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Garage Lighting

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What does everyone use for lighting up their garages? Do you have enough or wish you had more?

I have 3 - 8 footers and it just in not bright enough. The main section of my garage is 20 x 24 but my walls and ceiling are not covered yet. That will hopefully change how bright it gets.
 
4 - 4 footers and a few large portables. Unfortunately things get in the way of having anymore. The more light the better though. I hate feeling like I'm working in a cave.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
500 watt halagen mounted on a board that is portable, really lights things up. it can never be to bright for me

mark
 
Good for you guys.. I'd love to have bright halogens or even fluorescents-- My garage is detached and currently it's sunlight or 12v lights poweree by a deep cycle battery... One of those days, tho..
 
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Good for you guys.. I'd love to have bright halogens or even fluorescents-- My garage is detached and currently it's sunlight or 12v lights poweree by a deep cycle battery... One of those days, tho..

[/ QUOTE ]

How far away is that garage?? I'd be running some power out there. Besides the lighting, you need a compresser to run the air tools.

My garage is about 14'x24'. I have five twin tube four foot flourescent fixtures which give enough lighting for most situations. I also have one of these halogen fixtures which is great for adding light when there isn't enough from the overheads. I try not to use the halogen fixture during the summer, as it throws off alot of heat. Of course, in the winter, I have to choose between the halogen fixture and the kerosene heater. Can't run both, as it gets too hot. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif

Of course, you'll always need that drop light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I removed the 100amp from the house to upgrade to a 200amp. The 100 was saved and I installed it in the garage. During my renovations I ran conduit from the basement through the foundation & towards the gargage. Formed around it and left a few stub ups and then poured foundation & floor in the garage.

I have a few 8 footers but I noticed a few shots on teh BCF and it looks like some people have some fairly intense lighting. I'd like a bit more but I have an overhead rack for my wood and there is an attic door I have to watch out for.
I do have a compressor and an extra compressor for double the air capacity. I think that these are going to go in the attic and I will drop down a few spots for some hanging hose reels.

Ditto for electric hose reels.
 
My Garage is roughly 8 X 15 ft., about 1/4 the area of yours. I have two 5 footers @ 58 Watts each over the main floor; and another 5 footer with a plastic diffuser over my workbench at the end. The workbench is well lit, but I often feel like more light would be good in the main garage. I've got about 1 Watt/sq ft. of floor. I think I'd like to double or even treble that....

I've also painted the ceiling and walls a flat white, so they act as pretty good reflectors, too. And I've a 500 Watt Halogen light on a pedestal that I can move where things are dark, but that gets hot, and it creates a lot of glare and shadow....
 
App. 20x22 with 15' peaked ceiling. I have six recessed 120W soft bulbs and four 150W floods. It is not enough. I plan to nearly double the lighting eventually.

One thing I failed to take into consideration is how much light is blocked when you install lifts.

Image showing 8 of the 10 light fixtures:
DSCN2665.jpg
 
Many, many years ago when I was an engineering student we studied lighting. As I recall its possible to obtain data on the light output (in lumens?) for each bulb, then take the area to be lit and determine how many bulbs are necessary to achieve a specified lumens/sq ft. level. Different activities (offices, houses, production areas) all had standards that lighting engineers could use to properly specify lighting fixture numebrs and placement.

I think that might have been one of the classes I slept, er, rested my eyes from the bright classroom lights, in....
 
yea those halogen's can cook you a hot dog for lunch when ya get hungry..a quick shot of mine,
247774-PICT0817.JPG


mark
 
lighting...hummm....I've got too standard issue flourecent fixtures and the original single giant light bulb on the ceiling...It's blocked by the loft I added. Since I can never get enough light I get a couple of those halogen work lights and string them up around the place....Still not enough though....Soon as retirement time comes, I am outta here....out to somewhere where I can build a proper garage, with lighting like Steve's.
 
{whispers} north Alabama, USA
 
Hello all. Good topic, being we spend so much time working on our cars.

The more lights, the better. But...choose your lights.

I have a two car garage.
First, paint the ceiling white to reflect the lights. Use a light color for the walls. Most use white, but I choose to use light blue, for all white looked likes everyone else's garage and reminded me of a doctors office.

Finish the floor, with an epoxy paint. That will help reflect light back up.

I first used 3 halogen lights that looked like the long fluorescent style. Bright you bet! Hot, you bet. I would start sweating after a while. Not good.

I removed them and installed 5 fluorescent fixtures. The key is to use the good ones for the cheap ones hum.

Most important, use the brightest fluorescent bulbs. Yes, they cost a lot more, but you will see the difference. Looks more light natural light.

Placement makes a difference. Spread them out and keep them all at the same level. I hung mine a little lower than the garage door. So that when the door is open, the door does not hide them.

Here's a photo of how bright my efforts have worked.
Oh, only one Healey is mine. Other one is a friends we are working on. How honest am I /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Photo is with the gargage door closed and the 5 lights on.

Cheers, Roger
 
Here's a snap shot showing the hanging lights.

There is one more light hanging in the middle, above the open garage door. No way to have that one show, unless you bolt it to the inside of the garage door. But why? If the door is open, you don't need it. But when the door is closed, then the light is not blocked.
Cheers, R
 
Ok, I'm still impressed. Enough to decide that the Rustolum floor system is for me.

Now, where do you keep your parts and such? Extra building someplace?
 
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Ok, I'm still impressed. Enough to decide that the Rustolum floor system is for me.

Now, where do you keep your parts and such? Extra building someplace?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey Jack,
Where do I keep stuff?
The first photo gives away my secret. Look up. I've used all that real-estate on the ceiling. Plus the cabinet system I installed on the front wall. OK, the side walls have pegboard too. (see attachment) But only from the garage door up till where the car door will open. From there on, nothing on the walls, so that opening the doors and getting in and out will be easy.
 
[ QUOTE ]
{whispers} north Alabama, USA

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been thinking that way actually .....Sometimes.....Sometimes I am not so sure I can leave Ontario where I've spent my entire life, nomatter how much I hate it, it is home.
 
4 x 4' and a couple of light stands. I painted the walls and ceiling white for reflected light. I used Quikrete epoxy on the floor - liked it a bit better than Rustoleum. Most of my parts are labeled, stored in boxes -in cabinets.

I posted this pic also in the garage floor thread. My cabinets are on the other side with the project Bugeye.


GarageMini.jpg
 
Nice.
I like your two tone car colors. Very retro.
So, you spend a lot of time in your garage? Two chairs? Rug. Where's the fridge? lol

A mans home is his castle, and it seems so is his garage
 
I have another chair on the other side. That liitle station to the right of the Mini is for when my wife cuts mine and the boys hair. She cuts some of my friends hair also. The garage is a family area for us - lots of work and play. My wife is about the finest and supportive person I know. She enjoys the fact that me and the boys enjoy our hobby. She takes an active role in it also. I married well.
 
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