Garage/Workshop/hovel lighting advice

[brickwall]

Hi folk.

 

The lighting in me garage is atrocious. I can only  muster a yellow glow from the three  "euro bulbs" that we are only allowed to have now. This means I have to wheel everything outside.

 

 

I wish to upgrade the lighting and I need some advice on what to buy. I would like white light. Are baton strip lights the thing or what? I have lamps and stuff for close in work.

 

Any links to a guide or summit?

 

[brickwall]

Oh yeah, what about wattages and lumens and stuff?

[alf892]

Maybe LED is the way to go if upgrading? Some of these give a really nice light

 

I have 6x 6 foot tubes in each side of my garage So total of 12 in a double garage........no idea what they cost to run but light is good

[dave21478]

Yeah, I looked into LEDs and allsorts, but the reality of it was I could get 4-foot fluorescents from the DIY shop for about seven euros a piece, they only consume 7 watts each and replacement tubes can be bought anywhere. I saw no sense in splurging much, much more cash on something that might not be as good for the sake of saving 3 watts per light.

 

I have six of them and plan to add maybe 4 more, but the garage is pretty big.

[brickwall]

is 7 watts enough for flouresant lights?

[DS20]

If you want to keep the existing light-fittings, buy high-output LED / halogen / 'heavy-duty' traditional filament bulbs. The latter are cheap and widely available at supermarkets / B+Q etc, usually in packaging telling you NOT FOR DOMESTIC USE. I bought some recently for the outside wall lights at home, and I think the price was £1.75 for two bulbs.

 

Compact fluorescents are not suitable for outdoors use as they don't give off much light at all in low temperature situtations, and take an age to produce what little light they can muster.

[brickwall]

this is all for indoor as i have halogen  motion floods on the outside. Normal bulbs just cant light anything up.

[mat_the_cat]

Something like this works well as a quick drop-in upgrade for an existing light fitting - agreed that most domestic CFLs are a bit too dim for workshop use.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MGCL60ES.html?source=adwords&kw=&gclid=CKefyrqaqsMCFSoKwwodZz0AFw

 

Strip flourescents would be better value, but a little bit more work in fitting them.

[twosmoke300]

Not lighting but when I moved into my house / garage I painted the walls white , floor light grey and when I replaced the roof I used fibreglass clear panels and steel ones that are white on the inside . Made a massive difference and its light from all angles rather than the directional light of lights. Im not suggesting you put a new roof on but small changes like white walls make a huge difference for not much money/effort.

[dollywobbler]

Strip lights are good BUT you need to bear in mind what happens when you park a car beneath them and open the bonnet. I've moved mine further forward so it can actually illuminate an engine bay.

[brickwall]

my garage is  1.5 car garage made brick with a pitched roof with rafters and stuff so wee bulbs just don' spread the love, although those  heavy duty ones look good.

 

I think strip batons might do the trick. I have thought about position and the bonnet is nowhere near the rafters and there are bulbs hanging down, but are pointless.

[sierraman]

I'm trying to light a 6x8 shed at the moment with no power to it as its on an allotment. Seen the solar powered jobs on Ebay, only need for occasional use. Any experience of them?

[Inspector Morose]

Those MR16 halogen bulbs are 12v you know. A few of those off a car battery topped up with one of those solar chargers from Maplins would work if you don't stay in the shed too long. For extra life swap for the LED equivalent.

[Bobthebeard]

Those LED lights on a flexible strip are good. About 1cm wide, adhesive backing, can be fixed/stuck where needed. Run off a small transformer and give off good, bright white light. Available in various options re brightness etc. I have run a length of them under the eaves of the front porch. Lights up half of the front garden and uses little power. A mate uses them in his garage to light up awkward areas and is happy with the result.

[brickwall]

 MR16 halogen bulbs don't last long for me.

[Bobthebeard]

Plus MR16 Halogen bulbs use a lot of power (heat rather than light). LED is the way to go I reckon. Last ages and cost not much to buy and run.

[brickwall]

I basically nedd 15w if I go LEd as it appears to be the same as 75w old time bulbs.

[Bobthebeard]

Errrr... Yes. Is that a question?

[castros_bro]

I've a load of MR16 12W white LEDs with an old 12vbattery and a little solar panel,  The MR16s are about £2 each and I use quite a few to eliminate shadows, the MR16 connecting pins are the same spacing as my connecting block from Map**ns so easy to wire up also they have no +ve or -ve side to them.  I also have a couple of 12v SMD led strips but these sort of have to stuck to a something like a rafter so find them slightly less illuminating for the head in bonnet  or head under sump scenarios.  There is also a range of 12v  MR16 transformers so they can be powered off the mains but are still safe in the common late night garage floor hot tea/lightbulb/goolie linterface

[brickwall]

Errrr... Yes. Is that a question?

 

 

I have no idea.

[jonny69]

As said above on the previous page, have you got everything painted white? That alone makes a massive difference.

[brickwall]

No, everything is concrete or brick or wooden rafters. This sounds like a good plan.

 

I might need to paint stabliser on it as its a bit dusty and crusty.

[nacho man]

When I painted my garage I bought some cheap grey floor paint and white emulsion and banged it on used two coats a cheapo fluffy roller and it's fine. Painted over dust and what not.

 

 

I have two strip lights up which are ok but it gets quite dark in some places I bought a Clarke 500w 240v portable light thingy from machine mart it gets mega hot after a while but it's good enough to shine light on the bit your working on.

[brickwall]

Aye, I'll go fro the strip things I think and move the bulbs to the dark spots and use some cheapo emulsuion for the walls.

[PiperCub]

my garage is  1.5 car garage made brick with a pitched roof with rafters and stuff so wee bulbs just don' spread the love, although those  heavy duty ones look good.

 

I think strip batons might do the trick. I have thought about position and the bonnet is nowhere near the rafters and there are bulbs hanging down, but are pointless.

 

Sounds like your garage is about the size of mine and is the same roof construction.

 

I use four six foot fluories which are great but the best thing to do is paint the walls in bright white masonary paint, this reflects the light like you wouldn't believe. Appreciate this can be impractical for a garage full of stuff though, I did mine and painted the floor in light grey floor paint (20l from Toolstation was cheap) when I was refitting it so it was stripped totally.

 

In addition, I have a couple of cheap (OK, free from work!) anglepoises over the bench and a wanderlight too plus outside lighting for the carport. .

[alf892]

Paint.......some of mine is breeze block. I bought 25 litres of cheap emulsion........and then more.......they soaked it up like a sponge! In the end I got some proper brand stuff and that finally sealed things up.

 

Might be worth boarding out the ceiling too.......mine is on one side (and painted) and it is noticeably brighter than the othe

[twosmoke300]

Diluted pva on the walls first saves loads of paint and money

[alf892]

Ah....wish I had known........had always avoided 'decorating' up to then. And since

[brickwall]

I can't be bothered boarding the ceiling as I keep a lot of crap up there and like access. You never know when you might need an old mop or one broken ski.

[chodweaver]

Having put some of that LED-on-a-sticky-flexible-strip in my camper, and it being worlds better than the shite 12v fluorescent tubes, I plan to use it again in the garage. Particularly in the pit. As for portable lighting, Mrs Chod-Weaver bought an inspired Chrimbo gift of a10W LED floodlight. Massively bright, doesn't get hot, and quite tough - and the case is lime green, which I find most pleasing. From Maplin I understand.

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