Starting the wiring on a 625 sq ft wood shop w 8 1/2 foot ceilings. Shop will have drywall on the walls and ceiling most likely painted white.

Was wondering what some of you have done recently for lighting? Lumens (in general or per square foot), spacing, brands, etc.

Thanks!

Replaced all the lights in my shop with their 4 and 6 bulb
LEDs.

https://www.primelights.com/collections/led-shop-lights?gad_source=1&gadid=&gbraid=0AAAAADptogyW-_u6eBfQZTA43aw8TGMIf&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsJO4BhDoARIsADDv4vDJPW3hzJH4Xn-bNR9GcptkZyo_c2Y414CiIKwXTFaUt7OWB-Ac5xwaAlwSEALw_wcB&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=19899814292&tw_source=google&utm_campaign=19899814292&utm_content=&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=google&utm_term=

For 8.5 foot ceilings, definitely go with flush mount. 4' LED style will work well for you.

I'm a fan of white light, especially in a shop. And you just about cannot have too much lighting. 5000k or higher color, and you want somewhere in the 100 lumens/ft2 range IMO. If you have an area that will have something like a work bench, welding table, or similar you may want to add an extra fixture there. Eliminate any dark corners or spots on the floor. Again, it is almost impossible to have too much light but it is very easy to have not enough.

Also, think about how you will wire it so you run your switches and circuits the way that works best. My shop has two rows of lights running the long dimension, so each row has its own switch. My office room has it's own separate switch, the lean too on the outside has its own, the awning over the front is on it's own and the gable lights each are on their own switch so I can turn whatever on or off as I need it.

TX_COWDOC said:

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Replaced all the lights in my shop with their 4 and 6 bulb
LEDs.

https://www.primelights.com/collections/led-shop-lights?gad_source=1&gadid=&gbraid=0AAAAADptogyW-_u6eBfQZTA43aw8TGMIf&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsJO4BhDoARIsADDv4vDJPW3hzJH4Xn-bNR9GcptkZyo_c2Y414CiIKwXTFaUt7OWB-Ac5xwaAlwSEALw_wcB&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=19899814292&tw_source=google&utm_campaign=19899814292&utm_content=&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=google&utm_term=

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I went with primelights as well. No complaints

schmellba99 said:

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For 8.5 foot ceilings, definitely go with flush mount. 4' LED style will work well for you.

I'm a fan of white light, especially in a shop. And you just about cannot have too much lighting. 5000k or higher color, and you want somewhere in the 100 lumens/ft2 range IMO. If you have an area that will have something like a work bench, welding table, or similar you may want to add an extra fixture there. Eliminate any dark corners or spots on the floor. Again, it is almost impossible to have too much light but it is very easy to have not enough.

Also, think about how you will wire it so you run your switches and circuits the way that works best. My shop has two rows of lights running the long dimension, so each row has its own switch. My office room has it's own separate switch, the lean too on the outside has its own, the awning over the front is on it's own and the gable lights each are on their own switch so I can turn whatever on or off as I need it.

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Thank you Schmell, agree with you on too much vs. not enough. The switches I think I have worked out as far as a few 3-ways, switch for outdoor light for the exterior door zone, etc.

To be honest, I considered putting in nice lighting. To get a better understanding and see what it would look like I ordered 8 cheap slim LED light bars made in china off Amazon for like $40 that go in a chain and hung them from the ceiling. lt was more than what I needed, so I never spent the additional money to replace them.

I built a 40x40 this past year with 16 foot walls. I put 6 of these on the inside and it lights the entire thing up from every angle. I wanted enough coverage so when I'm working on something I'm getting light from the sides so I don't need a flashlight or head lamp as much. These do the trick and then some.

With the lower ceilings, you probably don't need ones as strong as these but they make them with lower lumens that are a little cheaper. I also like the fact that if they go out sometime in the next few years, I don't have to worry about rewiring them, just buy new and plug them in.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C2HNSP3Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you dont have a dedicated outlet in ceiling controlled by wall switch, use any normal light bulb socket if you have any controlled by a light switch instead and a light socket to wall plug adapter to get power to led 4 or 8 foot shop lights. Its how i wired mine up. Security cam is on the perma powered garage door opener plug.

I did something like this in my garage Commercial Electric 4 ft. 96-Watt Equivalent 5200 Lumens White Integrated LED Shop Light Garage Light 120-277v 4000K Bright White (4-Pack) 54677691SH-4PK - The Home Depot

Got the two biggest/ brightest led ones I could get. Electrician thought it was too much, but I wanted the garage brighter than the sun. I love them. I hate dark work areas.

Which wattage did you go with?

S.A. Aggie said:

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Which wattage did you go with?

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I went with the 200W. They have a chart of recommendations based off mounting height that I followed and it seemed to work. I have a 25 foot overhang out the back that I put up 2 more and it lights that 25x40 foot area up with 2 like it's daylight outside.

for LEDs, make sure they have a good warranty. I got some from Lowes that were made by honeywell. apparently they (like everyone else) sources from china now. Every 3-6 months for the past 5 years (the duration of the warranty), ive been on the phone with them filing warranty claims. originally bought 20 light bars. in 5 years theyve sent me over 30 replacements.

We just had a new build garage with apartment above, 750 sf. We had (10) halo LED can lights installed and it lights it up pretty well. I agree that more light the better but it is pretty well lit. I had an additional can added to the 10 right above where the workbench is going.

I put these in my shop and Love them. Easy to install, Very bright and chain together. There are several YouTube videos on this brand.

Barrina LED Shop Light, 8FT 72W 9000LM 5000K,

Ten, 8 foot lights with everything you need to mount and chain together (5 lights max recommended) priced at $161.50 @ amazon

I went with these, they are incredible. I have one for every 330 sq feet am I roughly thousand square-foot garage/shop

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Feit-Electric-4-ft-120-Watt-5000K-Daylight-12000-Lumens-White-Integrated-LED-Linkable-Hanging-Shop-Light-Fixture-with-Pull-Chain-SHOP-4-HO-850/315197990

Serious Lee said:

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for LEDs, make sure they have a good warranty. I got some from Lowes that were made by honeywell. apparently they (like everyone else) sources from china now. Every 3-6 months for the past 5 years (the duration of the warranty), ive been on the phone with them filing warranty claims. originally bought 20 light bars. in 5 years theyve sent me over 30 replacements.

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Good thought. There are some things like this where I don't think about warranties.

Thank you everyone for your responses.