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Lights with Daytime Brightness for Garage Gym

I turn my garage into a gym, there are no windows. So I would like to get lights that would give me the daytime brightness and feel. As you know when outside at times gives you more energy.

Based on the details provided, we would likely recommend out 4000K CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture, which is designed to be hung from ceiling supports using the included hook and chain. 

In the event that you would like to try the LED Shop Light in your converted garage, please feel free to take advantage of our 30-day return policy if it winds up not being the right fit. We will gladly provide prepaid return labels for any unneeded items from domestic orders. 

LED Strip Lights and Accessories Needed for Garage Lighting

I have a 20x20 garage and am looking to get some of your products. I added them to the shopping cart but I know I am missing a couple of things. Items I have included so far:

1. Triac Dimmable Power Supply

2. Absolute Series LED Flex Strip - 99 CRI - 16ft

3. Aluminum Channel for LED Flex Strip (FLAT)

My goal is to have 4 sections of light mounted to the ceiling of our garage to give good 360-degree lighting. The goal right now would be to have 4 x 4ft sections of lights creating a square. The ends wouldn't be touching unless that really complicates the setup.

The goal is to get a dimmer switch and have this next to the other light switch on the wall currently.

What other items would you suggest I get to make this happen? I also haven't soldered before but have no problem learning that. I just don't know how to properly run power to this new switch on the wall to support this type of lighting.

Based on my review of your email, we would likely recommend adding the Female DC Barrel Jack Plug Adapter, LED Strip to Strip Connectors, and a pack of 16 AWG wiring for connection to the TRIAC Dimmable Power Supply. 

Beyond the three above products, we believe that all required components are included in your cart. As a side note, it might be helpful to know that the ABSOLUTE SERIES™ LED Flexible Strips have a maximum combined length of 16.4 ft (5 meters). 

Connections that are greater than 16.4 ft will encounter voltage drop and reduced output. As such, we recommend utilizing one deviated power supply per full reel of the ABSOLUTE SERIES™ LED Flexible Strips. 

As a final note, we have attached a link to the list of wall dimmers that have been tested and found as compatible with our LED Strip Lights and TRIAC Dimmable Power Supplies. 

This might be the first electrical job I try myself. Do you have recommendations for how to online somewhere or an article? Or, do you recommend I get an electrician?

We have attached several resources from our website below, which we hope prove to be helpful for your installation planning process. 

As a notable distinction for the LayoutMap below, it might be helpful to know that the ABSOLUTE SERIES LED Strip Lights utilize a barrel jack adapter for power connection. When using this product with the TRIAC Dimmable Power Supply, we recommend using the Female DC Barrel Jack Plug Adapter for easier future adjustment. 

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3001-1B

LED Strip Lights - Everything You Need To Know Before You Buy

Getting Started with LED Strip Lighting For Your Home

How to Connect An LED Strip to a Power Supply 

All of that said, we can certainly understand any hesitations that may arise from wiring power supplies to ground voltage for the first time. If you are apprehensive about the installation process, we would recommend reaching out to a local electrician for assistance. 

Is it possible to have longer-distance wiring connecting the 4 sections of an LED? My plan was similar to a map but the distance between each section was going to be longer.

For the aluminum case that they go in, do you recommend any space at the ends of the strip or the strip can go tight up against the ends of the casing?

While the segments can certainly be connected over long distances using 16 AWG Wire, it might be helpful to know that great expanses may introduce voltage drop. Voltage drop typically reduces the maximum light output and may cause performance issues.

In the hopes that it proves to be helpful for your installation planning process, we have attached a link to our Voltage Drop Calculator tool below. 

