Looking to brighten up my garage (double).

Any recommendations for lowcost effective lighting. How many lights do you guys think is enough?

I was thinking 4 off twin batten fluorescent lights, but at screwfix they start at £45 each with a diffuser.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Wilkinsons do fluorescent tube kits really cheap, £5 for the tube mount and starter cheap. You could get 9 for £45! I just used an old extension real for the wiring.

1200 lumen bayonet compact fluorescents from eBay or asda. Fixtures from screwfix. I did 5 in my single garage wired in a line. Like midday in there.

Keep an eye out for used fittings, they come up very regularly. I got 10 six foot singles for nothing. That is enough to have a solid line down each side of my 11x19 single garage plus a couple down the middle and one in the workshop bit in the back.
Get plenty of light is my recommendation. I prefer to have more singles rather than doubles, creates a more even light.

I've got 3 of these (one on each wall): http://www.screwfix.com/p/security-floodlight-120w-black-2500lm/95207

You can't put them to near the ceiling, but other than that... perfect

Cliffhanger - Any recommendations as to where to look for used ones?

DDD - The wilkinsons ones are £10 at the mo and out of stock.

Irony - stuggling to find what you mean.

light bulb

Got mine off my local freecycle website, 3 x 5ft fluorescents, might be worth joining yours and putting a wanted advert up.

Try local ads, Gumtree and fleabay etc. Keep an eye out for returns of offices/schools/shops etc.

I have for 4 or 5 long fluorescent lights spare with bulbs holders n starters

Bit like these

http://www.sparksdirect.co.uk/1-x-36w-4ft-t8-high-frequency-fluorescent-batten-economy-batten-lamp-not-included

Ps free
Great lights I use then in my garage.

But I'm moving and I have spares

[Edited on 9/4/14 by jossey]

Toolstation supply various options which seem a bit cheaper than the screwfix options Here

Ultimate Locost

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23536914

One way to brighten up your Garage is to paint all the walls white + paint floor in a light colour too

you will be ammazed and for a one of cost.

I don't like having fluorescents in the workshop as the the strobe effect can make things appear stationary... Not a huge problem unless you're very forgetful.
I've just bought a dozen 10watt LED 'floodlamps' from China. They worked-out at just under £3 each. Rubbish as floodlamps but great for in the garage. I nice bright light and cheap enough to have plenty of them.

I have some of those floodlights, although I've put the biggest bulbs (500W) I can find in them and consequently all but one have stopped working. So don't do that. They were great while they worked though, plus you get a good bit of warmth off them :-)

Fluorescents are about the cheapest way to light your garage I think, if you don't mind the flicker.

I also went for strip lights. Now the walls and ceiling are white and the floor a shiny red, it's like daylight in there. But even then, I'm considering changing the bulbs in the front half for less yellow ones, as the back is clearly whiter. But they were more expensive 3' fittings with better bulbs to start with. The rest where from Wickes and have their standard bulbs.

Cheers for the suggestions guys.

Walls are already painted white (what you can see of them)

Floor is a relatively light grey

At the moment there is one single energy saving bulb in the middle (and a lot of other stuff cluttering the space)


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