Simple Workshop, Shed or Garage Lights

Using modern day LED strip fittings make adding lights to your workshop or shed easy. Lights (5' 45w IP65 LED battern lights) and junction boxes from Screwfix.
🧰 The tools and equipment I use: www.amazon.co....
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[@HanleyCORE]

Yah. Ok. This is my favourite youtube channel. I don't think you get enough credit for how well put together the vids are. The fact the camera work doesn't take away from the content, and actually adds to it is spectacular.

[@SteveSeadog]

This was exactly the prompt I needed to illuminate my garage effectively. I've been in the dark for way too long. 😃

[@mikeZL3XD7029]

Brilliant work, Stuart, glad I subscribed. As an electrician, LED fittings are the simplest, cheapest way to add a LOT of light to a workshop. I've lost count of the number of fluorescent fittings I've torn out of sheds in the last few years. One other thing, LED fittings aren't affected by vibration from power tools, like the pins on flouro's are either. Top marks.

[@mrspudly1]

One of those classic examples of where you inherit someone else's problem. Great video

[@TheLemartes]

I am glad I am not the only one using my hand and fingers as spacers 😃

[@generallyhelpfulsoftware646]

Maybe you could put in a couple solar panels to keep your battery topped off. Probably easier than bring in power from the house.

[@jamesantill5065]

Be an interesting project video for the rest of us too.

[@johnchincotta1qwdb15]

Very constructive and informative video as usual

[@earlyriser8998]

The ecoflow can be supplied with a small solar panel that will easily charge this occasional load. Even a smaller unit might be adequate for this use.

[@generallyhelpfulsoftware646]

It’s possible he’ll have cordless lawn care equipment that he’ll want to charge. So maybe take that into consideration when sizing the system.

[@billybull7419]

Na too expensive and inefficient

[@twincamtim]

You've knocked it out the park again, brilliant! 😎

[@twincamtim]

@@mc1703 IMHO this DIY channel provides the best DIY videos available - no bs, good fun, excellent content and topical stuff.

[@christianwithers7335]

Love this channel too, and you Tim 😋love everything🤗

[@philipwilliams8114]

Amusing soundtrack when erecting the tower. Another enjoyable video. Cheers

[@philipford3921]

I could watch this channel all day. And sometimes do. Another great video.

[@Mike_5]

Aerial Cables are a good quick fix to outside buildings (Suspended by a Catenary Wire from high on the supplying house) but this is also a winner of a solution

[@valborchardt3596]

Finally getting that sorted. Well done Stuart

[@colingoode3702]

I used some similar LED strip lights in my loft & garage. A much better whiter light than the old fluorescent tubes. You're right about DIY never running smoothly. I've just finished automating my garden lights & water feature pumps by fitting some in-line wifi switches which I can set timers on & control via an App. I had a hell time syncing them up to my house Wifi internet because they kept losing the signal every 5mins or so. In the end I ditched the Wifi control & went with BlueTooth control instead (luckily both options were available on the switches). I also fitted manual Kinetic switches in parallel as well for backup because I don't trust Apps. Call me old fashioned but I do struggle with some of this new tech. Keep them coming Stuart.....

[@jmal555]

For Wifi, you probably would need to only use 2.4GHz only (not mesh) and assign a static IP. That usually solves my dropout issues with IoT.

[@colingoode3702]

@@jmal555 You lost me already

[@mrporridge2304]

A question we all face. Sometimes occasionally, sometimes frequently... straight to actual straight or straight to what's already there! 😂 Great vid again Stuart thank you, good luck. 👍

[@NikNakGB]

I think I'd of shopped around for some clear perspex to keep the natural light, you can get it corrugated too

[@MartynSmith]

I think it would be a good idea to put a small hole in the bottom of your junction box. It's not sealed so it may let little bits of water in and damp air so you may get condensation inside. Over time it will fill up with water

[@MrBuyerman]

Didn't he say they were waterproof boxes, though? Putting a hole in seems to defeat the purpose

[@MartynSmith]

@@MrBuyerman It does seem to defeat the purpose I agree but that's the problem - to make things waterproof you need gel to cover it. Any water that gets in will not get out. I've had an outside plug fill with water

[@neilbridgeman7768]

@@MrBuyermanthey are waterproof but not the way he installed them.

