New detached garage, lost on where to start

[blackgold]

Hey everyone, I just moved in to my new house and took ownership of my detached garage that I've been trying to get for years... I detail on the side and am looking for ideas to lay everything out. The garage is about 22.5 ft deep and 19.5 ft wide with a 2 car garage door on the front side and a single car garage door on the backside in to back yard. The walls and ceiling are OSB. The electrical was woefully under par so that's getting addressed Wednesday, I intend to paint the walls with a glossy light gray and the ceiling glossy white probably. I am planning on picking up a 12 pack of low profile led can lights for the ceiling but don't knpw the best layout yet. I am purchasing a new electric pressure washer to wall mount (most likely going with the AR 630TSS) I've got quick jacks that I used to keep centered on the floor but I will probably get the qj wall mounts. Anyways, what are you guys using to lay things out and plan? I'll have a wall mount vacuum to mount, air hose reel and pressure washer hose reel to mount and large 56" US general top/bottom box to place along with the 60 gallon air compressor.
Thanks for any suggestions,
Brian

 

[glentre]

I don't want to come across negative but you know your business and physical garage characteristics more than anyone here. I'm sure you have certain sequences and methods you use as an experienced detailer which are likely different from others who do the same job. Whatever has worked for you and what you are comfortable with is how you should set up your work area. A few others with detailing experience might chime in with ideas that work for them and, hopefully, you can get some input that will help. Basically, go with what you like.

Glen

 

[u2slow]

I've always had less space than I required, so trying to come up with the right plan from the beginning has been impossible.

I go with a lot of temporary placement and trial & error. Installing wheels/castors or things early-on makes this easier. Also temporary wiring to run things until you decide they will stay put.

It takes time, but it works out eventually.

 

[nadogail]

In My Limited Experience, I have seen too many people install their garage electrical before they have any idea of what and where the power loads will be.

IMHO, make a plan and then building to the plan is the best practice. If the drywall goes up first; that is not a problem. Conduit or Wiremold can be neatly run on the surface of existing garage walls.

Don't Cheap Out on your electrical; you will spend more fixing your mistakes later.

 

[skulldrinker]

I have all.my electrical on the surface. Dont put a surface light on the ceiling where the roof will hit when you raise a car. Everything else i have changes anout every 5 years.

My surface outlet boxes have two plugs. I need to change thatvto 4 plugs per metal box.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[5door]

I'm an electrican, I wouldn't do can lights in a garage, you
Want very good lighting. go with strip lights, most are l.e.d now. My last garage was a 24x24 , and I had 12 in it, they were 4 foot long, 2 bulbT8, 4100k. And having osb board on walls and ceiling is awesome i would run the electrical surface mounted on the osb use conduit or mc cable. like one person said can't have to many plugs. And I'll just take time to get things in place trust us you'll move stuff around alot.

 

[blackgold]

Thanks for the (negative) reply... I was trying to ask what software people have used to lay things out.... Also looking for input from other detailers on their layouts. I never had an optimal layout previously so it's hard to know what it would look when you've compromised for so long because the garage was full of everything else and personal cars at times. Anyways, thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

Brian

 

[blackgold]

I'm an electrican, I wouldn't do can lights in a garage, you
Want very good lighting. go with strip lights, most are l.e.d now. My last garage was a 24x24 , and I had 12 in it, they were 4 foot long, 2 bulbT8, 4100k. And having osb board on walls and ceiling is awesome i would run the electrical surface mounted on the osb use conduit or mc cable. like one person said can't have to many plugs. And I'll just take time to get things in place trust us you'll move stuff around alot.

I thought the can lights would work well. I have a buddy who just did them in his shop and they looked great. I will revisit lighting today. Electrician will be here tomorrow then I'll deal with lights. I need electric quick for the air compressor and pressure washer and I know where these items will be going along with potential AC unit. The current plugs that are off the back porch will stay for now so I don't have to reinvent the wheel on all of that.


Thanks,
Brian

 

[bdbecker]

I thought the can lights would work well. I have a buddy who just did them in his shop and they looked great. I will revisit lighting today. Electrician will be here tomorrow then I'll deal with lights. I need electric quick for the air compressor and pressure washer and I know where these items will be going along with potential AC unit. The current plugs that are off the back porch will stay for now so I don't have to reinvent the wheel on all of that.

Lighting is a topic of constant discussion and debate on GJ. At the end of the day, you have to do what you think is right. Some guys will tell you 5k is the perfect color temp, while others will say 4k. Some will tell you that you need a minimum of 100fc, while others will say 50fc is fine. It's all a matter of what works best for you. No matter what path you choose, make sure you do your homework. Lighting can make or break your space, so its worth the effort to make sure that you are doing it right. There is a lot of info in the Lighting and Electrical section - if you haven't been over there, it's worth spending some time reading and researching what others have done. Don't rush into a decision you may regret later, especially when it comes to something at important as lighting.

The preemptive caveat to everything I'm about to say - I don't detail cars in my space. I have no idea if my setup puts out enough light for this activity or not.

That being said, if done right, I think recessed style lights can work very well in a shop. I put 16 of those flush mount LED lights in my 24x24 and the amount of light they put out for me is perfect (too bright for just hanging out, still need to install dimmer switches). Mind you, this is with a flat black ceiling and unpainted walls.

