Lighting for when garage door is up??

[Blacklisted]

I have a small 22'x21' garage and normally work in the garage with the door up so I have more room to work around the front or rear of the vehicle. I found this thread about lighting tips and a couple other ideas but haven't found a lot of pics of what people are doing to get good light with the door open.

I'm slowly getting lights for the garage and would like to see how everyone is mounting lights around the garage door. I was thinking of making brackets to mount the "open" type 4' T8 strip lights on the garage door rails, is this a good idea? Anyone done this? Got pics?

Are there any other lights I should look at for this option? Some sort of flood fixture that has adjustable lamps?

If there are other threads on this please post a link as I didn't find much when searching.

This is what the garage looks like now. I have one 4' 4 bulb T8 fixture and a regular socket bulb that will soon get replaced with the same 4 bulb T8 fixture. It is open ceiling and walls except for the "fire" wall seperating the garage and house.

 

[Nostraquedeo]

You could mount some fixtures on the walls, place them to the sides of the rails, they even make cast in concrete fixtures you could put in the slab. You could mount fixtures on the wall and aim them to reflect off the inside of the garge door panels. You could even put relective material on the door panels. Maybe even build a trapeze around the garage doors and rails, but I would not mount any fixtures to the garage door rails. I'd get some portable light before even entertaining that option.

 

[Blacklisted]

You could mount some fixtures on the walls, place them to the sides of the rails, they even make cast in concrete fixtures you could put in the slab. You could mount fixtures on the wall and aim them to reflect off the inside of the garge door panels. You could even put relective material on the door panels. Maybe even build a trapeze around the garage doors and rails, but I would not mount any fixtures to the garage door rails. I'd get some portable light before even entertaining that option.

I was thinking of mounting lights to the side walls but I am planning on getting shelving that will go all the way to the front of the right side of the garage as you look into the garage, I guess I might be able to mount the light to the shelf but that might not be ideal either.

What is your reasoning on not mounting to the garage rails?

 

[Wackerjr]

Easy peasy... Take a piece of conduit, bend it in a 90... mount said 90 to wall/rack... with door up spin it out to under door, with door down, spin it to side out of the way.... I am working on this very same thing.. Jack's garage with the hanging lights under the door got me goin

 

[Blacklisted]

Easy peasy... Take a piece of conduit, bend it in a 90... mount said 90 to wall/rack... with door up spin it out to under door, with door down, spin it to side out of the way.... I am working on this very same thing.. Jack's garage with the hanging lights under the door got me goin

Do you have any pics? If not when you finish please post back with pics. What type of lights are you planning on using? How are you planning on mounting the conduit?

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

Since my ceiling is relatively close to my open overhead door (low clearance), I simply installed one of the fixtures pictured below between the tracks of my two doors. Works great in combination with my other lights and I can aim it where I need light.

 

[HAP]

I simply mounted 8' fixtures on the door tracks themselves. Good light w door up or down.

R,
HAP

 

[eljefino]

My two car garage has a couple foot gap between the inner two door tracks. Have a flourescent longitudinally in there. Also gets down into the car wheel wells a little bit. I'd worry about vibration with track-mounted bulbs.

Also I set up another 4 foot flourescent so it's above the windows in my garage door. When the door is open, and the opener puts it in the same spot every time, light shines down through the windows!!! True, some is blocked, but it's better than nothing. I like to back a car in so I get more room, and to work from the afternoon into the evening. So I get sunshine in that gradually segues to artificial light.

If you have your typical sectional garage door you could even do a few edison bases with CFLs or spots to line up even more precisely with the door windows.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

See what Jack Olson did to his.

Charles

 

[Blacklisted]

I simply mounted 8' fixtures on the door tracks themselves. Good light w door up or down.

R,
HAP

Do you have any pics? How long have you had them up? Did you use brackets or make them? I think this would be one of the best solutions.

Tim The Tool Man, I was thinking something like that or some sort of track lighting mounted to the rails also.

 

[Blacklisted]

My two car garage has a couple foot gap between the inner two door tracks. Have a flourescent longitudinally in there. Also gets down into the car wheel wells a little bit. I'd worry about vibration with track-mounted bulbs.

Also I set up another 4 foot flourescent so it's above the windows in my garage door. When the door is open, and the opener puts it in the same spot every time, light shines down through the windows!!! True, some is blocked, but it's better than nothing. I like to back a car in so I get more room, and to work from the afternoon into the evening. So I get sunshine in that gradually segues to artificial light.

If you have your typical sectional garage door you could even do a few edison bases with CFLs or spots to line up even more precisely with the door windows.

I only have one door and no windows in the door. Great idea if I had windows.

See what Jack Olson did to his.

Charles

I've seen his setup but don't want them hanging too low.

Great ideas keep them coming!

 

[bochnak]

I always wanted to try a dock light.