[@christianwithers7335]

No. I would correct any problem if and when they occur. Don't cut into them immediately. That shed looks dry and has great ventilation 🤗

[@norfolkhall]

You can tell he doesn't run many cables ! Would have been better if the cables entered the junction box from the bottom. drip loops ?

[@markgammie4627]

Some years ago a neighbour of mine showed me a way to fit square sheets on a skewed shed roof without having to trim any and is a worth mentioning here. It would work in this situation provided the difference is not too great which it didn't appear to be. In this case you can/could/would screw the top level, then working from the lowest end of the bottom sheet align the corrugations and secure the bottom of the top sheet. Working along towards the higher end of the bottom sheet, keep aligning and securing the sheet bowing the iron out as you go. Then go back and push the iron flat and secure it in the middle. The corrugations compress take up the slack. On a roof you can pin sheets 2 or 3 sheets together if required and take up 75-100mm as was the case on my roof. Much harder to describe with words than to do! Thanks for the entertainment Stuart & a shout out to Turk if you're there.

[@user-jh8no1zb9e]

i think you need to make a video

[@bighig88]

I've said it before when I saw your first two or three videos and I'll say it again the best DIY KZbinr out there. I want to be you 😂

[@843thebear]

Great work. The sheeting you put up might be better overlapped on the outside to stop rain running in-between the overlaps, but those lights look fab, might get one for my shed. Also interested in your portable power unit, could do with one of those for when we have powercuts.

[@andypaddon8531]

put some silicon in the join outside. No one will see it and it'll last years if not in direct sunlight.

[@Loosehead]

Inspiring as usual, Stuart. I think I would have taken off the old corrugated sheets and re-levelled them, but, you do you, as they say. And put the sheets on the outside.

[@terrytopliss9506]

More progress with the outbuildings Stuart, good to see. Thanks for the video.👍👍

[@somewhereelse3813]

Great stuff again. Great subjects, very well presented, subtle humour and if your lucky enough to have Patreon, great extra stuff

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Nice work Stuart, Those LED strip lights do throw out a good light 45watt also cheap to run , I'm thinking of changing mine in my workshop and garage, I've got 10 to replace. great video mate ,take care see you on the next one👍

[@ianpearse4480]

Uncertainty is the only certainty other than the taxes thingy. Great work. Loved the solutions. I might have rehung all of it, oh, no I would have done it your way. I am way to lazy for that much work. LOL.

[@robgullen]

I have those lights in my workshop . . . feels like I'm in an operating theatre!!

[@stuartandrews4344]

Also have same lights,can't fault them, but I wear glasses & have had to change to non Reactions pair otherwise they go dark.

[@andyc972]

Thanks Stuart, for another practical and entertaining DIY project, I built a shed last year to hold just the same sort of stuff - it takes up lot of space and doesn't belong in the workshop ! Still waiting in anticipation for the Deere reveal !

[@garulusglandarius6126]

Love the lights, I’m going to use them on my new shed project. Excellent as always Stuart, thank you 👍

[@XL-5117]

Haha, nothing goes right in diy!! You sound like me, I’m always on a rant whenever I’m doing what I think is a simple job which turns out to be more complicated than I thought. You give me hope that it’s not just me, as you’re definitely more skilled at diy 😂

[@MSGaddicts]

I've got exactly the same tower scaffold. Used it at its highest capacity and used its outriggers. Was cheaper to buy that and install the gutters in front of the house than to hire someone to fit the gutters.

[@lewisbrown51]

Can I ask how much the tower is and where you can buy it? Thanks

[@mungoh42]

@@lewisbrown51Isn't the vendor name shown at the start-ish of the video? Google that.

[@lewisbrown51]

@@mungoh42thanks I hadn't noticed so I'll need to still find that.... Still think it's helpful if you just post the link

[@jeremysargent5037]

I do enjoy some of this stuff even though I don't have a half acre paddock. At least I can store my garden stuff in my garage, that I'd like to fix up using your plaster board workshop video. These videos give us the confidence to have a go at plenty of stuff that we'd otherwise be put off without having a good DIY mentor. Great videos.

