Garage Renovation: Lighting

With the garage floor done, the next major issue with the garage was the poor lighting.  One 2-bulb fluorescent does not light 500 sq. ft. well!

Click past the break to see how I upgraded the garage lighting.

Fixture Selection

My initial idea was to use recessed LED can lights for a sleek, sophisticated look.  However, once I started reading on recommended light levels, I realized I would need a ridiculous number of can lights (more than 30!).
After a bit of research, I learned that tube fluorescent fixtures were the only practical option.  I chose 2-bulb T8 hanging fixtures from Lowe's.  They were cheap (less than $20) and were easily converted from 3-prong plugs to wired installation.  A nice benefit of choosing the plug-in versions is that each fixture has its own on/off cord so I can disable some of the lights if I would like.

Installation and Layout

Aiming for 75-100 lumens per square foot of installed lighting, I estimated that 9 two-bulb fixtures would provide sufficient lighting.  I spaced them evenly -- or at least as evenly as the joists would allow -- on the garage ceiling.

The Fixtures

Fluorescent Bulb Selection

After a quick bit of research on the net, I selected Philips Alto II T8 Bulbs (F32T8/TL841/XLL/ALTO II).  Here are their specs:

• 32 Watts,
• 2950 initial lumens, 2800 design lumens
• 85 CRI (key spec),
• 4100K color temp.

Should the ballasts ever need replacement, I read a strong recommendation for the solid-state ballasts Phillips Advance Centium ICN2P32N.  

The Results

I am very pleased with the bulbs' color and appearance, and the overall quantity of light is very good. To check against my goal of 75-100 lumens/sq. ft.

(2800 lumens/bulb * 18 bulbs)/520 sq. ft. = 97 lumens/sq. ft.

The lighting really makes the garage feel like a nice place to spend time.

Here is a shot of the garage from my cellphone with default exposure - it is a good representation of the light level in the room.  You can see the vestigial fixture originally installed - I plan to take that down at a later date.  Please pardon the messy cardboard; the floor finish is not supposed to have high performance tires parked on it for 90 days!  And yes, the Focus came with Michelin Pilot Sports...

The Final Result - Pardon the Mess!