Mounting lights on garage door???

[stsmike]

I am wondering if anybody has ever mounted lighting (T8 fixtures) to the inside of a garage door??

I often work on cars/motorcycles in my shop (20' X 30' working space) in the evening. During the summer months I like to have the garage door open for ventilation but the garage door covers approximately 1/3 of my lights when it is open.

I am planning to change the light fixtures in my shop to 4' T8 2 bulb lights, and I was thinking about how I could overcome the lack of lighting when the door was up. If I mounted a few fixtures to the inside of my garage door (heavy duty metal segmented door) it would produce lighting when up, and would be additional side lighting when down.

The door is of substantial build to support and mount the fixtures securely. I would have to devise a way to run the power to the door that would allow for the sweep and movement of the door as it is opened. I'm thinking a length of supported SO cable or coiled cable from the ceiling to the door and from fixture to fixture.

I would also add extra "support" for the bulbs to prevent movement (falling out).

What are your thoughts??

Thanks,
Mike

 

[G_P]

My friend attached a 2 bulb fixture to his door. He used a coiled cord to plug it in. The cord was long enough that if someone closed the door with the light plugged in it would not damage anything.

 

[n8n]

I think you might be able to rig something for the cord with garage door cable pulleys or similar and a long but not too strong spring. Seems like a good idea really. Light may even be useful when the door is closed if you back in and are working underhood.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I thought about that -- but the concerns were (obviously) vibration and the movement the power feed would have to accommodate.

I ended up making cantilevered arms to hold lights in that location. (I made the lights out of cake pans.) My original idea was to have the supporting arm be able to swing in along the wall for when I needed clearance. But I decided to keep it simple, and I haven't needed the clearance.

The door moves between the ceiling and the steel arm.

The simpler option would be to think about mounting lights on the walls, or the ceiling portions that aren't obstructed by the door, maybe pointed inward.

 

[n8n]

That's another option, maybe use the garage door track as a support for the lights to hang just below?

 

[stsmike]

Thanks for the ideas guys... I'll have to think it over.

Jack, I like your idea. I guess I could do something similar and somehow mount the lights so they are under the area of the door when it is in the up position.

Mike

 

[Zeke]

Put windows in a panel that sits just below the lights?

 

[elguappo]

The first thing that came to my mind was Jack Olsen.
I wll be doing soemthing similar to his but with 10w LED units on a hollow steel tube.

 

[KCarGuy]

My Old Garage, I mounted two 8 foot Industrial HO fixtures that had Clear Plastic Protective Covers over each one.
They were single units and attached with a Flexable cord.

Loved it and worked great for lighting low (Knee High) and Higher (over my Head) areas with the door down and Great Overhead lighting with the door up.
Shouldnt be an issue!

 

[shooting4life]

My Old Garage, I mounted two 8 foot Industrial HO fixtures that had Clear Plastic Protective Covers over each one.
They were single units and attached with a Flexable cord.

Loved it and worked great for lighting low (Knee High) and Higher (over my Head) areas with the door down and Great Overhead lighting with the door up.
Shouldnt be an issue!

I have thought about doing this, I always wonder how you deal with supplying the power? Or do you just plug the lights in when needed and just make sure not to open/close the door when plugged in? I wonder if they make a easy break away power cord.

 

[jnkpile]

You could always use a retractable extension cord reel to power the lights, you'd just have to discombobulate the usually broken cable stop.

 

[shooting4life]

I did some research, just found this outlet, looks like a break a way outlet that is connected by magnets. Could not really find any reviews so I ordered it and will use it to add lights to my garage door in the next couple of weeks
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008IBCGH8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[ambenz]

I was thinking shipping dock light that swing away could work too....

 

[Norcal]

Get a 20' stick of Unistrut & hang your lights on it under the door track.

 

[Chris Stapley]

What about using clear rope lighting to mount on the door,lightweight,durable cheap... Could be powered by a coiled extension quite easily, I too have been thinking of this for the same reasons...