Ideas for garage lighting?

[buffotoad]

How do you detailers light up your garage so its bright enough for detailing work? I've considered putting fluorescent fixtures on the ceiling, but would prefer putting something high up on the side walls. Any ideas?

[JasonC8301]

Well I do not have a garage, but I worked in one very good one before, the guy had 4 foot flouresent lighting in banks of two tubes per bank, 2 banks per side of the garage (2 car garage), and one nak in the middle. Provided me with enough light to detail his black E430.

As for my godmothers garage I was thinking about the same thing, but with some 2 million candle power spot lights around the side walls and maybe some 500-1000 watt halogen lights to extend the detailing season into november.

hope this helps out
Jason

[DETAILKING]

2 million candle power is a lot of light.

[JasonC8301]

Glad I don't pay for it either!

[PrinzII]

Jason,

At least you will be nice and toasty warm with those lights in the garage.


My idea is something like flourescent or even Xenon.

[JasonC8301]

Well, the project is in the works. Planning it through right now, probably be in after this winter, probably next fall. One step at a time. First with the floresent banks of lights, then move on to the spot lights, then finally the third and final pahse, the halogen flood lights. Gosh, just missing cnetral ac, a fridge, and it'll be ready for my detailing.

Jason

[Brad B.]

The trick is to get light all around your car. Light colored walls help reflect light and provide "fill". The same is true for painted floors. I have 12 4-foot flourescents. Spot lights (I have a freestanding double halogen unit that you can toast marshmallows on.) usually create too much of a hot spot to be very helpful. Bright is one thing, but proper "fill" is another. (I hardly ever use the spots or floods)

The following pic was taken late at night in my garage. In the daytime glassblock windows filter in even more light. Even though the exposure on the pic is a little dark, you get the idea.

[YoSteve]

You could aim the halogen lights up and get indirect diffused light (I like halogens cause of their efficientcy) i also like the ones already in a flood lamp screw in style rather than the tube style

[tom p.]

I have 3- 8'flourescent Hi output double strips, three 100W incandescent and three 200W incandescent lamps. I also have a few of those portable hi output halogens. My garage ceilings are about 14' high so that conspires against me. I could easily use 3 more of those flourescent hi output strips. Then I would be happy.

[bobg]

My next door neighboor bought bunch of used cubical fixtures for his newly formed company and had a bunch of shelves left over. Last Sunday put cube shelves on both sides of my garage, and all of these fixtures have the small flourescents under the bottom shelf (about four up from the floor). It turned out great. And it was free!

[SteveL]

how I wanted the light in my over sized 2 car garage before running off to Home Depot. I ended up setting up 2 zones. One zone has 4 2 bulb cold start 4' flourecents in the center spaced 4' apart on one wall switch, and the other zone being 4 more 4' fixtures around the outside spaced 4'apart. If I'm taking out the trash or something that does not require a lot of light, I just turn on the center zone. When I'm detailing or repairing rock chips, I hit both switches and light up the neighborhood. I also have a 500w halogen portable that could act as a space heater, but don't think I'll need it much.

The two large windows help during the day also.You can never have too much light!



The Castle

[darbh]

You may want to consider including some incandescent lighting, as well as fluorescent. Unless you get get color balanced fluorescents, the colors are thrown off. Even so, detail is often better under incandescent.