Garage Lighting

**Scooby24** · 10-09-2011, 09:21 PM

Hi guys, I have been detailing out of my garage and it is most certainly not setup for such an activity. My wired in lighting consists of only two bulb housings and I currently have CFL bulbs in. While they do provide enough light to work in, they do not illuminate defects well and I have to rely on my halogens entirely. On horizontal surfaces, especially on roofs, this is impossible on some vehicles and my CFL`s are all I have to go off of other than a handheld, which is pretty tough to utilize during the correction process.

Short of replacing these electrical fixtures with something else, are there different bulbs I could utilize that would be more effective? Halogen floods, perhaps?

**C. Charles Hahn** · 10-09-2011, 10:26 PM

For general task lighting you need to have more than just two fixtures, honestly. In my single bay I have 20 4` fluorescent tubes set up to give me adequate light to do my work.

**911fanatic** · 10-09-2011, 11:08 PM

My shop is one bay, 15x35, and I have 4 - 8` flourescent fixtures on each wall. They are T8s and are mounted at 7` from the floor. I will be adding another 4 fixtures overhead shortly. The 8 fixtures use less power than one 100watt incandescent light bulb.

**Brad B** · 10-09-2011, 11:17 PM

I have T8`s as well and like them. Great for all temperature conditions and quiet. I just have overheads, but a lot of them so they are not just directly above the car but also to the side/front/behind of it enough top illuminate all sides. (I didn`t want side-wall mounted lights because of glare, aesthetics and space.) Here is a pic showing 6 in each bay. I like detailing on the left side of the garage where I generally pull in on an angle to maximize light. Works for me, anyway.

**Scooby24** · 10-09-2011, 11:18 PM

so basically, I need to hang up lots of fluorescents. :-)

**911fanatic** · 10-10-2011, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Brad B.

Love the 2002 Brad! There isn`t alot of glare when the lights are hung 7` from the floor. My last shop we had a row at 3` and 5` and yes, that caused alot of glare.

Originally Posted by Scooby24

so basically, I need to hang up lots of fluorescents. :-)

See if you have a used building supply place in your town. Then they are really cheap. As well, the T8s use electronic ballasts so they are way more reliable, fire up faster and weigh 1/10th of the old T12s.

**Accumulator** · 10-10-2011, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Scooby24

so basically, I need to hang up lots of fluorescents. :-)

I use fluorescents for general illumination (I have dozens of 8` ones and a fair number of 4` ones too), but I can`t see light marring under them. Besides halogens, I use ceiling-mounted and hand-held (you can clamp the latter onto various things, you don`t have to actually hold it) incandescents for meticulous inspections.

**Bill D** · 10-10-2011, 12:31 PM

That exact assortment works extremely well for me. When I pass all of the lighting tests I want to :clap:

**pwaug** · 10-10-2011, 12:47 PM

It sounds like you have a two car garage with the standard "builders lighting" of two switched porcelian fixtures for one bulb in each centered over each bay. I had the same set up and replaced each with inexpensive surface mount flouresent fixtures from Lowes with two 4` bulbs each running front to back in the garage. These could be 8` fixtures with two or four bulbs if you needed more light. Centered in the rear of the garage I hung a 4` shop light with two bulbs mounted cross wise and just plugged it into an outlet. Centered in the front of the garage I flush mounted another 4` shop light cross wise and plugged it into the outlet used for the garage door opener. The two shop lights each have a pull chain for off/on so they don`t go on when just using the garage for other purposes. So when I pull the car in to do detailing I center it in the garage and it is centered inside the square formed by the four light fixtures. If I remember the whole set up cost me less than $100--of course it would be a little more if you went with longer fixtures. I don`t do any machine polishing-just do it yourself detailing- so I find the 4` fixtures fine.

**Accumulator** · 10-10-2011, 02:17 PM

I actually *like* the "builder`s lighting"

Those ceiling-mounted incandescents can really tell ya how marring-free the horizontal surfaces are (or are *not* :nervous: ).

**Scooby24** · 10-10-2011, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by pwaug

It sounds like you have a two car garage with the standard "builders lighting" of two switched porcelian fixtures for one bulb in each centered over each bay. I had the same set up and replaced each with inexpensive surface mount flouresent fixtures from Lowes with two 4` bulbs each running front to back in the garage. These could be 8` fixtures with two or four bulbs if you needed more light. Centered in the rear of the garage I hung a 4` shop light with two bulbs mounted cross wise and just plugged it into an outlet. Centered in the front of the garage I flush mounted another 4` shop light cross wise and plugged it into the outlet used for the garage door opener. The two shop lights each have a pull chain for off/on so they don`t go on when just using the garage for other purposes. So when I pull the car in to do detailing I center it in the garage and it is centered inside the square formed by the four light fixtures. If I remember the whole set up cost me less than $100--of course it would be a little more if you went with longer fixtures. I don`t do any machine polishing-just do it yourself detailing- so I find the 4` fixtures fine.

This is exactly what I have. I have had CFL`s in there since I moved in, I didn`t consider replacing back with Incandescent bulbs, but they just don`t produce a whole lot of light. I think I may consider your approach. I don`t have a lot of electrical experience, but the attic above the garage is empty so I should be able to get up there to drop in some wiring.

**Bill D** · 10-10-2011, 02:54 PM

My 6500k flouresecents really only provide general purpose garage lighting. For paint inspection I need my halogens,incandescents,and assorted other lights that I don`t yet have. It takes a long time to inspect just a single panel under all those different light sources.

**911fanatic** · 10-10-2011, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Bill D

My 6500k flouresecents really only provide general purpose garage lighting. For paint inspection I need my halogens,incandescents,and assorted other lights that I don`t yet have. It takes a long time to inspect just a single panel under all those different light sources.

Exactly. One light source will never show everything. My flourescents are mainly for general lighting. I have a 3M Sun Gun, halogens, Fenix and metal halides on the ceiling as well.

**tom p.** · 10-10-2011, 03:47 PM

Scooby, you can never have "too much" light in the garage

**Scooby24** · 10-10-2011, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by tom p.

Scooby, you can never have "too much" light in the garage

QFT. I couldn`t even consider cleaning an interior in the garage now, as is. I have to shift around a work light on the interior if weather conditions dictate I can`t pull it out for interior work.