Metal Building Lighting?

Lonmower · Jun 17, 2012

Just finished a 40x60 building and was looking for some ideas/suggestions on lighting. I have no clue as what would be the best affordable option to install. I was thinking fluorescent or LED fluorescent may be the way to go. Any input would be appreciated.

ducks13 · Jun 17, 2012

I'd be looking at fluorescent. Not sure what you mean be LED fluorescent but anything with LED's will be expensive or won't put out much light. What are you doing in the building, is it going to be clean or dirty, heated and air-conditioned or ? The fixture you select is as important as the lamp source. How high will you be mounting them and how much light do you need? Regardless, I'd be looking at fixtures that use T-8 lamps with electronic ballast.

miketetty · Jun 17, 2012

Lonmower said:
Just finished a 40x60 building and was looking for some ideas/suggestions on lighting. I have no clue as what would be the best affordable option to install. I was thinking fluorescent or LED fluorescent may be the way to go. Any input would be appreciated.

I used regular screw in light fixtures and screw in fluorescent bulbs in my 30x40. Way Way cheaper than electronic shop lights and good light with big bulbs

Johnp33 · Jun 17, 2012

I built a 30 x 80 I used 4 ft double bulb, fluorescent with t8 bulbs I put 4 on the ends of the building and spaced them the same on the sides mine is 21 ft high the lights are at the 12 ft mark. They work great for 90% of the work I do the rest I use a trouble light or an axillary light set on a stand. The ceiling is white and the walls will be that makes a big difference.

ducks13 · Jun 17, 2012

Miketettty is right, incandescent bulbs will the cheapest first cost so if you won't have them turned on much they would be the way to go. If they are on much you will get tired of changing bulbs and paying the electric bill.

cmyoung2 · Jun 17, 2012

I've got a 25x40 metal shop, use a total of 10 - 4' T8 fluorescent shop type fixtures, 2 bulbs each. I also have 2 outdoor type metal halide (13' ceiling). I like a lot of light:thumbsup: Picked the T8 for economy and the cold start. Like the light, but not the reliability. In six years I have replaced more than half of the fluorescent fixtures, mostly the electronic ballast die. New fixtures($12) are cheaper than replacing the ballast ($20+). Might just be the cheap box store lights, but still

The metal halide have a nice white light, but are slow to warm up and need a high ceiling. Not real cheap either.

wedge40 · Jun 18, 2012

I've got part of my building lit with 6, six bulb T8 fixtures from Home Depot. Very nice lighting.

Wedge

MotorSeven · Jun 18, 2012

I have T8's in my shop. Adequate for most but a stand light is needed for some things. When you wire them in out them on two separate switched runs. 90% of the time I only have one side on at a time and that saves $.

Go to home Depot and look at their light display(bring sunglasses), the new High Output tubes(T5-HO I think) are awesome and I just bought 4- 4' double bulb sets for my basement. Bulbs were $10ea and fixtures were $30.

rambler · Jun 18, 2012

I put up a 48x81x15 building 2 years ago, farm-electrician recommeded 8 regular incadecent bulbs, 4 on a switch. Lights up the building well and cheaply, if I'm working on something or over the workbench I run a seperate light anyhow, the machine will shade out overhead lights anyhow.

I hear good things of the more expensive, more light for a true machine shop of the T5 fluresents. If this is your 8 hour a day job or serious serious hobby, then spring for those, they come in regular for a shorter height ceiling, or high-bay for a tall ceiling, many options, you'll shell out some real money to get them in, if you run them 10-12 hours a day every day they will pay yuou back in savings.

I think LED muight be the future, but we aren't there quite yet.

I've got a stockpile of regular incadecents on a shelf ]in the basement, the curly bulbs work very well in some caswes but are horrible in others; the T-5 setups are great if you can afford them.

Regualr incadesants are a good bang for the buck for most of us light hobby folk that need enough light to see what you're doing in a building, but use spot lights to light up most of the work anyhow on the couple days a month we need to work. Probably getting hard to find 100watts by now, but stock up on the smaller sizes this year, and I think the specialty 300wall and etc might be around for several more years?

--->Paul