to like the flours lined up parallel with the car, and on either side of it. I'm going to end up working on one side or the other, not the middle. Note that, of course, a car will be in the "work area".

My thought was to have it set up something like this:

With the top of the sketch being north, I would put a row of flours near the north wall, probably (2) of them in the row. I would guess I'd use the 8' fixtures.

Then another row of (2) flours on/near the dotted line that separates the garage from the work area.

Another row of (2) flours in the middle of the garage area, and a fourth and final row of (2) flours near the south wall.

I would put a 4' fixture over the work bench. This would make (8) 8' flours and (1) 4' flour in the ~900sq ft garage.

I was toying w/ the idea of putting fixtures and the front/back of the car in the work area, but I don't think it will be necessary, esp w/ the white walls/floor.

What do you think?