Voltage Drop Calculator

Regarding the aluminum channels, please feel free to install the LED Strip Lights that the LED Strip Lights are aligned to the end of the channels. ​

Lighting Recommendation for Single Car Garage Space

I am in the process of converting a single-car garage into a space where I will have a single car on display in a relaxed and "man cave" sort of setup. I have two objectives in lighting the space (dimensionally the space is 279"x197" and the ceiling is 111" high) 1) The car is the star in this space. It is red with a black interior. 2) I have some artwork on one wall in the garage I would like to light independently. My leaning is to have dimmers on both circuits. This is not a workspace or a hospital ward; I want to avoid a super bright/cold/antiseptic feel. What it will be is a place to relax with a little music, my wife, our car, and a cold beer. In what direction would you steer me? 

By using my Lumen Estimation Calculator in the interim, it appears that the space would be evenly illuminated by 8,265 lumens. 

Based on the details provided, I might recommend utilizing ~19 feet of the 2700K or 3000K CENTRIC HOME™ LED Strip Lights for Home & Residential for a warmer installation. 

These lights can be installed within the ceiling cornices of the space within our flat or cornered aluminum channels, and controlled using in-wall power supplies and wall dimmers. 

While we also have the LED Shop Light Fixtures available, these products are not available in the warmer color temperatures that you mentioned a preference for. 

If you would like to test which color temperature works best for your garage, we might recommend purchasing a few of our A19 lightbulb options to ensure that they provide the right illumination. 

If any of the bulbs wind up being unneeded, simply let us know and we will gladly provide you with a prepaid return label for their return. 

Can I surface mount the LED shop light fixtures and control them with a wall switch for garage lighting?

I’m looking to light my garage with some high CRI light fixtures. I came across your products and feel like they are a good fit. However, I’m having trouble finding out if I can surface mount your led fixtures and control them with a wall switch. For reference, I was looking to get 6-8 of your 4ft led fixtures for a bright and cleanly lit workshop.

Though not necessarily designed for surface mounting, I can confirm that the LED shop light fixtures can be daisy-chained together, and would be compatible with an installation where the powering plug is connected to a wall switch for power. That said, they are not designed to be direct-wired, which might not be ideal for your installation.

For installations where dimming using wall controls is preferred, we might alternatively recommend utilizing our LED strip lights within mounted aluminum channels, powered by a TRIAC dimmable power supply. ​

I have attached diagrams of the LED strip light installation options below, in case they prove to be useful for your planning purposes.

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3001-1C: https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3001_1C?px=-2244&py=-2231.5&pw=1488&ph=1463&s=0.1

LayoutMaps™ - LED Strip Light Layout 3001-1B: https://www.waveformlighting.com/layoutmaps/3001_1B?px=-2244&py=-2231.5&pw=1488&ph=1463&s=0.1

Full Spectrum LED Light for Car Repair/Restoration

30 ft. X 40 ft. with 12 ft. ceiling. All white inside. Used for car repair/restoration. Need light to reach under car lift. Did I do the calculator right? 120,000 lumens? The full spectrum is nice. 

I have attached the store links below for the products which were discussed during the call. If you could provide further details about the space, we would be more than happy to provide some more specific product recommendations as well as product quantity suggestions.

The NorthLux™ 95 CRI LED Shop Light Fixture was the primary product which was discussed. Although this item is currently back-ordered until February, this integrated fixture can be easily hung using the included chains and hooks. This product can also be daisy-chained together for easy installation.

In the event that you would prefer to use mounted ceiling fixtures which utilize tube lighting, we might recommend the CENTRIC DAYLIGHT™ Full Spectrum Flicker-Free T8 LED Tube Light product.

For the installation which was described, we recommend the 5000K color temperature option. The light which would be emitted by 5000K light sources would be neutral, balanced, and very similar to natural daylight.

LED Tube Lights Fluorescent Replacement Installation

If I have Type A bulbs that are designed for use with a ballast system, will they still function correctly in a non-ballast environment? Can they be connected as if they are Type B, or will the lack of ballast create problems?

Is there an easy way to tell if the lamp is single-ended? Should I assume they are all double-ended unless otherwise marked?

We are certainly in agreement that removing the fluorescent ballast is an excellent idea, especially given the compatibility and potential safety concerns that you experienced.

