Garage lighting help!

[662drsdn]

I just found this forum a few days ago and have to say it seems like a great place full of so much info, have been reading non stop since! But I think its going to cost me a lot of money haha

I am just about to start the wiring to finish my new garage and would love some suggestions/help with lighting

Its a 34' wide Attached garage, 12' Ceilings

I want it nice and bright in there, but don't want to waste money and put way too many lights either! Any thoughts on lights, or anything you guys would suggest doing at the wiring stage would be appreciated!

 

[nadogail]

Not every good idea will take a lot of money to accomplish. Sometimes a bit of creative scrounging will pay off in real savings.

Craig's List frequently has offerings that while not the latest technology are appropriate solutions to many garage problems.

As an example, fluorescent fixtures that are being removed from office buildings serve perfectly well in most hobby garages and workshops.

Another recent posting advertised "hundreds of T8 fluorescent tubes" the poster said they had been replaced by LED retrofits. Imagine, free fixtures and a multiyear supply of spare tubes.

My garage has switch controlled receptacles (outlets) in the ceiling with fluorescent shop lights hung on chains beneath them.

Painting the walls and ceiling white, a job for an airless rig, made a tremendous improvement in both esthetics and lighting.

Switched outlets are not expensive to install before the wall are finished. Specification Grade, (the cheap ones) switches and receptacles are sold in boxes of, I think, 10 at Home Depot and other home stores.

Plastic boxes like Carlon are easy to work with. Your biggest problem might be avoiding smashing your fingers while you are driving staples to anchor the NMR cable in place.

If wiring the lights sounds intimidating, pick up a wiring book where you buy your supplies.

Good Luck.