[@dannybaker2763]

Great video, including the nice throwback to you and Keith working together, and something I'd like to see more of.😊 The lights are brilliant, 45 watts, cheap to run, and more importantly, provide plenty of light.

[@jonchalk3855]

The LED lights you added, is a great improvement over the fluorescent ones. Lightweight and bright for less energy. Great work. I am interested in knowing the brand and model of the scaffolding. As you said, for occasional use, it is good. I can also use it as a computer desk.

[@markhutton6824]

BTW have that same DeWalt angle grinder and it is a beast and has been shared around several neighbours to grind or cut... they bought or replaced blades. Better a tool be used by many than sit in a box doing nothing!

[@michaelhogwood104]

Great stuff Stuart i love the channel 👍

[@clivewalker5465]

Although most of my DIY is done , I always look forward to your Projects . Did you remember to remove the 13 amp fuse , and replace with a 3 amp ? Must look after your wellbeing . That Camping Battery is Ideal , and I had no idea that they existed .

[@xharassnatox]

Can I ask why you'd change the fuse? To account for the multiple lights?

[@nightowl356]

nice project! I would've used one of those translucent plastic sheets with the same wave shape like corrugated iron, don't know what they're called and if you have them in the UK, but some sunlight for just grabbing something quick would be easier than using the electric light everytime

[@ThomasJoe..]

But that costs money, the metal was already there so less costs

[@nightowl356]

@@ThomasJoe.. you're right, forgot that they were already there

[@99037149]

Credit to you I would demolished the whole thing and started again!

[@colinwood1337]

Yeah but not everyone can afford that approach nor would want to because recycling is very satisfying where it’s practical to do so

[@isaacplaysbass8568]

Fab video, I really need to revisit my workshop lighting. Just looking the debris at when you were cutting the corrugated steel with the cut-off/slitting disc your grinder - you can make your cutting wheel last longer if you don't plunge the blade so deeply, and it's less likely to get caught/trapped and disintegrate if you take several shallower passes.

[@Petertronic]

Just waiting for the electricians to start yelling about using conduit 😆 Great job. Fitted a similar light in my kitchen and it's excellent.

[@jamesantill5065]

Im not even a sparks and I'd have suggested trunking.

[@richardpawlowski4540]

At least put up fire rated clips

[@neilbridgeman7768]

@@richardpawlowski4540why?

[@richardpawlowski4540]

Owing to a fireman dying some years back after being entangled in cables that came down after the plastic clips melted it is now mandatory that all fixed surface wiring is supported by fire-rated clips. That applies to plastic conduit and also inside plastic trunking.

[@GenerateLance]

Naaaa we will just wait for the call-outs and live off the remedial works. Carry on! 😂

[@earlyriser8998]

like your solution. And I agree with the portable grinder

[@robertwillis4061]

I would have put a bead of sealant on the Corrugated Iron. Your panel is inside the outer, so any rain will get in. A sealant bead on the outside will stop water ingress.

[@therealdojj]

Got the same lights in my garage Fitment is so so easy I was surprised it was just clipping it in and away you go

[@kiohaha]

haha exactly why I'm going to do with the lights and the eco flow river max lol only maybe I'll add a 100w solar panel to charge the river max.

[@vernonhope3551]

At a later date you may want to consider replacing a couple of the wiggly tin roofing panels with clear ones. You'd be amazed how much light they let in.

[@peterconnolly2724]

With all those goodies in the shed, you should consider some sort of alarm system also. Solar powered cameras are pretty cheap compared to the equipment you have.

[@sween187]

In your unique situation you could have fixed the sheets to the outside going down past the gap this way you'd create an air gap, intentional of course 😉.

[@andypaddon8531]

Good film - love the discussion about getting the corregated sheet lined up - I would possibly seal it around outside with some silicon - although that may be over the top????? Possible to put solar or a mini-wind turbine and some batteries for a local power source for lights and a basic alarm????

