Brighten Up Dad’s Man Cave

Dad's Big Day Is Coming Up Fast

But you’ve still got time to make this one he’ll remember.

Most men have a “man cave”, whether it’s a corner of the carport or an entire garage-workshop. But often the lighting and power supply is an ad-hoc collection of badly positioned and possibly dangerous, cables and fittings.

Poor old Dad stumbles around in the half dark, struggling with his latest DIY project or looking for that screwdriver to retighten the dodgy hinge in Mum’s kitchen cupboard.

Here are some options to “make his day”:

Lighting

An external motion-sensor floodlight to guide him to the door. Inside another motion-sensor light to illuminate the way to his workbench. The latest energy-efficient LED lighting to give a clear view of the task in hand. If he has a desk or large stationary tools, such as a bench grinder, drill press or lathe, Dad would love to have some task-specific lighting. Two-way light switching also adds convenience.

Power Points

While lighting is an important part of the man cave, power points are critical. Relying on a single power board to supply current to a variety of tools is potentially dangerous. It isn’t a budget-breaker to get a licensed electrician to wire up a series of power points that also incorporate safety switches.

A hanging power point is another workshop innovation that reduces the need for an extension cord if a power tool needs to be used in a different part of the workshop. If Dad has a specific tool rated to draw more current than normal household appliances a dedicated higher-amperage circuit and power point must be installed. After all, the kitchen oven is wired into one and it’s a fire-safe no-brainer.

Switchboard

Look at the state of the workshop’s mini-switchboard. How old is it? Does it have safety switches? There are a range of upgrades and safety improvements available.