View media item 100947
I used a free 2D cad software (can't remember if I used Draftsight, which is no longer free, or NanoCAD which still is) to play around with my lighting arrangement and spacing to find the optimal layout for my shop. Using the beam angle of the lights, I figured out what sort of coverage they'd have at 40" from the floor (my preferred work height) and then played around with the arrangement until I found a layout that minimized both shadows and hot spots.

View media item 98496
The coverage on the perimeter of my shop is not all that great, but that was on purpose. I'll be installing under-cabinet task lighting on two of the walls, the other two walls are just storage and the garage door, so they don't need as much light. I've had this setup for at least 6 months now and perhaps the best thing I can say about it is that I don't even notice it. It just works. The only time I grab my trouble light is when I'm working under something. It used to be one of the most used tools in my shop, now it just sits in the drawer.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Sketchup is a common and free software package that will work for drawing layouts, but of course a pencil and paper still work pretty well too. As for the lighting, if you haven't already check out the sticky notes at the top of the electrical section, they go over what light fixture to use and the best layout. Chances are there are some examples in there that are close to what you want and need.

 

[sberry]

It never looks the same as you thought it would. If it turned out like my first plans it wouldnt work like it does now.

 

[abt12]

High CRI LED bulbs are key. Ideally dimmable and not all on one switch, as you won't always want ALL of the light. Take a look at some of the pro detailers online (AmmoNYC, Chicago Auto Pros, WhiteDetails, etc.) and review their setups.

In general, you need to figure out if you're washing in the garage or not (if you live somewhere cold, worth considering). Environmental control is also big here - you should consider your needs based on your environment. Lighting needs based on how much polishing you do, if you need a lift (do your customers expect wheels-off service for high end details? If so a small scissor lift will save your so much time, not to mention your back). Also, of course, your storage needs for microfibers, pads, product, etc.

 

[blackgold]

High CRI LED bulbs are key. Ideally dimmable and not all on one switch, as you won't always want ALL of the light. Take a look at some of the pro detailers online (AmmoNYC, Chicago Auto Pros, WhiteDetails, etc.) and review their setups.

In general, you need to figure out if you're washing in the garage or not (if you live somewhere cold, worth considering). Environmental control is also big here - you should consider your needs based on your environment. Lighting needs based on how much polishing you do, if you need a lift (do your customers expect wheels-off service for high end details? If so a small scissor lift will save your so much time, not to mention your back). Also, of course, your storage needs for microfibers, pads, product, etc.

Thanks for all of the input. I wash outside, this isn't prepped for inside washing unfortunately. Most of my work is polishing/ceramic coating and I already have a set of quickjacks that work great to get the vehicle up and make polishing easier.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[nc.detail]

No shortage of lighting options - I have 6 banks of 4 bulb T8 5K and one 2 bulb T8 5K. Side lights are your friend and use mostly the wheeled scangrip and handhelds. Wall mount kranzle and a rarely used quickjack complete my setup. I detail part-time too, couple cars a month.

This garage is 35' x 22.5'. Fortunately we have another single bay that houses all the home stuff.

far by Larry Bishop, on Flickr

 

[blackgold]

No shortage of lighting options - I have 6 banks of 4 bulb T8 5K and one 2 bulb T8 5K. Side lights are your friend and use mostly the wheeled scangrip and handhelds. Wall mount kranzle and a rarely used quickjack complete my setup. I detail part-time too, couple cars a month.

This garage is 35' x 22.5'. Fortunately we have another single bay that houses all the home stuff.

far by Larry Bishop, on Flickr

Wow, that is an amazing set up! Mine won’t be that fancy, I work on cars for fun as well. What color and sheen did you do your walls in? I’m thinking light gray glossy. How do you like the kranzle?!? I’m used to a big gas pressure washer now and am leaning towards the ar630tss because it’s rated at higher psi. I assume your pressure hose is on a reel? 100 ft hose? Would you change the length now if you could?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[nzjkb5]

Maybe it's because of my somewhat severe nearsightedness, but I have twelve 4' double-light-bulb light fixtures in my 500-ish square foot garage, with a mixture of T12-T8-LED bulbs, and it is "comfortably" light enough for me. The garage is the brightest place in my house. I do have dark walls and a dark ceiling. I do also have additional lighting over a workbench, my tool boxes, and my vise. Personally, I don't remember ever being in an indoor space that had "too much light". My wife turns down the lights after dinner when we are watching TV; as soon as she goes to bed, I turn them back up so I can see. I also have no business driving after dark, if that makes a difference. Age 52.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I prefer strip lights with T8 LED conversion bulbs. I'd rather replace a bulb than to replace an entire fixture.


Im also using a 5K daylight bulb.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

You need a wall that’s the length of a vehicle for polishing-

It needs strip lighting- floor to ceiling with opaque coverings. Painted a bright gloss white, with 1” or 2” vertical stripes. This “reflective” wall will show you every flaw in sheet metal AND paint.

I have basically a 2-1/2 car garage with 6 2-bulb 4’ LED conversion bulbs. A helluva lot brighter than the old fluorescent, but still not anywhere near what I would like to have- plans are to fill-in between the existing for a total of 10 fixtures.