[@scepticchristian]

Very helpful, thanks.

[@gerhard6105]

Well done but here in the Netherlands, Belgium etc, the cable must be put inside a "hit proof" pipe ( mostly grey or yellow PVC pipe is used). I have the outside waved plates on the outside of the structure. Regards from the Ardennes.

[@robertboughton11]

Very Bright.

[@davidtamasauskas2439]

Great video 😊 We did similar for our garage as we don’t have permanent power to it yet, the led strips give off a really good amount of light!

[@andrewwilson3663]

Nice little project and 13a plug powered avoids wiring regs for DIYers. Looks like a lovely home for a wasp (rat / mouse) nest, have you thought about an insect and vermin proof closure for the wall / roof junction? They will find a way in and the vermin will trash your valuable stuff!

[@HollowMan972]

I've thoroughly enjoyed and learned so much watching you. Thank you for the great content!

[@keiths-teeth]

Racking/shelves for your boxes, at 5ft to not sacrifice floor space

[@shaunsmith690]

A great job Stuart well done matey, some good light coming off them and only 45 watts.

[@reddevil3453]

I used 2 of those exact lights in my new 8 x 12 storage shed- perfect and bright, and of course low wattage compared to the old fluorecent tubes . one thing about your storage shed, i assume that you will now likely get nesting birds turning up next spring, i guess thats for a future video content

[@tonywatson1412]

Someone commented on the grommets degrading...they won't, not indoors anyway...ive used them under the eaves of houses ...years later .. no probs

[@DonMorte2]

I fitted 4 of these in my standard sized, one car garage... Two would have been overkill 😎

[@nocode1603]

Fair play if you don't think things go right in diy try being a spark trust me things don't always go straight forward for us either... empty a van full of tools to fit a socket etc😂you used what you had at hand to get the job done I'd call that a win..👏👍

[@clivewoolley4492]

I can see that the corrugated sheeting from the bottom is overlapping the one above on each one which the rain will come into the building so there for you should take all off and start from the bottom.

[@andypaddon8531]

or put some silicon in the join outside. No one will see it and it'll last years if not in direct sunlight.

[@ejimbru]

With the overlap so high on the wall and the ample overhang of the roof there is slim chances that there will be rain entering the join. With the wind speeds required to get rain in at that angle I think the roof and sides will come off so the overlap is the least of his worries 😂

[@elminster8149]

Might be better with a low voltage system and lights. Connect them up to a 12v battery and charge with a couple of solar panels. Will be easier than running armoured from the house.

[@brianknowles7130]

Good vid. thks. [ you try telling your Mrs. that DIY is not a five minute job ..lol ]

[@mudmucks]

You made that final sheet cutting look easy! I bet there was a lot of thinking and measuring taking place before final cuts were made :)

[@awantamta]

Great job as usual

[@WoodworkJourney]

Nice job! 👍

[@jackjonson2696]

Enjoyed video thanks.

[@johnwalsh6844]

It looks great. Nice job.

[@steve11211]

Bit rough but not to bad for DIY, consideration should be given for premature collapse, some allround band or metal cable clips would be a good idea.

[@neilbridgeman7768]

I don’t think premature collapse counts in this instance but yes, very rough.

[@steve11211]

@@neilbridgeman7768 I did consider this as its a wooden structure however plastic clips would melt before the wooden structure gave up, so fire fighters might need to go in to battle a blaze and the clips could fail impeding their exit so yes I think it would count and that was my NAPIT assessors logic on a similar situation.

[@hyland1984]

Idea: what about placing a small 12 volt solar panel on the outside of the shed and hooking it up to a car battery. A trickle of power will constantly go into the battery, keeping it charged. Save you having to run an electrical feed from your house to the shed.

[@GretatheEvilGremlin]

Should have done the lot in 12V. Plenty of LED stuff that's bright enough, and recharge battery sets from solar panels. Would have been wise to look at van life/off grid set ups, no headache with wiring and mains voltage then. LED fittings do some strange things on start up, personally I wouldn't drive that sort of kit through a portable type mains power pack.

