Decided to build a garage. Now the fun begins.

[GrimsterGMC]

I went this way after looking at another 30x50 that was set up this way. Very bright inside. On 220 the lights use about half the amps, same lumens. Almost negligible cost to set up that way as the lights are dual voltage ready. Not my garage but a friends

This photo highlights something I did in my workshop when I set it up for my sheetmetal fabrication business from home. Line the walls with a building paper that is as white as you can find. It will reflect all of your roof lighting back into your work space and removes alot of the shadows you get with just roof lights. It is like night and day compared to bare plywood or whatever else it's lined with. You won't need as many lights on most of the time but best to have them for when you need to see finer details when you need to.

 

[Hipster]

This photo highlights something I did in my workshop when I set it up for my sheetmetal fabrication business from home. Line the walls with a building paper that is as white as you can find. It will reflect all of your roof lighting back into your work space and removes alot of the shadows you get with just roof lights. It is like night and day compared to bare plywood or whatever else it's lined with. You won't need as many lights on most of the time but best to have them for when you need to see finer details when you need to.

That's what they call insulation. Nothing more than bubble wrap. Foil faced on the outside. It was overpriced imho, but several people told me to go with as it keeps the building from sweating and collecting condensate inside of it. Seems to at least do that as compared to the pole barn at my old house that lacked it.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

I have about 15 of these in my 30x32 barn. They are amazing, cheap and so far have lasted 6+ years with no issues whatsoever.

Yeah, you can't get enough lighting. I did all my own electrical including trenching and tapping into my sub panel. There are 12 single tube looking LEDs on the 8' girt, and 10 double tube looking LEDs hung from the ceiling. All on, uses a little over 4 Amps.

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Can't wait to see the progress and completion of yours

On 220 the lights use about half the amps, same lumens. 8-10 hrs a day might add up over the long haul

1/2 the Amps per leg X 2 legs, meaning about the same total Watts/Amp (Ohm's Law). They are a little more efficient but not enough difference to notice.

 

[Hipster]

Makes sense but different info than what I was fed. You bursted my bubble man. lol

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Makes sense but but different info than what I was fed. You bursted my bubble man. lol

Yeah, they use a double pole breaker to get 220V so, instead of running a single power and neutral, you run 2 - power leads to each fixture. Ground to either, of course

 

[Hipster]

Yeah, they use a double pole breaker to get 220V so, instead of running a single power and neutral, you run 2 - power leads to each fixture. Ground to either, of course

Maybe save a a buck2.80 over a year. lol

 

[South VA]

You put it succinctly. Seems that we have a lot in common, especially developing
a true appreciation for a garage/shop while wrenching in the driveway while searching
for my tools in 3 different places and also being an amateur meteorologist. :0)

Thank you. The current conditions are quite a contrast to working on smooth concrete, under a solid roof and between walls that stop the wind and don’t leak. Having experienced such civilized digs in my younger life working at gas stations makes working in the elements, on gravel, all the more, ah, character building. At my age, I’d hoped to have most of my character building behind me.

No such luck.

Congrats on setting up your very own Garage Mahal. When it's up & running,
your quality of life will be off the scale as compared to right now. (!)

Again, thank you. It’s a few months off, but at least it’s finally within reach. I’m looking forward to making the adjustment to actually having a garage again. I say again, but this one will be much larger and better equipped than the last garage I owned.

Moi? Long story, but I'm trying to find the impossible, which is a modest,
easy to heat/clean/maintain bungalow with room on the property for a
righteous garage...set up to make the most of my remaining joy ride time.

Best of luck with your quest, in making the most of your remaining joy ride time. That’s a great way to put it.

Can't wait to live vicariously through your garage project. Plenty of photos,
if you please. Best of luck!

Will do! I intend document this project with lots of photos.

And, on that note, even though completion is likely months away, we actually began site prep this afternoon by starting to remove an old goat pen. Here’s a before picture:

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Prep begins in earnest tomorrow morning, however, when a crew of tree guys comes to remove those two large pines from the site.

Then the stumps and roots will have to be dug out, and the holes filled with gravel. My preferred concrete contractor can actually do the stump removal and fill the holes; the other contractor I’m talking with doesn’t, so I’d have to get a stump removal guy in here if I go with him. I’m hopeful that the first guy will get the bid.

And so it begins.

 

[Hipster]

working in the elements, on gravel, all the more, ah, character building. At my age, I’d hoped to have most of my character building behind me.

I have enough character. lol Those days are long gone. Hard enough to get up off concrete these days.

 

[RDF1]

From what I’m reading, 4” is a minimum, and 6” is preferred. Nothing wrong with having some extra capacity.

Which particular lift did you install? I’m trying to figure out what size I’ll need for the Suburban.

They dont make it anymore but this is the closest thing i could find.
Mine is the atlas platinum 12k.

Atlas Platinum PVL-10 ALI Certified Adj Height 2 Post Lift 10,000 lbs | Best Buy Auto Equipment

Check out the Atlas Platinum PVL-10 10,000 lbs ALI certified 2 post lift with adjustable height! Question? Call our knowledgeable sales team 800-647-7783.

www.bestbuyautoequipment.com

 

[Erik the Awful]

Buy a couple packs of these lights and use them liberally. I have one light for every 10x10' section in my shop, and I'd readily put in more. Then again, I have a 30x40x12' shop, so even with the white interior walls it takes a lot of light.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GVT34DY/

If you plan on doing any welding or media blasting, get one of these fans and stick it in the wall. This one's powerful enough to cycle all the air in my shop in under 3 minutes. I have mine on a manual switch, but I might add in a thermostat and humidistat. My wife's shop is better insulated and has high humidity problems, so she has the thermostat and humidistat and it really helped.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G8I7HQW/
www.amazon.com/Generic-Replacement-Power-Vent-Thermostat/dp/B0026KSOIM/
www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-Manually-Adjustable-Humidistat-for-Power-Vents-H1/100023416

I put 4x outlets with GFCI on every 10' section of wall, and each wall also has a 220v NEMA60 plug. It's all conduited. If you're going to be banging stuff around in the shop, invest in conduit.

As of right now it's all still run off an extension cord to the house. The local electrical contractors want $5k-10k to run the wiring to the service on my wife's shop.