[stevehull]

I have used "bright" white ceiling paint where I need a lot of light. Many point stores can add extra "brightener" to increase the reflectance at a very low cost ($1 per gallon or so). This is above glossy, so textured ceilings don't work. A friend of mine also put the glossy paint on his shop walls, but it didn't do nearly as much as on the ceiling.

Just did a large shop and went with T-8 as a compromise. If it were a commercial shop, with significant occupancy, I would certainly go LED. But for occasional home use, the T-8 looks to be best value. T-5s are just SO pricey.

In another barn, I also used old fixtures, removed the old magnetic ballasts, put in new ballasts, new T8 end connectors, repainted them - and spent more money than buying new fixtures already with ballasts and all ready to go. Go figure . . . Some fixtures even have the bulbs included.

I did stagger the lights on the ceiling and each group are on different switches, so I can turn on one bank of lights or two depending on the need. Another essential is a roll up reel in the ceiling so you can drop a hot AC line from overhead. You don't have to do this now, just wire it so you have a plug there for a later install.

I also put in a couple cheap overhead ceiling fans. They are a HUGE issue when I am hot and trying to work on something in the summer (note the "trying" word . . . . ).

Think also of the utility of a high output (60-80 A), 240 outlet (welder, air compressor, etc). This may be more information than you need, but why is it that when I just want a couple of lights up and then I get involved with all this other stuff as well . . . .

Let us know how it is going.


Steve