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Katesdad
11-24-2008, 08:32 AM
Im building a new garage 24x24. Got the roof blacked in last weekend and will be done shingling this weekend. I have read other garage threads about cabinets, outlets, ect. I have gotten some great ideas from them.

Im trying to figure out what I want to do with lighting. There are some cold start T8 lights for 20 bucks in the menards flyer. Im trying to figure out light placement. The inside of the garage will be a light color, osb painted and insulated. I remember guys hanging lights straight down where they park then bitchin cause the hood shades the engine compartment.

So Im thinking hanging the around the perimeter maybe 3 foot off the walls with a row down the center. Any other ideas?

MoonWorks
11-24-2008, 10:10 AM
So Im thinking hanging the around the perimeter maybe 3 foot off the walls with a row down the center. Any other ideas?

You're spot on there. Everyone hangs light over the cars and vehicle itself shades the area you're working on, side, engine bay, etc. I'm in the process of redoing the lighting in my garage as well and am doing what you just stated.

dangerousdave
11-24-2008, 11:44 AM
I dont think there is a such thing as perfect lighting. I have been in and worked in several different garages and have always had some wort of light issue. Not directly over the car is a good idea even though it may cause shadows to fall from the sides. I have always been partial to the more lights the better.

BigDaveZJ
11-24-2008, 11:50 AM
Movable lights are always nice. Sufficient lighting on the ceiling, and then a couple decent worklights would get the job done IMO.

BLACK&TAN
11-24-2008, 12:03 PM
The auto detailers i know mount them on the ceiling and kinda high up on the walls too. It gives you pretty good lighting especially when everything is painted a light color. The light reflects pretty good.

CrawlerReady
11-24-2008, 12:24 PM
Just like Dave said, put a couple drop lights around because no matter the lighting situation, you could always use them.

rstrucks
11-24-2008, 12:32 PM
The best lit shop I've ever worked in didn't use lights most of the time. The roof had those semi-clear panels in them and they provided enough natural light and we only had to turn the lights on late in the afternoon in the winter and on real cloudy days. Probably too late for you but thought I'd throw it out there anyway.

Mtn WJ
11-24-2008, 01:26 PM
I have had the best luck with flourescent tube fixtures. They do have a problem in the winter if your shop is not heated. It can take several minutes for them to warm up but eventually get bright.

Cheap and easy to mount.

Pearce
11-24-2008, 01:51 PM
I think it helps to have white or near white walls as well. My old garage had very light colored walls, not white. And my new garage has a gray color from the previous owner, it's not a light gray. But the light does not reflect as well and it seems darker to me.

Ds4x4
11-24-2008, 03:57 PM
I have had the best luck with flourescent tube fixtures. They do have a problem in the winter if your shop is not heated. It can take several minutes for them to warm up but eventually get bright.

Cheap and easy to mount.


you don't see this problem as much anymore with the ballast's they came out with.. the older ones did this all the time... and i agree with the white walls.. Florescent lights don't direct the light well and their reflectors suck so the white walls will let you use some of the other wise wasted light..

Katesdad
11-24-2008, 07:22 PM
Thanks guys! Any other garage ideas anyone can think of would be great.

adam99wj
11-24-2008, 07:35 PM
i used 2 strings of floresent lights on te ceiling and 4 flood lights on each corner had some adjustability in them so i could point them close to where i was working, its works pretty good, but for some jobe i still use a trouble light

CurtP
11-24-2008, 08:57 PM
General use shop? I would use 4' fixtures in staggered rows. I'd also put some extra lights above the bench/work/tool areas. I like the 4' tubes better because they're cheaper and easier to transport than 8' bulbs. I'm also not a fan of the light fixtures that have either no reflector or a narrow reflector. Menards almost always has fluorescent fixtures on sale. They'll be made in China (the ones at Home Depot and Lowe's are too), but the last time I found US made fixtures, they were retarded expensive and didn't appear to be made much better. Maybe they were better, but at 4x the cost, I couldn't justify it.

Don't forget some retractable extension cords and drop lights. We've replaced all bulbs in the standard drop lights with fluorescent bulbs too. It's nice not to burn the fuck out of your arm when you accidentally the light. I've been happy with the Craftsman Professional series for these.

Properly built air drops (http://www.tptools.com/StaticText/airline-piping-diagram.pdf) and either wind-up or self retracting air hose reels are nice to have too. For manual reels, I like Rapid Reel (they make some very nice water hose carts too).

dangerousdave
11-24-2008, 11:49 PM
i like the idea of flood lights in the corners of the shop. It would give a lot of adjustable light and then the heat would be away from the body.

Katesdad
01-08-2009, 07:45 PM
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp179/katesdad3/100_1021.jpg

Started working on the garage again. Put in two windows today and put these 4 lights up just to see what kind of light I could get. T8 daylight in cheap 0 start fixtures. I am suppost to get some larger old school fixtures monday so Ill see what they are like. Its great having a low ceiling it heats up fast. I plan on raising the lights to about 3 inches from the ceiling and stapling the cords when I get the lights where I want them. I have to do some more wiring.

wiring
insulate
sheet walls and paint
one more window I decided today
door opener
attic ladder
shelves
cabinets
workbench
more over big compressor if it still works been sitting for 10 years
move over two lathes and welding table.

finish outside. Just shingled and house wrapped. Id better hit it this weekend.
Also run real electricity from house. Im currently stealing it from an outlet box on the house.

Patio, pool? What the hell did I start?

Ken L
01-08-2009, 07:53 PM
Like was said earlier, paint the walls and ceiling white. You'll like it so much better.

CrawlerReady
01-08-2009, 08:16 PM
Looking good!

rstrucks
01-08-2009, 10:43 PM
I'd put power outlets everywhere. I always seem to need a cord just a little bit longer.

hkszx2
01-08-2009, 11:10 PM
http://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/03473944000?hei=250&wid=250&op_sharpen=1&qlt=90,0&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0
these will be your best friend... i prefer the led ones though.

MoonWorks
01-09-2009, 12:15 AM
Yeah, outlets every 4-6 feet on the wall will be your friend. I also added an outlet in the middle of the ceiling and have a drop light and drop power cord coming down. I use this drop cord 10x more than any other outlet in the garage.

Katesdad
01-09-2009, 08:37 AM
Those lights look great. The mechanics at work all have them. Its on my list. As for paint Im still along ways off. Hopefully Ill get all the wiring roughed in this weekend so I can insulate and start sheeting with osb.

Sheeting the ceiling first makes it alittle harder but the ability to hold heat has far outweighted the pita.

Thanks for the ideas and encouragement. Anything else feel free to throw it out there.

speedmontzj
01-09-2009, 12:55 PM
it does not matter how many lights you have there will always be spots that are hard to see without drop lights this is about the best pic i can find of my shop with the lights.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/speedmontzj/house006.jpg

it is 22x30. i have 3 lights spaced evenly along the outside on bothe sides and 6 lights spaced evenly in the middle a long with one light over my toolbox and one over my bench where i play with my rc stuff. that makes 14 4ft 2light fixtures and i still need a drop light. it also makes a difference as to which way you turn a flur fixt where the light goes.

edit: i had not finished hard wiring the plugs for all my lights yet. i also added more down the middle after this pic. i olny had 3 down the middle then.

AprilzWarrior
01-10-2009, 12:17 AM
This pic is a couple of years old...

http://fototime.com/D9652CE74FDC8A7/standard.jpg

Over head is fine so long are you are not using a lift. Since I run lifts mid side wall lights were needed and I LOVE them at that height, its around 8'btw.



AW