New Layout building

[Anonymous]

I don't know if anyone wrote this but don't insulate with foam. It burns very quickly.

[JohnWPowell]

Thanks eveyone lots of things i did`t think of
John

[Fergmiester]

The others have made some good suggestions, however if it was me this is the approach I' go:

Painted/Varathaned plywood floor: easier to find dropped items easier to keep clean then carpet. Carpet after a while will get soiled especially as people are walking in from the outside. Carpet also means a water retention issue, is easily stained and burned by errant soldering irons/glue guns. Some paint manufactures make paints designed specifically for floors. [:I] If you want to spruce the place up you could go the laminate floor approach.

I would also install drop ceilings as this allows easy access to electrical wiring. It also allow for easy relocation of lighting fixtures. In the event of the roof leaking, panels are easily changed out.

Electical: allow for lots of sockets and light switches. If you will be heating with electricity, will it be portable 110, if so watch the rating of the heater as some require alot of amperage. Personally I would recommend a fixed system as it is safer though it will require 220V service.

When planning power consumption I would also allow for a dehumidifier as these are a must if you want to keep your climate controlled.

Lighting: This is not one of my strong points but I have a combo of lights (Flourescent and blue and white incandescent, which will be replaced by halogen). Again consider your power consumption.

Just to put it into perspective, it took me 8 years to get my train room finished. Like Rome it wasn't built in a day

Fergie

[IRONROOSTER]

If you are using a conventional ceiling, you'll want to vent the attic area just like a house has its attic vented - end vents with fan at one end triggered by temperature or passive ridge vent.
Enjoy
Paul

[JohnWPowell]

This shed is built just like a home 2x6 treated floor joist ,everything on 16`` centers (floor joist and wall studs),7/16 sheeting on walls and roof ,insulated the floor ,ran a 50amp electrical box just for this building and for the door i got a prehung insulated 32`` door .
That`s we`re we are at this stage so far . John

[jwar]

Plan your electrical plugs and light swiches so they will not be in the way and easy to get at (ie around the room second level ect) . I installed a cheap industrial carpet with a thick underpad. This saved me a few $$$$$ dropping a few engines.

Not knowing your area, humidity is a problem. Wood swells and contracts more then one thinks.

Does your shed have a cieling, if not consider insulation and drywall. Good lighting system.

I designed my work bench to roll under the layout to save operating room.

Bugs and other creepey crawlers love trains too. Perhaps sealing the wall dry to floor moulding with a cheap caulk. Also a good lower seal to the door. I had a Black Widow spider recently take up residency in one of my tunnels, she has since departed this world, and wont be mistattttaaalllll.

Might consider painting the wall blue.

As the man said..".If I only had a million.....perhaps two?"

Enjoy...John

[ericsp]

Make sure there are no small openings that vermin or dust can get in through.

[JohnWPowell]

IronRooster I plan on heating and cooling! I`m trying to get ideas to make sure i haven`t overlooked anything . John

[JohnWPowell]

Thanks Fergmiesterfor your input on the drywall. Thats what i`ll use ,most likely but lets not stop there! Lighting, heating , anything else i might need to consider? thanks John

[IRONROOSTER]

When you say a shed, do you mean not heated in winter or cooled in summer? Model railroads do best in temperature/humidity controlled environments. Otherwise you have to allow for movement of rails and wood as temperature and humidity change.
Enjoy
Paul

[Fergmiester]

Well JP I would say drywall with insulation and vapour barrier behind it. Extreme temps are not a good thing for a layout and you definately want to keep the water out. The nice thing about drywall, besides being cheap is that it's easy to repair and easy to paint on. I painted a sky scene directly on my back wall of my layout.

Fergie

[JohnWPowell]

My sons and i built a 10x16 shed to build a model railroad in. Does anybody have any pointers of how i should fini***he inside ,what to include ? like what is the best wall covering ? (plywood,drywall,what) thanks John