Replies

1. 
   AntzyClancy | Mar 15, 2005 06:30pm | #1

   I bought a house last year with a 20'x20' space above the garage for my shop. My biggest regret is that the space was finished before I had the opportunity to run electrical.

   You can always add conduit afterwards if you need additional lines.

   Todd

2. 
   johnhardy | Mar 15, 2005 06:53pm | #2

   I think you meant fluorescent lights (not ultraviolet). What I'd do, since this is a cathedral ceiling, and it isn't clear to me how much light you need, is run the wiring after the sheetrocking using conduit. That way it's easy to add more lights if required. Much more flexible.

   You might also find that it is better to drop the lights on chains so that they are closer to the work area, rather than slanted and farther away.

   John

3. 
   woodhoarder | Mar 15, 2005 08:27pm | #3

   I would run on the surface of the sheetrock. You can use aluminum shielded wire instead of conduit to keep costs down. It's the stuff that looks like the flexible gas lines for ovens, etc. The Shielded runs about $.20 per foot (about double the price of romex, but way cheaper than EMT and THHN when you figure 1 strand of 12 gauge THHN runs about $.16/ft), and comes with 3 or 4 wires inside it. I ran a main trunk of 4 wire (hot a, hot b, neutral, ground) armored along the center of the ceiling with boxes every 4 feet, then branched out with 3 wire armored to plug boxes for the fixtures. I alternated A-B from branch to branch, and 2 15 amp breakers juice it all. For my 20x30 shop, I have 16 4' 2 bulb flourescent fixtures, total cost for everything- including the fixtures- was about $200, and I was able to easily add a line for extra light over the router table, You couldn't do that so easily with "in wall" wiring.

   Good luck!

   Tony

4. 
   WayneL5 | Mar 16, 2005 01:26am | #4

   I would lay out the lights for the shop and install wiring and outlets for them before insulation and drywall.  It will look a lot better.  It's what I did in my shop.

   Six of the fixtures you describe is plenty of light.  You would have plenty of light with half the lamps (single tube fixtures).  You won't need the 8-footers at all.

   You get more even lighting and less shadowing by not mounting the fixtures too low.  I'd keep them at least 10 feet off the floor.  Besides, if you mount them too low you'll keep whacking them when you flip boards over.

   Paint your ceilings and walls white, and if you use pegboard, buy the white.

5. 
   efarmer4 | Mar 16, 2005 11:07pm | #5

   And make sure you put the lights on their own circuit breaker, that way you won't be standing in the dark when you mess up and overload a tool.

   Edward
6. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 16, 2005 11:31pm | #6

   21'X13' shop (cathedral ceilings).   WOW!

   I'd put in sky-lights and a wet-bar!

1. 
   jaypoe | Mar 17, 2005 12:48am | #8

   Hopefully gonna be 21' X 24" or so this summer. It's a garage and I have opted against closing in the ceiling with collar ties at 12'. Nice to be able to flip and store 16 footers vertically. Cant do it horizontally. I am trying to keep cost down so flouresent lights are allready here. Have a hard time commiting to location so conduit might be the option. If I can get myself to commit, I will safe a few $$ and run wire to boxes.

1. 
   dukeone | Mar 17, 2005 03:27pm | #9

   One way to provide max flexibility in the future in an area used as a shop is to run a "gutter" along an accessible wall or on the ceiling. This is a four inch (or other sizes)square enclosure with many knock outs and a removable cover all along its length. Connect it to the panel with a 1.25 or 1.5" conduit. It's not the cheapest but you can pull new circuits or rearrange things much easier. It is often available from electrical surplus houses.
   KDM (Duke the Electrician)Kenneth Duke Masters
   The Bill of Rights
   December 15 1791
   NRA Endowment Member
   LEAA Life Member
   CRPA Member

1. 
   kenwerner | Mar 17, 2005 07:22pm | #10

   Some great ideas there.

   Here's what I did for my 12 x 24 x 10 shop:

    On its own circuit, I ran two rows of 3 duplex outlets. Wired before sheetrock. The plan was to hang 2 - 8 foot flourescents on each row, with the middle for more light if needed. Well, I needed light to do the sheetrock, so I bought 100 watt equivalent compact fluorescents, [use about 25 watts each] and screwed each into a two prong plug-in socket, six in all.  This was going to be temporary, but the light and the cost of operation is just great. Now maybe the 8 foot tubes would light better, but my shop is bright and well lit for 150 watts and really little parts cost. White walls and ceiling of course help.

