[pure-silver] Re: new darkroom
- From: shannon Stoney <shannonstoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:07:07 -0600
Yes, the upstairs bedroom is right next to a bathroom, so I was considering not
adding extra plumbing to the room. This bedroom is only used a couple of times
a year at most, when somebody visits. It could possibly still accommodate a
sofa futon while being a darkroom, but it is pretty small. I was wondering
about the windows: good to know that they could easily be blacked out.
If I make an outbuilding, I was considering just putting a little electric oil
heater in there. There are many days in TN when you don't need any AC, unlike
TX. In my TX darkroom, I almost always had to have the AC on, and on a few days
I needed the heater. There was no in between!
--ss
On Dec 21, 2011, at 3:03 PM, <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Shannon permitting he just mentioned might be an issue in some places of Tn.
> Other places it may not even be a consideration. After all there are a few
> places still left in Tn that if you are not known, you better holler before
> you head up the hill.
>
> It might not seem like it but I built a 24 x 30 metal outbuilding this past
> summer. Well here in Tx in the summer time you might call that an easy bake
> oven. Without insulation, I could not stay in there longer than 15 minutes
> or so from the heat. Tn is better, but you are still going to need
> insulation and heat an ac.
>
> The other problem with outbuildings is water. That you will face in all your
> options unless the spare bedroom has a bathroom. Point of use hot water
> should give you some options for a temporary type of system that you can run
> a water hose to a cabinet with a faucet. Some of those storage building
> type of options are far from light tight if you were thinking the storage
> type of set up from a Lowes or Home Depot. Building from scratch you could
> make the necessary changes at design vs dealing with it after its
> constructed. That however isn't an insurmountable hurdle.
>
> I'd steer away from the cellar. Knocking out concrete isn't very tough to do
> with the right tools, but its probably knocking out part of the structural
> foundation of the home. To me it wouldn't be worth the risk of possible long
> term structural damage, unless someone that really knew what they were doing
> looked the situation over and determined how much and where it was safe to
> put the vent or vents. A small vent likely wouldn't be an issue. Multiple
> small vents might be preferable to one big vent. Concrete is strong, but
> cinder block can be deceiving. It looks much stronger than it actually is in
> many respects. Yet things run through foundations all the time. Just be
> smart about how much you bust out and where.
>
> The humidity and dust would be as much of an issue to me unless you totally
> finished it. If you hung a drywall ceilings and walls, it might be an option
> and could have more benefit as something else when the time came to move the
> house on to its next occupant. An out building has value as well so it
> likely would be a trade off.
>
> Number 3 likely is the most practical from a cost perspective. The big
> question though is this. Does it still need to function as a bedroom while
> you use it as a dark room? If so how big is it? Building something to go
> over the window that is essentially a wooden box that can be attached to the
> wall over the window isn't a big deal. I have a shutter that I have attached
> inside to cover mine, but its not nearly as light tight. I usually work at
> night however so its not as much of an issue.
>
> Doors for me were more of an issue. If the bedroom is big enough and does
> not need to be a bedroom while a darkroom, then you might consider building a
> light tight entry. Your bigger problem might be water.
>
> I wouldn't worry so much about spills. Bathrooms are upstairs all the time
> and they don't have a problem. (unless you are like my wife's uncle that
> thought he turned off the water and then removed a faucet. He didn't open a
> value to confirm the water was off and after the connection was off he knew.
> Before he got the water turned off with the right valve the ceiling in the
> kitchen below was now the new floor) What you will have an issue with is
> anything inside the house will likely have to be done to code. Some
> localities might require the install to be done by a licensed plumber and
> others not. Running water pipes, drains ect will be far more an issue there,
> and I wouldn't cut as many if any corners with an upstairs darkroom. Getting
> pipes behind dry wall is a mess and drains are even less fun. Unless what
> you add could be later turned into an extra bath, its likely not going to add
> any value to the home. Would be much easier if you wash somewhere else. I
> loaded film in a changing bag for a very long time and washed in a regular
> bathtub, but its a pain.
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [pure-silver] Re: new darkroom
> From: "K W Hart" <kwhart1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Wed, December 21, 2011 1:07 pm
> To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> 1. I did the cellar routine when I was in high school, and it wasn't good.
> Humidity was uncontrollable. Dust was terrible- every time someone walked
> around upstairs, dust fell from the exposed rafters and floorboards.
> 2. A free-standing outbuilding would be expensive in that all walls would be
> exterior and have to be insulated. Plus there is the hassle of permitting.
> And if you have to specify that it's a photo darkroom, someone may get the
> idea to notify the sewer authority about chems going down the drain.
> 3. Water runs downhill, and any spills in your upstairs darkroom could end
> up coming through the ceiling of the room below. In order for a room to be
> counted as a bedroom, it has to have a window- usually a problem for a
> darkroom.
>
> That said, I agree that option #3 is probably your best bet. A single sheet
> of linoleum for a floor covering will protect the downstairs from small
> spills. Careful handling of the window can provide you with the ventilation
> you need. The door can probably be sealed for light. And depending on the
> heating/cooling in your home, odors in the rest of the house can probably be
> handled by the window ventilation.
>
> Good luck with your new darkroom!
> Ken Hart
> kwhart1@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "shannon Stoney" <shannonstoney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 5:53 AM
> Subject: [pure-silver] new darkroom
>
>
> I am moving my darkroom from TX to TN, and I'm trying to figure out what is
> the best way to build the new one. Here are the choices:
>
> 1. Retrofit a root cellar so that it is less humid. Problems will be
> knocking out some of the concrete block wall for ventilation.
>
> 2. Build a little outbuilding.
>
> 3. Retrofit an upstairs bedroom.
>
> Right now I'm leaning toward #3, but my darkroom has always been in the
> garage before, and I'm wondering if it will be hard to keep it clean enough
> so that it doesn't cause odors in the rest of the upstairs.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts you might have.
>
> --shannon============================================================================================================To
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