What lighting are you using in your residential garage

TTQ B4U

TTQ B4U

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I'm embarking on a project that involves adding all new lighting to my 24'x24' garage and would like to know what lighting everyone would recommend. I'm thinking qty 4 or 6 4ft lighting units which would be all on one switch. My gut says gone are the days of needing or using twin bulb fluorescents and perhaps today using LED's?

What would you use or do you have and love?

Thanks for the input!
 
My garage is kind of small like that too. I just have two banks of 4 fluorescent lights overhead and 2 LED bulbs in the garage door light. I'm sure changing my fluorescent bulbs with LEDs would be more energy efficient or something, but I can't imagine it would give me more light. It is bright as day in my garage at night. I've got a couple 2000 lumen led work lights that I use when necessary as well, so I'd say it pretty well lit in there. Definitely enough to be able to see everything I need to correct.
 
I have a bunch of four foot fluorescent fixtures with two bulbs in each one.

But Costco had LED 48" fixtures and bulbs on sale last month and I will be putting them up and giving them a try soon. They are supposed to be daylight color temperature too.
 
I've been kind of disappointed in the LED bulbs I've used. Yeah, they are daylight color, but they aren't as bright as other bulbs. Remember that it isn't about the color of the light as much as it is about the lumens produced. I've gone through several different LED bulbs in the ceiling fan in my bedroom and I finally just went back to regular bulbs because the LEDs were all so dim. The color was great, but they just weren't throwing out enough light.
 
So just from a couple replies and a few web searches, it appears LED's aren't prime-time yet in terms of brightness. I have two in my garage door opener that are like 6" tubes and they are very bright like 1,700 lumens bright and they work great, thus why I was asking. Will keep searching but am still interested in other thoughts.
 
I have four 4' fixtures with 4 T5HO bulbs in each in a 20'X28' shop with 10' ceilings and it is super bright. The T5 fixtures and bulbs are more expensive than T8 bulbs and fixtures, but I think the T5 fixtures are the way to go. We have T8 lights with six bulbs in each in a different farm shop and the T5s are much brighter. The number of lights you need depends a lot on the ceiling height. Since you say it's for a garage it's probably a lower ceiling so I think four 4' fixtures would work well.
 
I have 2 4 footers installed each has 2 bulbs. They are super bright. I am adding a 3rd one at the front of the garage for engine detailing. They are high end fixtures and I got them from a customer that works for a company that installs commercial lighting in factories and such. Just with the 2 I have now you can see every scratch and swirl underneath the lights. I am very happy with them. They are directional as well.
 
View attachment 52637

Here is a picture. They are on a switch and the 3rd one will be going perpendicular to these in the front. If you look close you can see the outlet I put in that is also wired off of the main switch. You just cannot have enough lighting when it comes to detailing. This setup fits the bill. At least for me.
 
I have a one car garage and I use 3 of the Costco led fixtures, it's bright but I'd like more
 
I do not have any pics, however, I live in a Condo area and since I live in the Communist State of California where every thing is regulated. I can only do so much modifications. Therefore, I use LED lights on their own stands. I do pretty well with a fully lit garage. I have 3 LED Light Stands with 2 Garage lights next to the garage opener system. My garage is well lit and it is pretty cool as the LED lights are cool to the touch. The old Halogen lamps were brighter, however, they generated alot of heat!!
 
I wish I could tell you the kind of lights I helped install.

One 4' led fixture replaced one 400watt HPS. It looked very similar to a fluorescent fixture but with no bulbs and two exposed led light strips. Not an led tube made to fit into a fluorescent fixture.

Huge difference in the amount of light and color
 
Mantilgh said:
I wish I could tell you the kind of lights I helped install.

One 4' led fixture replaced one 400watt HPS. It looked very similar to a fluorescent fixture but with no bulbs and two exposed led light strips. Not an led tube made to fit into a fluorescent fixture.

Huge difference in the amount of light and color
Click to expand...


Huge difference for the better?

Again, I"m looking like I'll be doing four fixtures as it's a larger 2 car garage and higher ceiling. I love the brightness of the LED's on my vehicles and am curious if the new fixtures put the older Florescents to shame or not.
 
Buy one of each type that you are thinking of using and make your decision based on your own application.

The fluorescent lamps come in different wattage's 28 and 32
The big difference is the color.
You have to look at the K number on the lamp, it is the Kelvin number of the output of the lamp.
A 2800K looks very bad.
I use 4000K and like the color and have had 5000K lamps that some say are to bright.

Buy one of each.
One lamp will work in a 2 lamp fixture, might not on a cheap Lowe's or Home Depot
Ballast in cheap fixture do not last a long time.........
 
I'm using 8 4" t8 fixtures in a 24x20 garage. The light out put is very good. Still use the lamp set up for the side. Neighbour's think I'm nuts when the garage is open at night with the lights on.
 
pdqgp said:
Huge difference for the better?

Again, I"m looking like I'll be doing four fixtures as it's a larger 2 car garage and higher ceiling. I love the brightness of the LED's on my vehicles and am curious if the new fixtures put the older Florescents to shame or not.
Click to expand...

Much brighter and whiter.
 
If this isn't allowed they can take it off but look at 1000bulbs.com
 
MIsnowman said:
I have four 4' fixtures with 4 T5HO bulbs in each in a 20'X28' shop with 10' ceilings and it is super bright. The T5 fixtures and bulbs are more expensive than T8 bulbs and fixtures, but I think the T5 fixtures are the way to go. We have T8 lights with six bulbs in each in a different farm shop and the T5s are much brighter. The number of lights you need depends a lot on the ceiling height. Since you say it's for a garage it's probably a lower ceiling so I think four 4' fixtures would work well.
Click to expand...

Same set up as me with 10 foot ceiling. Then 4, 200 watt equivalent CFLs in the porcelain bases with a 4 foot LED retrofit bulb wired with a cord for the dead zone.
The new LED retrofit bulbs are great. They come with a pigtail 3 feet long you can solder and shrink tube a lamp cord to. This makes a great portable light with a small footprint.

My lights are all aimed at one stall
 
I don't even have a garage. You can call home and ask my wife.

-Charlie Daniels.

But alas, it's true. :/
 
I'm thinking of going with four of these: Thoughts? Seems like a good lower priced LED with plenty of light to me.


EnviroLite 2 ft. x 4 ft. White LED Prismatic Backlit Grid Ceiling Troffer-EVTR24BL40PD2 - The Home Depot

  • LED light source
  • uses 45-Watt and produces
  • 4000K bright white light
  • 4200 Lumens

$60ea.


View attachment 52639


Have to fix a couple areas with stains from a water leak 10yrs back then I'm going to do a knock-down stipple brush pattern to match the inside of the home. Little to no sanding needed which is nice, some texture for interest but no sharp points that would end up collecting dust.

Goal:

All white cieling and walls. Walls will have red and black accents and the floor will eventually be black and white tiles. Cabinets are going to be a black hammered finish with white doors and red trim. These are going to be repourposed from our kitchen remodel that is underway now. SHould look really nice.

Something along the lines of this or simliar.....you get the picture:

View attachment 52640

Off to go start the work now............
 
I have the Lithonia Lighting 2ft LED High Bay Light from Home Depot in the center of a two car garage. It's insanely bright, but I want to get a second and have one over each parking bay. They're a bit pricey, but really worth it.
 
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