Can you give me lighting recommendations for a large garage?

I would look at 8 zones of 30 by 10 foot, about the size of a car.

I guess the question is how bright do you want it? I recently replaced my old fluorescent light in my garage. The old one took those amazingly long bulbs that were like 6–8 feet long. I replaced the fluorescent fixture with a screw in fixture and added one of these

https://bell-howell.com/products/triburst-deluxe

I can’t remember if this was the brand and I’m pretty sure I got the 8800 lumens version. I bought it at Lowe’s Home Improvement Just one of these lights up my entire garage (granted it is only a one-car garage) to the point it is almost TOO bright. With a garage your size even just a couple of these would probably light it up.

I’m worried about too bright or too white (blue) that’s why I want a few zones. There are lights that you can adjust the setting to more yellow or more white, but I’m not sure if it will help, because my husband likes very white light and I can barely open my eyes. I feel like my cataracts are growing and I want to put on sunglasses.

I’m curious about the purpose. If you’re working on vehicles, more and brighter is better. Same with if you’re doing cocaine distribution – it’s important to see what you’re doing.

If you’re doing pornography shoots, it doesn’t matter, because you will want softer, warming (non-LED) lighting anyway.

If you’re opening up a small public library, you’re fine with 10–12 LEDS spread around.

Purpose is what will make the difference.

Given where you live, I would be much more worried about dehumidifying the entire space.

@elbanditoroso LOL. Thank you for the levity this morning, I need a smile and a laugh.

It will be used for some or all of the following: working on cars, zumba, ballet, gym/workout equipment like a treadmill and stationary bike maybe a few free weights, and possibly a make-shift race simulator. Once in a blue moon for a party. Mostly, it will be housing a couple of cars and a trailer for hauling cars (not an RV).

It will be insulated, dry wall, air conditioned for lower humidity and lower temp. I think it would be find with just the block walls, with maybe dry wall on just on one wall for putting up shelves and hooks and photos, but I was out voted.

My husband is not a mechanic, but he will inflate and change tires and change brake pads. Dry off his cars after washing. Maybe a few other small things regarding his cars.

Mostly, it is just a dream of my husband to possess such a large garage, so I am going along slightly in conflict with what I would want, but hey we are getting older and I feel bad continually trying to reign in his dreams.

So it’s never going to be an actual garage? I am confused.

Yes, it is a garage. Cars will be in there, it will have garage doors.

Wait, you said it was a dream of your husband’s. So has this garage been built yet?

Personally, I like a very bright garage. You could just leave shades hanging on the garage door for when it’s too bright or have the lights come on individually so that when you want less light only one set of lights comes on. I have really bright led lights in my garage and I love it. The lights took a little getting used to but now they are the best light in the house on a dark day. I do my pedicure and manicure in the garage because it gives me enough light to ensure I don’t accidentally cut myself.

@Pandora I love it. I would not have guessed doing your nails there.

@chyna Getting ready to sign the contract.

Congratulations!

@janbb I tried to find a Q a while back where I asked about people who leave their cars in the driveway and use their garage for something else. I couldn’t find it, but some jellies were saying it made more sense to them to leave their car outside and use the garage to protect other things. I found the Q below when I was trying to search. I had fun reading it, it asked about sitting your garage.

https://www.fluther.com/95117/do-you-hang-out-or-just-sit-in-your-garage-if/

@HLeslie Ha! I asked that question in 2010 and they still sit in their garage.

I got nothing here. My garage is over a hundred years old so sitting or doing my nails in it is not an option. I do keep my mini Cooper convertible in it over the winter though. It just about fits!

I was just thrown off by your saying it was a fantasy of your husband’s. Congrats on the new home then!

Driveway parties are a big thing here and not unusual to have a garage or two open to put the food tables or sit inside out of the sun if someone wants too. Sometimes the parties have food trucks, live singers, or sometimes just pot luck food and someone supplies the music from their computer or phone and a large speaker.

One of my close friends goes to line dancing every week in a driveway. The instructor started it during covid as a safer place to dance (fresh air) in the shade and a small group. She’s been doing that class once a week ever since.

@chyna. Funny.

@Pandora Are they recessed canned lights or long lights that attach to the ceiling?

@JLeslie Its something like this but the old hanging ones. But it has a cord that you can pull to turn them off individually and hold 2 lights each.

Thanks.

If you have counter space along the wall(s), make sure to put task lighting because if you’re doing something on the counter, you may not want or need a big overhead bright light, you may want a more focused lower level of light. You could also put that on a wall switch, so that if you enter the garage and don’t want or need a flood of lighting, but just want to illuminate the counter, maybe to find something and grab it, you don’t have to be blinded by the big lights. Also, if you are going to use the garage for entertainment, you can have the task lighting on instead of the huge bright overhead lights.

@jca2 I said similar to my husband but I was thinking when he’s working on his car he’ll need a clip light or light on a stand that he can roll over no matter what to see under a car. I can put in a floor light in a corner too if I don’t have a counter.