Well, I have posted on here about my layout before. I am currently reading “HOW TO BUILD REALISTIC MODEL RAILROAD SCENERY 3RD EDITION.” I need more room for my layout. I have an attached garage. So I was wondering if it would be ok if I could expand out there.
It is not heated or cooled, but I thought if we kept the door shut (as much a possible) and put black paper over the windows in the winter, and alumanum foil over them in the summer. that that would help to balance out the heat/coolness.
Out here the garage is called the California basement…
Many of us have the garage as our only option as a layout room. Some of us just pull the car out and start the layout building. Some do some prep work and then build. And if you believe everything your ead here, some guys build a giant humidor as their layout room in the garage.
I’m a big fan of Byron Henderson who has this article on his website that can get you thinking.
I’ve been building in a non-climate-controlled garage for five years now (four years on the current layout) and have no question as to, ‘Do-ability.’ A few comments on the situation:
The garage door faces east, right into the morning sun. Insulating it lowered the ambient temperature by at least five degrees - from impossible to merely unbearable. I can operate in unbearable.
You are much more likely to have humidity issues than I am. Out here in the Dessicated Desert the problem is a near total lack of humidity - which raises havoc with forest products. My solution is to use steel studs for everything between the cookie-cut plywood sub-roadbed and the floor.
Seal the concrete floor before you do anything else. Keeps the dust down. Also, if you have exposed wall studs and an open ceiling they, too, will need to be dust sealed - preferably with drywall, but at least with a good layer of moisture-sealant paint. (I was lucky. My garage was drywalled when the house was built.)
Once you start serious construction, put down a small throw rug where you will be standing. Saves wear and tear on the feet.
Check your electricals. As built, my garage only had two outlets - and one (meant for a garage door opener) was in the center of the ceiling! Likewise, the ‘as built’ lighting system was a single flourescent fixture high on the back wall. I modified and expanded it, but would recommend that anyone who isn’t comfortable working with 120VAC have a licensed electrician do the work.
Bottom line? Working in a garage involves more preparation than working in a spare room, but the advantage of having more layout area is worth it.
Justin, I have my layout in the garage with no problem. But, do your self a favor, heat and cool the garage. I did mine for about $300.00. Bought a used ratty looking window A/C for $25.00. Will keep the garage around 75 to 80, much better than 95 plus. I bought a wall mounted gas heater from Home Depot for $150.00 and cost me $125.00 to have it hooked up.
I don’t think I have any room in my garage for a layout, lol.
The thing with garages is the drasitic changes in temperature and humidity. The amount of dust that can buildup is far greater then anywhere else in the house. Unless you can seal up the garage and make it so you can control the humidity and temperature so its always the same I think you will be looking for problems down the road with your benchwork. This will then lead to all kinds of problems . Just my opinion.
I would think a lot of it has to do with the section of the country you’re in. Out here in SunnyCal, my “California Basement” empire is a relatively uninsulated two-car garage, and is subject to temperature and humidity changes during the year (yes, it DOES rain in California, LOL!).
However, the changes are not drastic enough to do damage to the layout itself. Except for an occasional pollen-vacuuming during the spring, I don’t have much in the way of problems. If I were to do it again, I would have ‘prepped’ the garage better, but I have no trouble living with the conditions.
Again, though, I think it would depend on the particular area of the country in which you live. I live in a relatively mild climate here in the Central Valley–but if I lived fifty miles east of here in the mountains, I’d probably have some serious second thoughts about a garage layout, what with the really SEVERE seasonal changes.
So, depending on the area of the country in which you live, I’d do some serious investigating, and if necessary, do a lot of ‘prepping’ in your garage to control both temperature and humidity.
[:O][:O][:O][:O][:O] CAMARO!!! Or is it Firebird. Oh heck like I really care. Camaro’s better though [:P] I thought of a 67-69 1/2 Camaro RS painted in a RR paint scheme, but now I forgot what RR it was [|(]
Thats a 1978 TRANS AM. It’s just one of my cars I play around with. It runs 11.20’s in the 1/4 with Drag T/A’s on it. Having a 462 cid motor helps too, lol.
The thing with garages is the drasitic changes in temperature and humidity. The amount of dust that can buildup is far greater then anywhere else in the house. Unless you can seal up the garage and make it so you can control the humidity and temperature so its always the same I think you will be looking for problems down the road with your benchwork. This will then lead to all kinds of problems . Just my opinion.