Garage Lighting - what do you recommend?

[texasSixT2]

Im getting ready to drywall my unfinished garage. Its 23 x 28 or something along those lines.

Currently I have 2 eight foot fluorescent lights which do pretty well but I am thinking recessed cans would look better.

Any thoughts? Cans - if so how many. Mix of cans and fluorescent?

 

[Chrisr]

I like the recessed cans, if thats what your talking about. Did you give Track Lighting any thought??

 

[Fishman]

I put 6 recessed can lights (with a dimmer) on the inside perimeter of the garage, about 3-4 feet from the walls. Also added a ceiling fan (w/ light) in the center of the space. I use a retractable fluorescent for task lighting. And... track lights for the dart board and stage (my wife plays the guitar).

Looks great.

 

[JonM]

I have 4 cans also these on a different switch.

 

[richscorvettes]

I used insulated pod lights on four separate circuits so I can turn on just the group(s) needed. I spent quite a bit of time figuring out the right number and location of the lights to avoid shadows. They have worked out real well.

Rich Lagasse

 

[Lucky 3]

My garage is 22 x 40 with 15 2 bulb fixtures on three circuits. I did not use recessed cans just cheap $10 fixtures with a frosted globe. Gives plenty of light with limited shadows and with that many watts even some heat in a North Dakota winter. The floor is black and white checker board tile and has hot water heat in it. Flourescent lights tend to show all of the swirl marks and other road rash.

 

[Billybeau1]

If you want recessed cans or track lights on a dimmer for mood fine, but for light I went with 8 8ft High Output Florescents on two seperate switches. The HO bulbs are a little more expensive but they provide more light and they dont flicker when its cold.Bill

 

[JohnZ]

Mine is 44' x 58' x 12', finished and painted off-white, and I have eight 8-foot twin-tube ceiling-mounted fluorescent fixtures, bank-switched in four groups, with one more hung 54" above my primary workbench area for task lighting. Also have five 6' x 6' casement windows (with vertical blinds) and the top section of each 18' door has windows for plenty of natural light during the day.

My 16' x 16' office out there has ten recessed cans (in three switched groups with dimmers) around the room 12" from the walls and a ceiling fan in the center with four dimmable cans on it. Plenty of controllable lighting.

 

[chockey]

Hi Guys
Hope you don't mind throwing some info out to you! I work for an electrical outfit and do lighting layouts for commerical customers.

I am completeing my garage now and it is not heated yet (future), I reccomend getting T8 fixtures (1 1/4" tube) w/ electronic ballasts and reflectures, they are instant start down to 0 degrees with no flickering. If you decide you can have 2 ballasts installed and switch how many lamps you want lit per circuit/switch.

There is a new fixture out with T5 lamps but the input on how they are with cold start is not definate yet, mixed response. T12 lamps (1 1/2" tube) cannot be manufactured after July 2005 because of the amout of mercury and phorphous in them so when supplies are getting low it is expected that these costs will go up til supplies are exhausted, they do not handle cold very well.

Metal halide gives very good light and they have a pulse start fixture now that uses less power with the same lumen output from a lesser wattage bulb. Mostly used in high bay applications as they mostly downcast the light.

Recessed fixtures can be fitted with compact flourescents that have a reflector and these are 20 watts total but give off the output of a 100 watt bulb, downside they cannot be on a dimmer circuit. They are great for track lighting too.

Myself I'm going to install T8 fixtures with a reflector giving 10% uplight for fill off the ceiling. They can be supplied with out up lighting and then boxed in to fit the look you might want.

Sorry for babbling on.

Chuck