 

[WanderingSol]

Door open in day, plenty of sunlight. Door open at night with any lights on brings in major bugs. So my door is not open at night.

 

[Blacklisted]

I always wanted to try a dock light.

Wow they are proud of those lights! Did a search and they are up around $200, just the arm is around $125. I don't think it would be too hard to make an arm setup like that and mount some sort of light to it.

 

[Sludge Puppy]

Easy 2 inch steel, put a hole in one end and a pin, and you are good. Wayyyy cheaper then $200

 

[Norcal]

Get a 20' stick of unistrut suspend it just below the door track, and mount fluorescent strip or industrial type fixtures on them.

 

[Blacklisted]

Get a 20' stick of unistrut suspend it just below the door track, and mount fluorescent strip or industrial type fixtures on them.

I was thinking of this, I don't think it will work well with the garage door opener arm. I think it would have to be too low to clear the arm. I will have to look at it again to see if it will work.

 

[mmack66]

Just mount some lights on the inside of your garage door and plug them in when the door is up.

 

[Greatbear]

My doors have windows in them, so when I installed the lighting I lined up the strips of fluorescent lights to be above the windows when the doors are open. The lights shine through the windows and leave me with usable light below.

 

[ibmrduck]

I have the same issue in my garage. I have been thinking about using LED strips like these. http://amzn.com/B005GL5R56.. I have been trying to think of a good way to wire them in, but I don't have a good ideas of how to move the wiring with the door yet.

 

[gatchel]

I was thinking of this, I don't think it will work well with the garage door opener arm. I think it would have to be too low to clear the arm. I will have to look at it again to see if it will work.

I guess you'll have to add a Liftmaster LM3800 to the list too!

 

[gatchel]

I have the same issue in my garage. I have been thinking about using LED strips like these. http://amzn.com/B005GL5R56.. I have been trying to think of a good way to wire them in, but I don't have a good ideas of how to move the wiring with the door yet.

You better order the SMD5050 double density strips if you are looking to get any kind of usable light output.

As for the wiring, they make cord reels, like a retractable extension cord reel, without the catch internally that will allow cable to go in and out as needed and remain under tension.

 

[HAP]

Do you have any pics? How long have you had them up? Did you use brackets or make them? I think this would be one of the best solutions.

Tim The Tool Man, I was thinking something like that or some sort of track lighting mounted to the rails also.

I thought I had a better shot. But you can see them on the far door rails. Just made some perferated angle brackets to mount them. U will be happy you did...

R,
HAP

 

[Blacklisted]

You better order the SMD5050 double density strips if you are looking to get any kind of usable light output.

As for the wiring, they make cord reels, like a retractable extension cord reel, without the catch internally that will allow cable to go in and out as needed and remain under tension.

That's what I was thinking, just take the stop mechanism out of a cord reel.

I thought I had a better shot. But you can see them on the far door rails. Just made some perferated angle brackets to mount them. U will be happy you did...

R,
HAP

This seems like the best option to me, I think I will go this route unless something else realy catches my eye.

 

[ibmrduck]

You better order the SMD5050 double density strips if you are looking to get any kind of usable light output.

As for the wiring, they make cord reels, like a retractable extension cord reel, without the catch internally that will allow cable to go in and out as needed and remain under tension.

I still haven't worked out the cable real part of it yet, However I am pleased with the lights strips that I mounted to the garage door.

 

[bacarl]

See what Jack Olson did to his.

Charles

x2

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62202

 

[Blacklisted]

I still haven't worked out the cable real part of it yet, However I am pleased with the lights strips that I mounted to the garage door.

Got any pics of the strips lit and off?

I have yet to do anything yet. Got side tracked with a new to me compressor and new shelving I put up. I still need to figure out how I am going to wire the garage and then I will update when I get the lights up.

 

[ibmrduck]

Sorry been away for a while. Here are some images of the lights up in the garage.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[sands35]

I always wanted to try a dock light.

Wow they are proud of those lights! Did a search and they are up around $200, just the arm is around $125. I don't think it would be too hard to make an arm setup like that and mount some sort of light to it.

Non LED ones go for $40-50 off ebay. You would spend as much putting together one with parts (unless you have lots of scrap around).

 

[Bullitt427]

Just mount some lights on the inside of your garage door and plug them in when the door is up.

Yep, this is the easiest and best way to light directly overhead the work area.

All other options are just lighting off to the side.

Mount the fixture to the bottom door panel and once in the raised position it will cast light directly on the vehicle.

Josh

 

[Blacklisted]

Sorry been away for a while. Here are some images of the lights up in the garage.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Wow those look like they work great. How did you do the wiring or do you just plug them in to a cord?

 

[ibmrduck]

Wow those look like they work great. How did you do the wiring or do you just plug them in to a cord?

Right now I just plug them in. I have an outlet near the entrance of my garage.

I still want to work out the cable real to have the a permanent installation. Just haven't gotten around to it.

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