Lighting a smaller garage?

[DzNuts]

I'm in the process of finishing my new (to me) garage. I am trying to figure out the best (economical) way to light my garage. It is 12 ft wide, 24ft deep and 8' tall. When the 9' wide by 7' tall garage door is open it closes off the front 1/3 of the ceiling. So I am trying to figure out how I can light up this place and solve my problem of the door blocking a third of the light when open. And yes I plan to work in the garage with the door open in the evening time. Possible solution..
I am leaning towards putting 8 recessed lights in at two wide and four deep. Money wise: $10 times 8 = 80 bucks not including trim which I can purchase later. And I can make it so 6 of the 8 are exposed even with the door is up. The other option would be three 2x4' fluorescent lights. My problem with fluorescent lights in is I live in mn and want instant on when I step in the garage. And I am not keeping it heated. The other problem is still when the door is open 1/3 of my light is covered up. Money wise: $50 (for anything acceptable in cold weather) times 3 = $150.
Does anyone on GJ have a solutions for lighting up the front third of the garage while the door is up?

Ryan D.

 

[Norcal]

Recessed lighting is a poor way to light a garage, using strip, industrial, or wraparound type fluorescent fixures would do better job giving more bang for the buck...

 

[ItBurnsWhenIPee]

Mount the lights on the walls on either side of the garage door. Not only will the door not block the light...It works better for lighting anyway.

Not sure how to solve the cold problem though...I'm a wussy and won't go out there if it's cold

 

[usmc_noma]

you could hang a 4' t8 strip on either side of the garage door tracks to illuminate that area.

 

[DzNuts]

Anyone got pictures or seen T8s hung on the walls. I don't want to start hanging lights on the walls where they are even more vulnerable to being hit and broken but if I have no others options I may have to. Keep in mine the ceiling is only 8 foot tall. Which is another concern of mine for T8s on the ceiling.

 

[rodnok1]

I used 2 halogen lights mounted at inside front of garage that angled into the garage at my last place, it was too narrow to mount lights on the side. It worked out well, I put them on a seperate switch for just when the door was open.

 

[Ray-CA]

There was (is) a thread on the Journal about a builder that mounted some fluorescent lamps on the garage door. They moved up and down with the door and would seem to be the solution to your problem.

I found the thread (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29277&highlight=door+mounted+lights)

Take a look at it....

Ray

 

[DURAMAT]

Putting lights on the garage door in my opinion is just wasted time and money. Vibration is killer on filaments and the up and down of the door is going to shorten the life of whatever lamps that are on it. I think safety too, just too easy for someone/something to fall right on that lamp or worse vice versa. Not worth the chance, even if they where shattersheild lamps (clear Teflon coated lamps).

Sometimes Ive seen fixtures just between the wall and the tracks to help light up that blind spot as your mentioning. Myself, its the nature of the beast of having garage doors and fixtures on the ceiling. Other option and a coworker of mine did this in his $$$ Hangar, he went about 6' off the floor and mounted strips along the walls. His reason was so he didnt have any shadows under the wings of his/planes when he was working on them. If thats not an option you may have to put more fixtures up towards the front of the garage to help throw the light under the door. Painting your walls and floor would definately help though.

As for that thread, it would of made more sense getting rid of the drop in T-grid light thats out of place and replacing it with them T5 fixtures mounted on the door.

 

[DzNuts]

I like all the ideas. The lights on the door is pretty clever. I just don't think they would last long with a 3 year old running around in there. Much less myself with a few silver smoothies..
Any ideas on not using fluorescent tubes? With the winters around here getting 40 below and me being impatient I would like bounce around ideas of things that are 'instant on'.
Keep the ideas and thread links coming GJ.

 

[paranoid56]

i know this is a month old but what i did was use 3 2x48 florecent lights on the celing and above the work bench i installed 4 can lights. i am extending the bench for the full witdh of the garage and plaing on doing can lights every 24" the can lights arnt as bright as my 2x48 but i needed something recessed so the doors on the upper cabinet wouldnt hit.