Garage lighting

[reflexboy]

Since getting an Obsidian black car, I have realised the fluorescent tube lighting in my garage isn't great even though I have seven, 5 foot tubes. Any suggestions as to what would be better? Multiple led floodlights perhaps? Warm or cool white? Or is there something better? Tia

 

[jonnyboy]

I have 12 in my garage and it is useless.
I did get told they should be wall not ceiling mounted.
Although I will defer to those with greater knowledge...

 

[reflexboy]

I have 12 in my garage and it is useless. I did get told they should be wall not ceiling mounted. Although I will defer to those with greater knowledge...

I was thinking of putting them on the wall, but wonder if there is anything better

 

[renault12ts]

LED floodlights, warm. They work really well and only consume 18Watts each.

 

[reflexboy]

LED floodlights, warm. They work really well and only consume 18Watts each.

Any reason why warm as opposed to cool or do they just work better?

 

[renault12ts]

Cool are not nice at all. They do not give the light you are used to. Hard to explain...but buy one of each to judge for yourself.

 

[jonnyboy]

I just replaced half of my kitchen downlighters with warm white very expensive LED's. They are still a whiter white than the 50W halogens they replaced (other end of kitchen still has them.
I am a bit disappointed, they feel "cold" to me so I would hate to see what the cool white ones were like.

 

[reflexboy]

Think I'll give them a try. A few on the roof and one shining in each door so hopefully that will light up the sides and the interior

 

[trapperjohn]

I'm confused here (not difficult I know) but are you talking about something like this as an internal garage light. My garage is 25' by 25' and the lighting is florescent, 6 tubes, which is OKish but not what I really want.

2X 10W LED Flood Light Wall Pack Wash Lamp Outdoor Garden Light Warm White IP65 | eBay

CHEERS

 

[st13phil]

May be a bit obvious, but if the walls and ceiling are painted white it makes a massive difference to the light levels in a domestic garage.

 

[renault12ts]

I just replaced half of my kitchen downlighters with warm white very expensive LED's. They are still a whiter white than the 50W halogens they replaced (other end of kitchen still has them.
I am a bit disappointed, they feel "cold" to me so I would hate to see what the cool white ones were like.

Horrible...ask me how I know.

 

[reflexboy]

May be a bit obvious, but if the walls and ceiling are painted white it makes a massive difference to the light levels in a domestic garage.

Walls are white Phil, but the roof is timber (joists and OSB)

 

[reflexboy]

I'm confused here (not difficult I know) but are you talking about something like this as an internal garage light. My garage is 25' by 25' and the lighting is florescent, 6 tubes, which is OKish but not what I really want.

2X 10W LED Flood Light Wall Pack Wash Lamp Outdoor Garden Light Warm White IP65 | eBay

CHEERS

I am indeed John

 

[jonnyboy]

May be a bit obvious, but if the walls and ceiling are painted white it makes a massive difference to the light levels in a domestic garage.

Agreed, although mine already are, and the fluorescents are still awful...

 

[st13phil]

Walls are white Phil, but the roof is timber (joists and OSB)

If you're using normal domestic fluorescent units they rely heavily on light reflected down from what they're mounted on. Workshop-style fittings have a sort of built in "hood" above them so they can be mounted in free space and still give a good down light. Maybe worth seeking out something like that?

 

[c_200k]

Yup cool white will give you a headache, go for warm.

 

[230K]

Watching this thread with interest.

Must get around to fitting lights

230k

 

[Druk]

I have four 5ft tubes, one in each corner, but mounted vertically with the base a couple of feet off the floor. It's absolutely the best for not throwing shadows. Surprisingly given the work that gets done in there I've never accidentally broken a tube. That's it...no other lighting other than moveable stuff for specific jobs.

 

[bozmandb9]

LED panel, funnily enough I have one sitting in my garage, brand new unused, waiting for me to get round to selling it. It's 600 mm square!?

Just saw, you don't have ceiling so I guess a panel wouldn't really work. Putting a ceiling in and painting it white would certainly help lighten your garage though!

 

[daveenty]

As others have said, a white (or any) ceiling would help here with reflection, though Druk's seems to be the exception to this. I do like those vertical ones, and may have a play with some of those. I also like the idea of LED's, and appreciate that warm white would be the way to go with these.

I just have 4 tubes in mine, though don't venture in there in the dark too often so they're good enough for what I need. With the white ceiling and walls though it does tend to create a bit more brightness, as seen below.

Excuse the car not being a Mercedes by the way, though the one in the picture is the reason I came back to them.
(A virtual beer to the first to identify it.)