Shop/Garage Question

Coles_55

Coles_55

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Dec 5, 2005
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39
Location
Eagle, WI
What are you guys using for shops lights? I have been to Home Depot and Lowes to look at there selection of outdoor shop lights, but do you think I could get away with using just standard fluorescent lights? Granted they will take longer to heat up and get bright but thats fine with me, just looking for something cost effective. Or I was thinking about just adding about 4-5 more light receptacles with 100 watt bulbs for the garage. Any opinions/thoughts/ideas?
 
The regular flours will not light all the way when it's really cold. If you're on a budget, just put in the 300w incandescent bulbs... they are $3-4 each and give tons of light. Get the frosted ones for less harsh shadowing.

BHM
 
Yeah thats what I was thinking as well. I have a 2 1/2 car garage with a work bench and its to damn dark in there. And all I have in there now is a regular 60W garage light. I was thinking about adding 4 more lights but throwing in the larger wattage bulbs and calling it a day.
 
Very inexpensive to wire up several ceiling light boxes and porcelains (the plastic type are fine). Just don't put more lights on one switch than it is rated for. This depends on the bulbs you expect to use. You just can't have too much light.
 
I just have 2 light recep. on the ceiling.I use 200 watt bulbs.Went to Home depot the other day and bought 2-Y adapters.Now I can use 2-200 watt bulbs per outlet.Gives me a lot of light now.I also have extra ceiling mounted halogen heater with built in little spot light.That is aimed over a bench where my Vise is,gives me an extra shot of heat and light while I an grinding or drilling. On my other table I have a grinder and most of my tools,have 2 individual spot lights over there to turn on when needed.Also have another light mounted on the wall next to the entrance door into the house.It is one of those outdoor dual spotlight fixtures with motion detector.I put 2 halogen bulbs in there,can move the arms around and aim the light at the sleds also.
And when I really need to zero in on the sleds to work on something,I have two portable Halogen Dual Spotlight's on adjustable stands to move around the garage.
My electric heater which is on 220V gives me the heat I need in the garage when working in there during the winter.Most times the garage will stay around 30 to 32 F without the heat on,even on cold days..as long as I don't keep the overhead doors open to long of a time.Everyting is insulated good and couldn't live without it.
 
I know that the cheap flourescents don't hold up in a cold garage. Half of mine don't light anymore. I think they are "lights america" or something like that. They were the cheapest ones at Home Depot.
 
Coles_55 said:
What are you guys using for shops lights? I have been to Home Depot and Lowes to look at there selection of outdoor shop lights, but do you think I could get away with using just standard fluorescent lights? Granted they will take longer to heat up and get bright but thats fine with me, just looking for something cost effective. Or I was thinking about just adding about 4-5 more light receptacles with 100 watt bulbs for the garage. Any opinions/thoughts/ideas?
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I broke down and bought the cold weather 8' flourescent fixtures from Home D and haven't been disappointed. I've got a pole barn with a 12' ceiling that had the rafters exposed. I also have side sky lights along two walls which helps during the day.

What made a big difference was to cover the ceiling with white shrink wrap (the stuff they use to cover boats for winter storage). It made a difference in reflecting light down and also was necassary in keeping heat way from the roof.

I just added to the barn last summer and got some scrap 4' fixtures to use in the addition. They are not cold weather and make a bunch of noise and also flicker a lot until things start heating up. The cold weather 8' fixtures are full on within a few minutes with no flicker. A couple times last winter I got a headacke from the flickering (I know, put my purse down next time).

A little pricey compaired to the standard, but I'm glad I spent the extra cash for the cold weather fixtures.

Making the ceiling white helped out a lot.
 
I have about 14 - 100 watt incandescent bulbs in simple porcelain sockets. They are on full when you turn the switch. Once in a while you have to replace a bulb, but they are cheap. The boxes, sockets, switches, and wire are pretty cheap as well.

At 12 cents a KWH, they cost about 17 cents an hour to run. If I run them 4 hours a day 10 days a month the total cost is under 7 bucks. Takes a while to justify the cost of the cold weather HO flourescents. Almost all of the energy savings options with light are money-losing propositions in the long run. There are exceptions though.
 
I have two 100 watt bulbs on a switch that I turn on when I just need to grab something from the garage. On a switch next to that I have six four foot flourscents that I can turn on if I am working on something and need more light. I also have a four footer over my work bench on a seperate switch that I can turn on when working at that.

The biggest thing that helps with lighting is the fact that I have the whole interior painted white. The ceiling and the top half of the walls are drywall and the bottom half of the walls are OSB. With all of the materials, including a 45,000 btu modine-style heater, I have around $1500. Best money I spent on the house.
 
scottman0 said:
IThe biggest thing that helps with lighting is the fact that I have the whole interior painted white. The ceiling and the top half of the walls are drywall and the bottom half of the walls are OSB. With all of the materials, including a 45,000 btu modine-style heater, I have around $1500. Best money I spent on the house.
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I guess that's what I wanted to stress in my long winded reply earlier. The reflected light off of the white surfaces made a big difference and shrink wrap was a lot easier and cheaper than hanging drywall on a 12' ceiling.

It also seems to me that unpainted drywall will yellow darker and quicker than if its painted white. I think a gloss finish white reflects the best.
 
LOL, it only yellows faster because there is no insulation behind it(I think)... and the moisture is reaking hovoc on it. <--pullin your chain. I am actually putting up celo-tex to help hold the heat in in the winter and keep the heat out in the summer, I KNOW I KNOW, that shit WILL kill you when and if it catches on fire. Plus the neighbors tell me that the light shines through the walls when I turn the lights on(meaning lotsa light in there).
snomofo said:
I guess that's what I wanted to stress in my long winded reply earlier. The reflected light off of the white surfaces made a big difference and shrink wrap was a lot easier and cheaper than hanging drywall on a 12' ceiling.

It also seems to me that unpainted drywall will yellow darker and quicker than if its painted white. I think a gloss finish white reflects the best.
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