By definition, UL Type A lamps will require a fluorescent ballast to operate, so once the fluorescent ballast have been removed, you will not be able to use the UL Type A lamps in those fixtures anymore.

That being said, some products, such as Waveform Lighting's T8 LED tubes, can be used in both ballast and non-ballast fixtures. In terms of the UL Type nomenclature, they are considered UL Type A+B.

If you've been able to confirm that your lamps are UL Type B (ballast-bypass), you will need to confirm with the manufacturer or product marking to see whether those lamps are designed for single-ended or double-ended installation. All single-ended installations will use non-shunted lampholders, while double-ended installations may be shunted or non-shunted.

Lighting for Small Artist Studio Space

I need directions to set up a painting area in the garage. I am looking at the NorthLux lighting CRI 95 or above, around 7000 Lumens and 4,000-6,000K. The area will be around 10 x 8; the ceiling and outside wall is white, and the rest is concrete. The ceiling hight is 7' with 5' deep as my space is under a bulkhead for furnace vents. I want lighting to extend to area approximately 7/8' deep. Could you present me one or two proposed diagrams showing light placement? What is the height of your linear fixture?

Since it sounds like your space currently does not have any existing fixtures, that gives us the maximum flexibility in terms of installation and lamp type options, which is great to hear.

I would recommend our T5 linear fixture at this point, given that it will provide you with all of the necessary housing and mounting accessories without needing to buy any separate components such as a track light tracks and heads for a track light system.

To achieve the 7000 lumen target, you will want one of the following (or a combination of the following):

Unfortunately we're not equipped with any interior design software, so I'm unable to create any layout diagrams showing light placement, but if you have a rough sketch of the space along with some input on where you think the lights can be placed and installed from a practical standpoint, we would be more than happy to offer some additional input.

Generally, you will want to space the lights out as much as possible in order to prevent any excess shadows or hotspots / dark areas. If you will be performing most of your work in one specific area, in addition to the fixtures, you may also want to consider installing a few A19 lamps for localized task lighting:

The height of the T5 linear fixture is approximately 1.4 inches.

Lighting up a garage with no windows

I am looking to light up a garage with no windows. It is horrendously hot here in the summer and I want to be able to work in my garage with the doors closed, with the air-conditioning on. Looking into high CRI lighting so that it is nicer in there with good quality light.

The summer heat issue is totally understandable and it sounds like high CRI lighting is definitely a great solution!

For starters, LED lights emit far less heat than fluorescent and incandescent lamps, so regardless of which LED product you ultimately install, you will certainly be helping to keep your garage cooler, and you'll also be able to double-dip on electricity savings as your air-conditioning unit will not need to work as hard.

For garage lighting installations, our 95 CRI LED shop lights have been some of the most popular. Below is an actual installation from one of our customers, courtesy of Mike Fitzpatrick from Liquid Audio.

The LED shop lights are designed to be hung using the included hanging chains, and plug into any electrical outlet, so these are a great option if you're looking for some highly focused light output without having to perform any wiring work. The daisy-chain capability of these lights may also be an added benefit.

Another option would be our 95 CRI T5 linear fixtures. These fixtures also plug into any electrical outlet and can be daisy chained, but are designed to be mounted directly using the included screw or magnet mounts. In terms of aesthetics and installation, these offer a more slim and compact footprint.

Below is an actual customer photo from one of our customers, courtesy of Jimmy Sig.

Finally, if you have existing fluorescent lamp fixtures, our 95 CRI T8 LED lamps may be the most straightforward and low-cost solution. These lamps can be used to directly replace the 4-ft fluorescent lamps currently in your fixture. You'll see approximately the same quantity of light (brightness) but you'll immediately notice the improvement in the quality of light!

This is a great option if you already have the fixtures, as you won't need to perform any extra installation or rewiring work (unless the fluorescent ballast is not compatible with our lamps), keeping both fixture and labor costs down. The added benefit is that if you already have fluorescent lamps in place, you'll have a rough idea of the light distribution and brightness so you won't need to worry as much about fixture placement and modifications.

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