Lighting

[Jeffm]

Im about to be purchasing a house closing end of June and want to make sure i have the right kind of lights to put up in the garage to make sure i can see everything on the car.

What do you all suggest.

[blake-b]

Overhead flourescents and workstand lights. The kind contractors use from home depot, lowes, etc.

[CamaroSpike23]

how large is the garage?

I've currently got a 22'X19' garage with a "step out" section where my work bench is.

I've got four - 4 bulb flourescant fixtures spaced evenly throughout the garage and an additional pair of 2 bulb flourescant fixtures above the work areas.

If you have any Habitat for Humanity ReStores around your area, check them out. or even the Salvation Army stores.

I picked up all 6 of my fixtures, with bulbs for less than $20.00 from a ReStore, along with 8 4'X8' pieces of pegboard for $2.00 each.

[menendez1293]

Just put a huge quartz light on the corner and aim it at the camaro. You will see everything.
(that is meant to be a joke quartz lights give off a lot of heat and aren't the best)

On a serious note I would recommend flourescents fixtures. As long as you don't have to high up of ceilings they work great. And espicaially when you have the high efficeniecny balasis they use the skinner brighter bulbs.

[fshog]

T8, or better yet T5 HO. Both are great for shop/garage lighting.

[Sir Nuke]

I've done this for last house, and for teh one I am about to start building, for overhead lighting, flourescents is the way to go. I have 4' x 4 fixture above my work bench (its only 6' long) and I have a 2 x 8' fixture above each bay of the garage. LOT of light. You can buy a single 2 x 8' fixture at Lowes or Home Depot for $35, bulbs and all.

[Black-Out]

If you've got the extra cash to do it, run 2 sets of T8's, a foot or so off each wall. Gives light down the sides AND the top that way.

I've done lots of body work in my shop (which has been nearly 20 years in the making!). The one thing I've always had issue with is trying to actually see what's going on down the sides. Can almost forget the rocker panel areas though, unless you run a set down along the floor! I've got a portable set for that though, as I got tired of tripping over them.

Do the floor and walls in as light a color as you can. Gloss is better. It cleans up easier too! No pores.

Last note: spend the extra, and get "natural white" bulbs. Don't (!!!) get "cool white". They look like CRAP (light wise). I had finished rewiring one side of my shop (using new natural white T8's) thinking I'd do the other side "later". I flicked on the lights. Looked over at the other side where it was all cool white bulbs. 20 minutes later I was down at Home Depot buying all new fixtures and bulbs.