What power and lighting requirements should I add to a new home with 3 bay garage?

Garage outdoor lighting suggestions

How large should the parking pad be?

How high is the ceiling?

If this is a NEW house, and it is not powered yet, ask the power company for 300-400 amp service. Normal is 200 amp. Realistically, 200 amp SHOULD be enough. But, if you have a big (220 volts 6-8 hp), and plan on any other power hungry items (lift, big welder, etc.), 200 amp might be approached in cold or hot (HVAC draws), dryer, stove, water heater, and then the compressor kicks in !!! When I built my shop I asked the power utility to upgrade my house to 350 amps, and the cost was almost nothing. I did have to trench out to the power vault, lay conduit and all the associated stuff before they ran the upgrade. Once the upgrade was complete I did all the trench work out to the shop (~140') and laid the cable myself. It was well worth it as I never have any issues with dimming lights at the shop or house no matter what the draws are.

As for actual wiring in the garage, there almost can't be too many outlets. Normal codes call for 15 amp circuits, but do 20-30 amp service everywhere in the garage. Install some 220 volt circuits as well with 2-3 outlet boxes so no matter what you buy, there will an electrical supply that is up to the task.

One thing I have to correct in my shop (~950 sq ft) is lighting. The walls are ceiling are white, but 6 fluorescent fixtures is not enough. Install a LOT of fixtures and use T5 bulbs. They put out a LOT of light and don't consume nearly as much power as bigger diameter bulbs. Putting some on the walls is not a bad idea either.

Your wallet will limit the size of the parking pad. Your significant other's sense of humor will limit the pad as well, if you know what I mean.

HTH some.

Oh, BTW, I did you UCoatIt. Don't. If you use the garage as a show place, UCoatIt is fine, but if you plan on actually doing some WORK in the garage, save the bucks and put down a good epoxy paint and be down with it. Then, if you want to "repair" spots in the floor it will be cheap and easy.

I don't know the climate where you are, but if this is new construction, check into radiant heating in the floor. The idea of laying on a 0 degree floor while changing the oil is kind of nice in the winter.

Congrats on the house,

Scott

I have the perfect lighting ready to go:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/11081340100...1555.l2649

"ONLY" $1000. And that's the starting number. What a deal.

Actually, if starting from scratch, might work well. But 4500 watts is a lot of light, and could be power hungry.

If the correct mix of gravel is used, it can pack up VERY hard and drain well. Depends on what your zoning, HOA, and property covenants allow.

Signed the contract for the land and the home this afternoon evening

Ceiling approx 10 feet.

120v - 20 amp GFI Decora outlets in the garage $70 per outlet

Will need to ask about using the thicker wiring

220 Volt Line (not connected) $160

220 Volt connected $180 per outlet

Can wait till the the walls are up to work out the exact locations of the all the extra home - garage lighting

Like the T-5 suggestions tho only have seen one 2 bulb T5 fixture at Home Depot

Outside garage spot lighting? HID or LED or ?

I liked the suggestion to add ceiling fan in the Garage

LOTS of sources. I have seen the 48" four bulb fixtures. It HURTS to look at them. VERY bright.

Simple but effective, paint the walls and ceiling bright semi-gloss white. Its like adding a couple of light fixtures. Also a nice sized window or two to give some natural light help.

Airlines is a great idea, and don't let anyone convince you to do PVC, I used copper, but there are some other safe choices. I did my floor with epoxy and clearcoat but if I had it to do over I would just polish the concrete and stain it for color if you want. Once polished it will shed water and oil, won't be as slippery as epoxy or tile, and will never have to be redone. Also, plan to put the compressor in its own small enclosed area outside the garage, it makes a lot of noise and will be easier to drain without a mess. As mentioned above, you can't have too many circuits or outlets. Also, a dedicated circuit for a window AC and/or a ceiling exhaust fan. Also, consider reinforced framing for a motor hoist.

If it is attached to the house consider extra sound insulation between the house and garage. The bigger the better for doors, especially if you trailer your car and may have to back the trailer in to the smaller bay (it will be a lot wider than the car).

well, the $1000 was a starting bid for all 20!

I didn't mean to imply that I would not part them out....

The bigger the better, I prefer 18' on the main garage and 10'+ on the 3 car. Depending on how flexible your builder is I'd add some depth/width as well it shouldn't cost much more than $20 sq ft.

I have built many homes and my only regrets where the items I didn't do.

YUP. Trailer when you want.

On the compressor comments - a good quality CAST IRON compressor will not be very noisy (like the cheap aluminum ones) and will run less. Installing a compressor outside creates its own set of challenges. For instance, in the summer it will run much hotter outside and generate more water, and in the winter any water that may be in it can freeze. My 6 horse compressor runs very little, is not real noisy, and since I use air tools, paint guns, and a blast cabinet, I can easily change the ONE regulator instead of having a bunch of them. Also, if there is something wrong (belt slipping, fixture leaking, etc.) I know about it right away. Just some thoughts.

My detached shop has 6" of concrete on at least 8" of gravel. Even at sub freezing outside temps, then floor is always above ambient. The shop itself is R45 blown ceiling, R9 garage door, and R19 walls. Not really sure how one can insulate the floor, but a good builder should be able to answer that question.