Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Equipment > Darkroom

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 24th July 2011, 09:40 AM
FilmGreg's Avatar
FilmGreg FilmGreg is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire,UK
Posts: 12
Default Diary of a DarkRoom Build

Following a bit of interest and questions on a sub-topic mentioned in my 'introduction', I thought it a bit of fun to post a diary of my Darkroom Build and kitting out.

I am building it from raw sheet and timber materials to save cost. This is only possible because I have been abit of a DIY enthusiast over the years and so have decent tools - most markedly so being a decent circular saw for all that cutting and a heavy duty drill for wall hole punching (for services).

After site clearing, I setabout building the timber-framed darkroom as an 'extension' to the brick part of the house exactly two weeks ago - Monday the 11th July (2011). Building got really delayed last week after I did my back in by falling backwards onto a house brick (which had been used to hold parts of the roof in place and was then, with many others, left 'littered' about the lawn - careless workmanship that caused me a lot of pain).

The first 2 shots show the outside from both main sides (the other being on the boundary line). The build uses 15cm feather-edge pressure-treated timber mounted on double thickness 3" by 2" timbers with a plastic vapour barrier immediately under the feather-edge. The roof is a flat roof, with 1 inch moisture resistant flooring-grade chipboard topped with a damp-proof plastic membrane and bitumen impregnated fiber-based corrugated sheets. The floor is a sprung floor on 3" by 2" timbers using the samemoisture resistant flooring grade chipboard.

I am not sure about that window opening at this stage and that may go.

By 'double-thickness' I mean that the 3" by 2"timbers holding the walls and ceiling would doubled-up to give 6" by 2". This permits the deep insulation shown in the remaining two photographs.The blue vapor barrier is also clearly shown together with the start of the inner skin - 9 mm mdf boarding. The insulation is cheap as it is meant for insulating existing houses when bought from my local Wickes shop - 170mm thick 'fiber-glass' rolls sheet that is heavily subsidized - I considered this 'fair' as the same insulation is being used to insulate the attached brick part of the house as I subsequently turn that into another bathroom - it too will be 'clad' in the same way so that the whole darkroom and bathroom extension blend into one.(In the third picture, the timbers had yet to be doubled so show as 3" by 2"on the left, the insulation filled wall directly ahead had been doubled).

I have already noticed that the room is much much cooler than the 'outside' air when the Sun is directly shining into this part of the garden. Fingers crossed.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	P1010001.jpg
Views:	446
Size:	77.0 KB
ID:	1188   Click image for larger version

Name:	P1010001a.jpg
Views:	421
Size:	65.0 KB
ID:	1189   Click image for larger version

Name:	P1010002.jpg
Views:	428
Size:	55.5 KB
ID:	1190   Click image for larger version

Name:	P1010004.jpg
Views:	425
Size:	52.4 KB
ID:	1191  
__________________
If you never make a mistake, you never learn.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 24th July 2011, 09:48 AM
Tony Marlow Tony Marlow is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,282
Default

If it is not too late I would add a vapour barrier on the inside of the insulation to stop the risk of condensation on the surface of the vapour barrier behind the boarding. The general rule is Insulation on the cold side and vapour barrier on the warm side. Your vapour barrier on the back of the timber cladding is a wise precaution to keep moisture out.

Tony
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 24th July 2011, 11:37 AM
photomi7ch's Avatar
photomi7ch photomi7ch is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East Midlands
Posts: 2,516
Default

That show the insulation will do it's job. It is a nice looking darkroom.
__________________
Mitch

http://photomi7ch.blogspot.com/

If you eliminate the impossible whatever remains no matter how improbable must be the truth.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 31st July 2011, 11:56 PM
FilmGreg's Avatar
FilmGreg FilmGreg is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Warwick, Warwickshire,UK
Posts: 12
Red face

Another week and both the shell of the darkroom, service access and basic workbench layout is completed.

