Back to planning.
# Step 6. The electrical wiring plan
This will include such elements as the number and locations of outlets along the walls, plus those needed for overhead lighting and future garage door openers; the size and routing of MC cable and conduit; the subpanel; the electrical feed from the house to the garage; and the number and placement of ground rods.
Coming up with an electrical plan has been the toughest part of the planning process for me, as I am not an electrician. I can pull wire and install fixtures, and have even successfully rewired a main panel in the past; but starting with a clean slate like this garage, is actually proving to be difficult for me.
The main issue is that I’m not sure the best way to lay out the circuits and wire runs. It ought to be simple, but for some reason I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around just how to approach it.
Then there’s the question of MC versus conduit. I went back and looked at my neighbor’s garage, since his electrician just used MC cable throughout. It doesn’t look all that great. I’d prefer a neater, cleaner look, which means running conduit in the lower portions. I don’t have a problem running MC cable above 10’ off the floor.
As for the type of conduit, I’m currently leaning toward Schedule 40 PVC instead of EMT, as it’s easier to work with and maybe a bit less expensive.
So, after a good while of thinking about it with little progress, the best way forward in this case may be to have the electrician draw up a plan for me. Since that seems to be the major roadblock, having him draw up a plan would be worth the cost, which I expect wouldn't be much. Then I can get on with setting boxes and pulling wire.
More to follow.