[@hyland1984]

@GretatheEvilGremlin interesting. With all this new technology out there, I'd imagine there has to be a viable and readily accessible option rather than burying 2.5 core wire in the ground. Plus, that looks like quite a distance for Stuart to bury the cable, you know.

[@GretatheEvilGremlin]

@@hyland1984 All ends up, getting mains to it is the worst of options! By the time one considers Volt drop, cable size and route of digging, the headache has already begun. Plus, if the property is a TNCS supply, the argument of exporting PME is one which rages amongst sparkys, longer than a Jupiter storm!!!! With today's off grid living developments, there's plenty of battery and charging systems available for running small loads and lighting. Most of the kit Stuart uses is fuel or cordless anyway. Now he's committed to having some form of mains voltage for those lights. I'd rather put them through a cheap inverter, than a more expensive/sensitive power bank type arrangement.

[@JL-rx6hl]

you could have used t&e between lights and flex from the plug to the first junc box. and .75mm would have been sufficient

[@jcoul1sc]

Use your phone light meter to measure. Also I would mount on chains to give brighter light on the working plane about 1m of the ground

[@craigbaxter4842]

Another great video, really informative👍👍

[@martinasmales2634]

Why was there no detail or explanation of wiring connections, more important than the emptying of shed or the scaffold platform demo!🤨

[@ICanSeeClearlyNow]

Good job as usual. I might have been tempted to move all the sheets to the outside of the timbers, but that might be more effort than it is worth. What next paint it white inside to help with light? I did it on an old garage, what a difference.

[@ccrjason]

How did you avoid the urge to take the wonky sheeting off and put it up level? 😂

[@train4905]

Exellent job😊

[@MS-yy2dh]

Nice ride on mower! I have a somewhat cheaper secondhand Simplicity.

[@DiHandley]

There’s a lot of nice kit in there Stuart. Can you extend your wireless alarm to have a detector in there for peace of mind?

[@FlashPan73]

I'd still be tempted to cable tie the lights strips to the beam.

[@markirish7599]

Proper job 👍

[@geraldfitzgibbon7428]

Stuart iv 2 thos strip lights. Ther great.its nice clear white bright light. Wher can i get 1 thos towers. It b handy for me to keep the top of my hedge trimed. Rather than up an down a ladder

[@TheCod3r]

A nice tidy job, but you really shouldn't be using a 13amp fuse in that plug. You need a 3amp fuse installing. If you run that on a 13amp fuse it's never going to blow if the installation does develop a fault. That will be a major fire risk. Please change it

[@bill8784]

Nice video. Thank you.

[@darrenpaulgreen]

Nice job. Where’s the Tower from Stuart? Been looking for something similar….

[@dommer256]

I’m no electrician but 13 amp fuse plug 😮

[@johnmorris7899]

Schneider no longer make the 7 entry junction box that's what Ive been using at work and I've had to source a decent alternative

[@paulhalgarth1164]

You shouldn't use twin and earth with a plug anyway, so flex was the right choice. T&E conductors are solid core and meant for fixed installations.

[@ejimbru]

Isn't this considered a fixed installation? The lights and cabling is "fixed". Putting a plug on something like this is "frowned upon" (read illegal) in Sweden. On the other hand so is doing installation of new electrical installations unless you are a licensed electrician.

[@paulhalgarth1164]

@@ejimbru the socket is considered fixed, the plug is not.

[@ejimbru]

@@paulhalgarth1164 I understand. In Sweden the whole installation, with light fixtures and the nailed down cable, would be considered a fixed installation and would require an endpoint in a switch (or connection box), not a plug. This would be a job for an electrician, not a home owner, by the current legislation. You are, as a home owner, not allowed to extend on the electrical installations, just do "maintenance" if you have the knowledge and do it "as a professional". This would typically be to change an existing socket or switch but not install a new one. I don't even think you are allowed to change from a breaker to a dimmer if you are strict with the interpretation of the regulations....

