I just bought a new house with a 24x26 detached garage. I'm trying to determine what to use for lighting as this will be both a two car garage and workshop. I will likely add heat at some point but I want lights that will work in cold weather (I'm in New England).

The ceiling height is 9'8". I'm leaning heavily towards using fluorescent lights, probably a combination of 4' and 8' units. What do people recommend? I believe I can get high output lights in both T8 or T12. Anyone have success with the 32 watt T8 bulbs? I have those in my cellar but I'm not sure how well they'd work mounted 9 1/2 feet above the ground.

T8HO is what I would recommend, get a couple 4 bulb fixtures and you'll have plenty of light.

I have them in my garage and granted, it doesn't get nearly as cold here, but they never hesitate when I flip the switch. Newer fluorescent bulbs arn't as effected by cold. Make sure you get electronic ballasts.

I use 4' fluorescent lights. Easier to handle/store the bulbs and mine fire up in any weather.

Go with T8 bulbs...unless you have the $$ for H5 (but with 9'8" ceiling T8 should be just fine). My garage is 10-15' high ceilings and the T8s work just fine.


I like to go with a ~4100k color bulb.

Use 4' lights. Plenty of lighting. I have one 4' bar over my work area, and one 10' bar over the car area, I'd rather have 3 4' bars to direct the light better.

+914 on the 4' lights

Put in a motion sensor light inside, aimed at the entry door, so if you're just going out to grab something you won't have to turn on all the flourescents. You also won't have to fumble with the switch if you leave with your hands full.

white walls will make a huge difference also....

I have 4 2-bulb t8 fluorescent fixtures in my Massachusetts garage, 24x22. They work great down to 0 degrees f.

I do have one additional fixture above my workbench on a separate switch.

I just put 20 4 foot Home depot shop lights in using the smaller bulbs.
they snap on bright no matter the temps so far, but we did have a mild winter.

cheapest fixture I could find using the smaller bulbs.
More light is better...and they all run off one 15 amp circuit with no issue.

I always have drop lights kicking around to point at projects and all the floor tools have dedicated incandecents.

rich

... as well as a light color or lt. grey epoxy on the floor

Also flush mount them to the ceiling so you preserve the max. clear ht. if you want to use a lift. Probably not enough total clr. to park 2 cars at 9'-8", but enough to work under. We measured Jeff Bowlsby's garage clear ht. to lowest pt. above his 2 914s stacked on 4 post lift, & that was 11' clear, but a little less would be okay if 2 short cars & depending on the lift's stops (unless cont. ht. adj.).

T8 32 watt bulbs and my ceiling is 12'. Best thing I did in the garage so far.

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...7&hl=lights

T8 is the way 4-Sure Mine work Great !!

Ok, sounds like the T8's are the way to go. Are 32 watt bulbs bright enough? I'd probably use 10-12 2 light 4 footers.

This is only 1/2 my garage and I have a total of 6 2 bulb 35w floresents for a total of 12 bulbs. My garage is about 10' high and I still need a flashlight to see when I am under the car at night. Durring the day I just open the garage door and there is plenty of light!

I actually also put two motion sensor lights inside my garage also. One at the door facing in and one at the back facing the garage roll up door so that when I drive in to park the light comes on at night and shuts off automatically an a couple minutes.

I like the motion lite idea ....can remember the #s but something like the higher the #the brighter the lite .....high # lums= more lite same bulb ...hell i cant remember..ok just went to the shop ...T 8 .48 inch tubes ...lite output2800 lumens, color temp 5000k

GE sunshine F32...I have 12 fixtures 24 bulbs in my shop and its just like day lite

MikeC

do you guys have 'solar tubes' back east. . . it's like free light when the suns up, and they are insulated for heat loss in the winter. .

It also depends how old your eyes are, I put in T5HO fixtures and I can finally see like I did with T12 when I was young. My kid thinks its too bright!

8 footers are a real pia to deal with btw., and they seem to have cold spots in the middle till they are on for a while in cold climates.

You may or may not have a bunch on c/l in your area, but around here there is always an electrician selling nice 4 tube fixtures from office take outs.

[I have a similar sized garage as the OP only with 12 foot ceilings. I have 2 rows of 4 - 4ft fixtures with 2 bulbs in each fixture. It's good but I don't have reflectors on my lights and my ceiling is pretty high. I'm going to add 2 additional fixtures to my rows or possibly 4-6 other fixtures running perpendicular.

Mine are all T8. Make sure you get the ones with the lowest temp ballast that you can.

I agree with you..can you believe it 8 footer suck ...hard to transport store and depose of.....I went with 8 foot fixtures with 4 foot bulbs....4 lites for each fixture
MikeC