Garage Lights

[ndbwhunter]

With all of the headache associated with getting the house fixtures picked out, I realized that I overlooked the garage during the electrical walkthrough. I did add a lot of outlets, but failed to provide any input on the garage lighting. I'm in the process of wiring the basement now, and would like your opinions and the best lights to put in the garage.

I'm assuming fluorescents are the best way to go, but what size (48" or 96"), bulb type (T5, T8, or LED), etc.?

Any other recommendations?

 

[DirtyMike]

How tall is the garage ceiling? If it was me with a tall ceiling, I'd go LED so I don't have to climb up and change lights all the time. Take into account, having to replace ballasts as well.

 

[deleted member]

in this day and age, LED all the way.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Ceiling is 11 1/2 - 12 feet. I've never used the LED tubes. Do they work pretty well?

- - - Updated - - -

Any input on the make, model, and size of the fixtures? Are those LED tubes compatible with any fluorescent fixture?

 

[DirtyMike]

Can't say for sure on compatibility but I think quick call to menards or lowes would answer your question. I think I'd still go LED for for brightness and longevity. You're going to pay more but as I always say, buy nice or buy twice.

 

[LOV2HNT]

Yes for sure go with LED. I can't remember what brand I have, but I just had my electrician buddy get me another one. They are 8 footers, and with this other I just got will make 4 of them in my garage. I like a bright garage.

 

[Muzzytipped]

[h=1]Best LED Lighting for Home Garage Use[/h]Typically, home garage lighting will be best served by using linear lighting and will already have fluorescent tube lighting installed. You can now easily replace this lighting with LED fluorescent replacement tube lights. As a rule of thumb, it is best to use two 4ft. tubes for each car your garage can fit. A two-car garage should ideally have four 4-ft. tubes, in rows of two, to create all around illumination for an environment suitable for working on vehicles or simply spending time in the garage as we all do from time to time. Integrated garage light fixtures from CREE are both a fixture and LED engine that provide an elegant all-in-one solution.
Suggested Total Brightness Level - 3,000 to 8,000 Lumens
Color Temperature: 4100-6500K

 

[fly2cast]

I really like the 4 foot HO (high output) fluorescent tubes. Can get at Menards for cheap. They put out a lot more light than regular fluorescent tubes.

 

[Bfishn]

Id put a 96" 4 bulb t8 fixture above each stall. I have no experience with LED bulbs, i currently have the T8 HO fluorescent tubes and they do the job. I haven't had one burn out since i put them in 5 years ago.

Also, since were talking about garages. Install good insulated doors right away, and rough in gas/electrical for garage heater. Also get hot/cold water and drain roughed in for garage sink. I had to do all these after the fact, way easier to just do them right away.

 

[Lycanthrope]

LED or sure, for one thing youll use half the electricity, if you leave the lights on a lot. They wont dim when its cold, they are rated to last decades instead of years, etc. The ones they sell at sams club are pretty efficient. Make sure you calculate the lumens/watt you are getting, they are NOT all the same! Also, my personal preference is around 4000k color temp, too much blue sucks imo. This is a pretty daylight color, if you drop down to 3000k its more like the 'warm' bulbs you can get for indoor lighting.

 

[huffranger]

Big ass fans makes a light. The big ass light is awesome, I had a tough time deciding how to light my new shed.

I'm very happy with my decision.

http://www.bigasslight.com/

 

[Myk Lund]

My opinion LED all the way if its a new build. We are about 4 weeks from completion ourselves. LED uses less electricity, no excess heat, and no ballasts to fail. I also looked at high output fluorescent and they are bright and cheap..but not in the long run again in my opinion. Also if you are heating that garage I would highly recommend well insulated as mentioned above and putting in gas IF you want to keep it at a constant usable temp all winter which can be 6 months long as I look out and see it snowing already. Electric if you only want to heat it occasionally, weekends, ect. Full time electric heaters are SPENDY to run. (My garage is 1162SF with attached storage room and I would need 2 7500W to keep it toasty and the electrician figures $300+a month even on off peak meter to keep it that way. - I plan on using my garage so that was not an option for me.

 

[Hookin8easy]

When I did mine I used the cheap lamp style bases and put 200w LED equivalent 5600 temp bulbs in, I've got 1200 sq ft with 11' sidewalls and separated the 3 general use lights above each vehicle, then added one betwee the vehicles and a row of 5 at the front of garage/vehicles, it is super bright when you want it and very adequate with just the three when not tinkering. Located the bulbs on Amazon for roughly $40 a piece and rated for 10k hours

 

[Mort]

I have a 19 X 25 single garage, I have 2 - two bulb 8' foot HO flourscent and 1 - 8' flourscent over the bench, does just fine.
I don't use the garage at night as much as I'd like but I have never replaced my bulbs and I have a case waiting....lol I like HO because the start when it freaking freezing out as my garage is not insulated as of yet. I haven't decided to stick the money into it or wait till I hit the lotto and build my holy grail of a garage....lol

 

[aron]

LED is the way to go imo. My garage had one 8ft T8 and a 60 watt bulb. It was as dark and dingy as Hillary Clinton. I've since replaced the previous lights with 6 4ft LED lights (link below). They are not fluorescent tubes bur are actually LED strips inside. They work great. I don't think one can have too much light in the garage.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Commercial-Electric-4-ft-White-LED-Wrap-Ceiling-Light-54654141/206032014

 

[Retired Educator]

My garage was built 30 years ago so it has the old style bulbs. If I were building new my rule would be LED as first choice. 2nd rule it's real easy to not have enough lighting and damn near impossible to have too many. Put in lots of lights and do a little planning with switches so they don't all have to be on at once. You will never regret the decision for more lights but may regret not putting in enough.

As is common with older 24X24 garages mine has 2 lights in the ceiling. At first I used 100W bulbs and was never light enough. Now I use 300W bulbs and can see better but there are still dark areas.

 

[remm]

https://www.eiko.com/ProductSearch/ProductDetail?partNumber=SP105/41/MED

I wouldn't go with anything other than these. I have 7 of them hanging in a 1250 sqft garage- they are spaced about 10 feet apart vaulted ceiling, about 20' high in the middle, about 14' high where the fixtures are. They are just screwed into regular old cheap plastic light bulb fixtures. Garage is probably the brightest room in my house.

 

[ndbwhunter]

Thanks for the information, guys. Decided to add 7 4' LED strips to the garage. This will not include the 14' of under cabinet lighting that will be above my workbench. Now I just need to find the right light and place an order. The Phillips fluxstream EZ LED sells for about $75 online.

Any brand specific recommendations?

Here are the specs from the Phillips.

50,000hr (L70) LED lumen maintenance1- 5 year warranty
- 80+ CRI
- Enclosed lens enhances visual comfort and protects LED board.
- 3800 lm output
- Acrylic lens shields LED from view
- Motion sensor options available

 

[Kickemup]

I have a 24x32 garage with 12 lights evenly spaced in rows of 4. I used the 60w equivalent leds and it is bright I do have a shadow side along 2 walls that I'm going to hang a couple more. I'm thinking of going with the 4 footers there. Once I get the inside sheeted and painted that will brighten it up a lot.

 

[DirtyMike]

I have the product of 1971 wiring in my garage so I'm stuck with old screw in fixtures until I can lure my father in law to come to bismarck. I found some giant bulbs at menards, which I'm guessing are for the light on the nose landing gear of a 747. They are incredibly bright and add a bit of warmth to the garage. Because of the heat they put off, I wanted to go to LED fixtures like you decided on.