[@christiann.4120]

Nice work, but....at the last seconds of your clip I noticed, that you srew the metal from inside, so that the rain and anything else can fall in. It should be placed outside to look and work like your wodden frontside. Regards

[@HepcatHarley]

Wouldn't it have been better to slip the top cladding behind the existing sheets (from the inside) then you wouldn't have an open edge on the outside for rain to get in?

[@ianbeesley840]

Hi, great, easy to follow video, as usual. Where did you get the LED fittings from? I'm looking for just such a solution for my shed. Keep up the good work & advice.

[@APSuk2]

No additional protection in the form of an RCD, could of picked up an RCD plug from Screwfix which is a must due to the location of the lights & you being in direct contact with the ground and essentially outside. Why not just do the Ohm's law and downgrade the fuse in the plug to a 1 Amp fuse? Absolutely no need for a 13 Amp fuse to power four 45W lights if a fault does occur lowering the fuse size will reduce the risk to the installation and yourself/others. Stuffing glands would have been better on the junction boxes those universal grommets do not provide a water tight seal around the cable and degrade overtime allowing an even larger gap to form between the cable & the grommet. These will also not stop the ingress of moisture from increased levels of humidity accumulating in the junction boxes.

[@chrissmith4933]

An RCD is of no benefit and won't even work, since it is being powered by an isolated battery source. I assume that if he wires it in permanently in the future then appropriate protection will be used at that time. As for the fuse, he didn't say what rating he used and I can't tell from the couple of video frames where he was shown wiring it up what was fitted, so I would happily assume he used whatever was appropriate. He referred to using a 13A plug because that's what the plug is called, regardless of fuse rating.

[@APSuk2]

@@chrissmith4933 I used an "isolated" battery as a power source with an RCD & it works as intended. It passes all trip and the ramp test with my MFT. The RCD does not care what the power source is all that it cares about is what power is flowing through the line is also flowing through the neutral. Whilst he did not specify what fuse he used he is showing others how to install electrical equipment themselves so just a short explanation of why downgrading the fuse is best practice and also educating others why fuse sizes are important and in some cases imperative it would of have been a great benefit to his audience whilst also keeping them safer. As they say assumption is the mother of all F ups, If you are someone that has only a very basic knowledge about domestic electrics changing the fuse would never cross your mind hence why I see over and over 13 Amp fuses in plugs & FCUs connected to appliances that are not rated for 13 Amps.

[@Mike_5]

RCD devices need an

[@MS-yy2dh]

I've been thinking of investing in a scoffing tower to paint my fascia boards (I assume your more modern house has plastic fascia). That one looks a little too wobbly for working at anything like 7m though.

[@NorthernMonkeeUK]

I've got one that I use for putting up/taking down our Christmas lights at the front of the house - it's fine for that, but I wouldn't want to be putting effort/pressure in to something like sanding as like you say, a bit wobbly for that.

[@gerhard6105]

I bought one last minth from Altrad. Highest point is 4m. €1450. With this hight, i can reach almost all raingutters frim my house and stables. With wheels and 2 diagonal security beams outwarts so that it can not fall.

[@colinmeredith7114]

Any spare white paint..?? A lot more reflective than at present.

[@andypaddon8531]

Good idea

[@SpectrumGeeks]

Great video Stuart, would you mind sharing where you got the lightweight scaffold from please, I am looking for something similar. Thanks in advance.

[@HayzeeHayes]

Stu I'm not one to adding jobs to your list.....however....it would be useful to make your single entrance door into a double door?

[@DracosTube]

Any chance you could provide a link to the one-man access tower you got? it's pretty nifty

[@DC-dp3hk]

Should the sheets not be overlapped the other way round to make it more weather proof?

[@hubby-tubadventures01]

Now my autumn project. Thanks for sharing the video. My workshop is 12 x 18. How many of those strip lights would i need? TIA (subbed too)

[@aperson1181]

Could you please suggest how to wire shop/ceiling Fluorescent Lights into an ordinary outlet?

[@martynbuzzing3327]

Nice idea, but I can't even get into my garage to use any of the equipment I have. It's a fight every time I need something..😢

[@aeroncook]

Great video! Can you send me a link to where you got the lights from please? And the power station :)