How to improve the lighting in my home garage?

[BoCRon]

It was suggested on another thread that I would really be pleased with the Rinseless wash I got in my Mystery box recently. I live in the south so can wash my car outside for about 10 months of the year. I just do without the other 2 as I hate the cold and will do anything to avoid being outside when it is below 50 degrees. We did install a heater in the garage last winter for alternate reasons but realize I could do some detailing in the winter now if only I could see. 

My garage is a standard 2 bay. There is a fluorescent fixture at the front of each bay and a hanging shop light on the support beam between the 2 bays. Not sure if you can see very well but here's a pic. You can also see the heater installed above the door.

 

 

The area at the back (overhead door end ) of each bay doesn't have anymore space in the ceiling as I have pulley operated storage in the space above the doors.

 

Like this-

 

 

So what would y'all suggest for additional lighting? Are there good, easy to store temporary solutions? Or is there a good option for mounting on the side walls? 

 

I'm super picky about doing anything that is too "gear intensive", meaning if I have to spend half my time setting up to do something I generally give it up (hence the abandonment of scuba diving lessons ).

 

Thanks all,

Annette

 

[Ricky Bobby]

I would just get a couple more fluorescent fixtures at certain points in the garage, since you have one directly in front of the garage door opener I assume, I would get one and mount it on a 45 degree angel more at the rear of the garage, so if you are working and have the doors closed you have plenty of light on the rear.

 

 

Honestly though it looks plenty bright I would just do a DIY LED work light if needed.

[ledger64]

General work area lighting:

 

cheap route buy plug-in 4ft 2bulb T8 fixtures at lowes ~20 a piece.  put them about 4 to 6 feet apart over each bay in your garage.

 

expensive route 4ft LED fixtures the same distance apart. check grainger

 

 

For spot lighting check the DIY LED light thread that is kicking around on here

 

or

costco has led spot lights snapon ones for like 30 or 35

Edited August 6, 2015 by ledger64

[Rich]

Lose the flourescents and get LED's.  No comparison.

[Chris@Adams]

I have to agree on the LED's.......they are pricey but you won't need as many either.

[Captain Slow]

I chuckled at this:  "I hate the cold and will do anything to avoid being outside when it's below 50 degrees." I love washing the car on a crisp winter's day.

 

 

 

I'll third the LEDs. Neighbor has them in his garage and they put my 8 fluorescent lights to shame...

[Mazzdog]

You can just swap out the flourescents and put 48" LEDs right? Don't need a whole new lighting fixture? I think you just cut some wires to the ballast in the existing fixture. Never done it but lots of upgrades to garage coming.

[Drive XR7]

I bought three 4' LED sets and wired them together. Lights my garage up like nothing else did. I'll love them in the winter time when it's cold. No more warm up.

[Schell21]

I agree on the LED. My electrician recommended these for $60 each and I put six in my four stall garage and i could tan in there. http://m.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-4-ft-White-Flush-Mount-LED-Wraparound-Light-FMLWL-48-840/205570126?MERCH=RV-_-rv_mobileweb_rr-3-_-NA-_-205570126-_-N

[PT3]

I'm happy with my standard fluorescents with 6500k bulbs. Fixtures were $20-40 each and the bulbs were ~$3-4 each. The light is great. Though, I've never directly compared them to LEDs.

Here are some pics of what I just did. On the ceiling I've got (2) 4-bulb units in the front half of the garage, (2) 2-bulb units in the back half. Then, (2) 2-bulb units on the walls in the back half.

Very pleased so far. I'll get some pics of the lights on the ceiling this weekend for you.

 

By the way... NICE GARAGE!!! color me green! ; )

 

Edited August 7, 2015 by PT3

[Schell21]

 

Annette- how do you like the Ulti-MATE garage cabinets? I've been seriously thinking about getting a few of the 2 door or 3 door upper cabinets to store towels and pads. Menards sells them and when they are 11% off the price isn't that bad. Also thinking about the Pro version of the cabinets but I probably don't need the extra heavy duty shelves. Do you really like yours? Do you shine them up with detail spray?

[BoCRon]

I'm happy with my standard fluorescents with 6500k bulbs. Fixtures were $20-40 each and the bulbs were ~$3-4 each. The light is great. Though, I've never directly compared them to LEDs.

Here are some pics of what I just did. On the ceiling I've got (2) 4-bulb units in the front half of the garage, (2) 2-bulb units in the back half. Then, (2) 2-bulb units on the walls in the back half.

Very pleased so far. I'll get some pics of the lights on the ceiling this weekend for you.

 

By the way... NICE GARAGE!!! color me green! ; )

 

 

Back at ya. Love your storage for the products. 

[BoCRon]

Annette- how do you like the Ulti-MATE garage cabinets? I've been seriously thinking about getting a few of the 2 door or 3 door upper cabinets to store towels and pads. Menards sells them and when they are 11% off the price isn't that bad. Also thinking about the Pro version of the cabinets but I probably don't need the extra heavy duty shelves. Do you really like yours? Do you shine them up with detail spray?

I really like them. I think they are now around 8 years old and are holding up well. We had to replace one, but that was damage a water leak caused. It was nice that we could still buy the same exact cabinet.

 

Never thought of cleaning them with detail spray, I just wipe them down on occasion.

 

Annette

[Bunky]

I usually see a need for more side illumination than overhead illumination.

[hemi1300]

Thought about led lights for my 3.5 car garage when we recently built our house, then decided against it when I found t5 high output fluorescent fixtures. Holy cow, with 6500k daylight bulbs they put out an amazing amount of light! Think the led fixtures put out around 10-12k lumens and the t5 high outputs around 15k lumens, don't quote me on these numbers though

[hemi1300]

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-4-Light-T5-White-High-Output-Fluorescent-High-Bay-IBC-454-MV/202838871/

[hemi1300]

Have 3 of these in my 3.5 car garage, measures 42' x 22' approximately, and they are almost blindingly bright

[marquez93]

Those are amazing lights. They are in the service shop at my dealership and there are only one or two bulbs per fixture, but they have a chrome reflector above them. Even with them 15 or 20 feet up in the air, they still put out a ton of light.

[LFairbanks]

Post #19