All walls and ceilings were double-skinned with 170mm insulation between the outer feather-edge timber and the inner 9mm MDF. Joints have started to be sealed with simple decorators caulk.

For storage, I have a 3 part approach;
  1. Plastic trays. In the first two photos, you can see how cheap plastic trays available from standard office suppliers at just over £5 each can be cheaply built into the workbench area. These have turned out surprisingly well.
  2. Workbench Shelving. Not shown yet as I have yet to decide the layout. Basically, the space left under the workbenches will be 'diced-and sliced' into a plethoria of mini shelving areas for all my Kit. (Some of you may already have noticed that, besides being a darkroom, I need to use this workroom as an IT integration studio where I build hardware/software systems for some jobs I do.)
  3. Wall Shelving. Again not shown yet as also yet to be decided on the exact layout. Time will tell.

The 3rd photo starts to show the 'U' shaped workarea of the dry area and the 4th photo shows the 'separate' wet area with standard sink unit and wet worktop. There is a hole in the bottom right for all services into this darkroom from the adjoining room (which is also being fitted out as a new bathroom).

The 5th photo shows how much lower I have had to make the enlarger table than the standard workbench height. This is to fit the Durst D695 enlarger that I currently have on my bedside table!

Outside, the new roof area was utilized via a rainwater gulley system to feed water butts and the last photo shows the (stained) darkroom adjoining the (yet to be stained) recently clad single-course brick part of the house which has also had the mega-insulation trick (I did not want to insulate the brick building inside the room as I would loose too much space so simply extended the darkroom idea 'onto' the new bathroom.

I am now left with the problem of properly kitting out the darkroom and dust-suppression. I have already had to store electronic bits in the new darkroom so painting gives me some problems. I plan to start with the floor and varnish it with flooring grade varnish a few times - but leaving it a couple of days between coats so as to allow it to fully harden. Then I will slap several coats of paint on the walls AND the workbenches sanding down between coats to get rid of all that 'furring' that you get when you paint fresh wood.

When all painted/varnished, a good vacuum followed by a wipe over with a damp cloth should see the darkroom start to become usable as a first pass.

My first 'dark' test was a laugh!. Shut the door on a brilliantly sunny day and, after just 2 mins, could clearly see my hands! NO light from the walls/ceiling/floor (success) but LOADS of light from around the door and even cracks in the door - well I did get it for £3 from the local reclamation yard. Lots of work there.

I finished fixing the roof later in the week when a recent accident permitted more mobility of my back. It's a good roof and has survived a couple of periods of rain. Cheap too using bitumen impregnated corrugations.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	P7260001.jpg
Views:	420
Size:	81.2 KB
ID:	1195   Click image for larger version

Name:	P7270002.jpg
Views:	440
Size:	62.1 KB
ID:	1196   Click image for larger version

Name:	P7300003.jpg
Views:	417
Size:	43.3 KB
ID:	1197   Click image for larger version

Name:	P7300004.jpg
Views:	413
Size:	50.2 KB
ID:	1198   Click image for larger version

Name:	P7300008.jpg
Views:	443
Size:	43.0 KB
ID:	1200  

Click image for larger version

Name:	P7300010.jpg
Views:	410
Size:	97.4 KB
ID:	1201   Click image for larger version

Name:	P7300011.jpg
Views:	414
Size:	88.5 KB
ID:	1202  
__________________
If you never make a mistake, you never learn.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
darkroom, diy
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
My new darkroom build. Paulie Darkroom 7 1st February 2011 08:27 PM
Yet another new darkroom build! Ian David Darkroom 11 8th January 2011 11:25 AM
Darkroom build. Steve_F Darkroom 10 28th November 2010 11:13 PM
Darkroom build Andy Darkroom 46 15th September 2010 08:42 AM
A new darkroom build jonsparkes Darkroom 8 8th July 2010 07:49 PM


All times are GMT. The time now is 09:21 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.