beer batter Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Building a 3 stall garage with infloor heat. What would be the best bang for the buck on interior lights to light it up good and bright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobody05 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Not sure on best bang for buck but I have a 3 car garage with 4 8' Hi Intensity Low Temp Flourecents. Wouldnt do it anyother way going on 5th year not a bulb out yet! Nice and bright even in the winter months when cold! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAMAN Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 What are you going to use the garage for? The normal storage and vehicle parking or are you going to have a workshop? I would definitely go with good fluorescents over work areas. Then if you can afford it spread 4-8 8 footers evenly throughout the rest of the garage. If money is tight at the moment I would install cheap incandescent fixtures with 100w bulbs. Then you can come back later and replace them with fluorescents when the budget permits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Foss Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 CAMAN said: If money is tight at the moment I would install cheap incandescent fixtures with 100w bulbs. Then you can come back later and replace them with fluorescents when the budget permits. That's what we did, but with 150w bulbs.Additionally, once I got cabinets, countertop and cupboards installed all along one wall (my primary workshop space), I installed fluorescents under the cabinets, with a couple small incandescent clamp lights I can move around as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macgyver55 Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 I have 5 quick start high output 8 foot fluorescent lights. I just taped and painted the ceiling white and I think its bright enough in there now to do micro surgery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beer batter Posted August 20, 2011 Author Share Posted August 20, 2011 Micro surgery? That's funny.I have a shed with around 8 flourescent fixtures and that is awsome in the warm weather, not good at all in cold.Garage will mostly be used for storage, parking, but will contain a small work shop area for "projects". Don't plan to heat the garage over 50 during the winter months. Will that be warm enough to operate flourescent lights?Thanks for all the great suggestions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavalierowner Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 beer batter said: Micro surgery? That's funny.I have a shed with around 8 flourescent fixtures and that is awsome in the warm weather, not good at all in cold.Garage will mostly be used for storage, parking, but will contain a small work shop area for "projects". Don't plan to heat the garage over 50 during the winter months. Will that be warm enough to operate flourescent lights?Thanks for all the great suggestions Flourescent lights will do fine in the cold IF you get the right kind. Both the ballasts and the lamps must be rated for cold temperatures. The proper kind aren't always available just anywhere. The standard lights like you get at Menards and the like won't work worth a darn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sifty Posted August 20, 2011 Share Posted August 20, 2011 beer batter said: Micro surgery? That's funny.I have a shed with around 8 flourescent fixtures and that is awsome in the warm weather, not good at all in cold.Garage will mostly be used for storage, parking, but will contain a small work shop area for "projects". Don't plan to heat the garage over 50 during the winter months. Will that be warm enough to operate flourescent lights?Thanks for all the great suggestions One thing I have noticed as I get older the light that I'm working under needs to be brighter. Getting old sucks.I would over do it but put them on different switchs that way you can "add" light as needed.Sifty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vister Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 well, its always a brighter workspace regarding what lighting you have when u have white walls and ceiling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eglleftcoast Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Guys, it time you all start thinking LED lighting. I have been slowly installing them in my home and they are absolutely the best thing going. People coming in comment on the lighting. It almost like the room is in nothing but pue sun shine. Yes but the inital purchase price is high but everything you read says you get payback after one year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordie Posted August 21, 2011 Share Posted August 21, 2011 Sifty said: One thing I have noticed as I get older the light that I'm working under needs to be brighter. Getting old sucks.Sifty I know what your saying sifty and the eyes really take a beating when you've welded most of your life with that said I tend to wear my headlamp when working under something,If I could do it over I think I would add in floor lighting also just over the spots where I would work on cars. I saw this in another shop and it really was sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMickish Posted August 27, 2011 Share Posted August 27, 2011 If it were my garage, I would put in 2X4 office type fixtures flush with the ceiling. In my 2 stall garage I have 6 four lamp 2X4 fixtures on split on two switches. I can have a little light or I can have a lot of light. The fixtures are split so that two lamps in each fixture come on with each switch.The way I see it, is you can never really have to much light, but you can deffinitly not have enough, and it's cheaper to do it now than later.Putting in flush mounted lights makes the job look finished and slick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewey1 Posted August 28, 2011 Share Posted August 28, 2011 eglleftcoast said: Guys, it time you all start thinking LED lighting. I have been slowly installing them in my home and they are absolutely the best thing going. People coming in comment on the lighting. It almost like the room is in nothing but pue sun shine. Yes but the inital purchase price is high but everything you read says you get payback after one year. LED LIGHTING HAS DEFINITLEY EVOLVED, BUT NOT YET AS A REPLACEMENT FOR LINIEAR FLORESCENT LIGHTING. GIVE IT A COUPLE MORE YEARS AND IT WILL THOUGH. STILL THINK THE BEST FOR THE APP WOULD BE 8' HO STRIP LIGHTS MOUNTED END TO END IN ROWS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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