   Anybody else try this? Works for me, anyway.

    

   KenKen Werner

   Hamilton, NY

1. 
   lwj2 | Mar 19, 2005 05:57am | #15

   I've got the 27 watt compact fluorescents in my shop, over the bench, near the drill press, general work area. It's easy enough to run a strand of 12/2 Romex if I want a fixture at another location. Lots cheaper than 40 inch tubes.Leon Jester

2. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 18, 2005 02:17am | #11

   I have opted against closing in the ceiling with collar ties at 12'.

   How about doing 1/2 the area and make a GREAT storage place.. Your money.. Not mine..

   Adding..

   I did to my little garage shop..  By a window... I put mirrors on the walls in some place.. Yes.... You do need the Sun to shine but what a difference when it does!

   Edited 3/17/2005 7:20 pm ET by Will George

1. 
   jaypoe | Mar 18, 2005 02:21am | #12

   I allready have attic storage above an ajoining breezeway. Can even fit very long material down one side (20'+). Gonna have to insulate that too if I open it completly.

7. 
   Pondfish | Mar 16, 2005 11:35pm | #7

   I'd leave the wiring in conduit on the surface of the sheetrock.  But if I were building a new shop with cathedral ceilings, I would not be going with fluorescent lights -- I'd get some big honking incandescents or halogens to light the place up.    That and lots of skylights!

8. 
   tmaxxx | Mar 18, 2005 06:10pm | #13

   another option might be to put switched outlets into the ceiling.  then rock your ceiling.  it allows you to hang or mount lights anyway or where you want.  the lights then must be wired with extension cord type wire and plugs.  if you go into any big wearhouse and see those big metalhalyde lights, thats how there all done.

   cheers

   Tmaxxx

   Urban Workshop Ltd

   Vancouver B.C.

   Ok ill hold it. Now when i nod my head, you hit it.

1. 
   jaypoe | Mar 18, 2005 06:41pm | #14

   I am kind of leaning towards that method. I have some outlets mounted and switched allready so I am near half way there. Gonna go that route for now. Could always abandon the outlets if I find I prefer the conduit method or don't care for the location of the outlets. Thanks all for the helpfull posts.

9. 
   WayneL5 | Mar 19, 2005 07:59pm | #16

   One thing to watch out for with the screw in fluorescents is that the Color Rendering Index (CRI) is pretty low.  So you get distorted colors, which could make finishing more of a challenge.

1. 
   lwj2 | Mar 19, 2005 08:29pm | #17

   Good point, Wayne. It's one of the reasons I check my colours in daylight, outside.Other than that, as a former pro photog I'm aware of the huge spike in the 600nm range (green) that's common to fluorescent sources.Leon Jester

10. 
    Roger1 | Mar 20, 2005 01:54am | #18

    Hi Jay; I used one 15 amp line for my switched lights. I used double 40 watt tubes. Each one only draws about 100 watts per double unit. The important thing to remember is to paint the ceiling with bright white reflective kitchen type paint. This will add to the light in your workshop. If you paint it a dull or no color, you will need a lot more lights. I put a double outlet every 8 feet along the ceiling to plug the lights into. It worked great and I have as much light as I want. Roger.

1. 
   jaypoe | Mar 20, 2005 04:02am | #19

   Thanks for the suggestion. Right now it is all open and dark. The color of old pine T&G and douglas fur rafters. Very dark. The walls are 2X4 doug fur and the sheathing is this old temlock product, dark brown. This is the primary reason for insulating and rocking it. Cant stand a dark work shop. Thanks again.

11. 
    WillGeorge | Mar 20, 2005 07:06am | #20

    Jay.. I forgot..

    Not in my shop but other places.. Not inexpensive but work OK.  Well, better than OK.

    Low Voltage lamps that you attach to two wires you string across the place you want to light. Lamps can be put along the wires as you need.. How many depends on the size for the transformer..

    Them little bulbs are BRIGHT!