If I have a choice, for my new layout in Phoenix, would it be a smaller layout in a spare bedroom or a larger one in the 2 car garage? Or maybe a separate building alltogether if space and zoning permit . The spare room has A/C but the garage would require insulating and another A/C unit. Here in Canada there is no contest with the harsh winters, garages are out. But the harsh summers of Phoenix are an unknown for the garage.
73
Bruce in the Peg
Canada to Phoenix? Now thats one hell of a change. Your going to roast.
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
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A Phoenix garage has two issues for a layout that come to mind immediately, heat and dust. Arizona, having a lot of desert, is a dusty place. A separate building will come with significant added costs, especially for cooling.
I suggest an addition on the main house for the layout room as a possible solution.
Recovering former former model railroader.
I have a layout in a Clark County, NV, garage which I can't climate control (The layout shares the space with a gas fired water heater.) I did insulate the south-facing wall and the east-facing steel door, which keeps the temperature down to that of the outside air - 115 vs 135 before I put up those foam panels.
Two things which make the layout workable - steel benchwork (heat + zero humidity does terrible things to forest products) and adequate rail gaps. Solidly-butted rail joints at 70 degrees = snake tracks or a roller coaster when the temperature soars.
I had the same choice as you, and opted to go for the larger floor space. My dream track plan fits nicely in my double garage. In a 9 x 12 bedroom it would have been a non-starter.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I would go for comfort over size, unless this is your retirement place. Then in that case I would put an addition on the house for a train room. The garage can be your wood working shop you can make a mess in if necessary.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
It would be cheaper to use the smaller spare BR. As you said the garage would require insulating and sheetrocking and air conditioning for those hot summer days. Isulation and drywalling alone can cool down some, and you'd want to seal the garage door against dust migrating in and ruining things.
There is definitely no sense building a layout in the unfinished garage!
If you have the $$ and want to finish off the garage AND if it doesn't have a gas-fired utility item like a water heater as TomikawaTT Chuck pointed out that cannot be sealed in a room without fresh air for venting, then do the garage. {if you do, you could check codes and see if a "fresh air pipe" vented from outside next to the water heater with a "open P trap" at the floor next to the flame that won't allow heated air to come in only when a draft is started by the heater kicking on and drawing air- I saw that solution on a TV home remodleing show- maybe This Old House or Mike Holmes on Homes}
The big choice will be : money and size. If you can deal with a climate controlled low dust spare room go for it. If you really want bigger, and have teh $$ finish off the garage.
Your choice.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
It don't matter were you put your layout in desert dust get all over the place . Here in NM I have to clean the track twice a week . My son ,wife and I just dust yesterday and it dusty already. . If you have $$$ build on a room with no windows or a outside door that might help with dust . The heat in here in the southwest is hot 98 + in the summer so a AC is a must .
~ Tim .
To see photos of my HO scale / 1/64 scale layout and diorama photos base in the present day . http://www.flickr.com/photos/icr140/
I built my first layout when I lived in Phoenix in the garage. The ex-wife had run into the garage door, and since I'd already decided to build the layout in there, instead of putting in another door, I framed a wall in its place. There was only one wall that I had to insulate and drywall. Another plus was that the electrical service panel was on that wall, making it easier to run layout-dedicated wiring. If I had it to do over, I WOULD have installed either a window A/C unit or hired an HVAC contractor install the ductwork to add the garage to the home A/C. The natural gas water heater that was in the garage kept things warm in the winter.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I cast my vote for the smaller inside layout over the larger one in the garage for all of the reasons mentioned above. If a room addition is possible, then that would really be ideal.
Rich
Alton Junction
If you and/or your significant other are truly prepared to let you use the garage ON A FULL-TIME BASIS, go for it. The additional space (knowing Phoenix to the extent that I do, I assume you are talking about a standard bedroom 10 x 12 or so (the smallest bedroom in our house is 16 x 18) and if this is correct, the additional square footage in a double garage will have a MAJOR positive impact on your fun.
If this is one of those deals where the layout is supposed to coexist with traditional garage uses - forget it, use the bedroom.
But you MUST remove the garage doors and replace them with a wall, plus AC one way or the other. In your dry climate wall and floor treatment probably are not necessary, except that you should paint the floor.
I've had layouts in both locations. I'd definitely opt for the bedroom layout...much more comfortable and convenient.
Friend of mine who lives near Phoenix put a large shed in his back yard, had insualtion and drywall added, and ran electric to it. Added an air conditioner. This is his computer room/radio area (Ham radio), and also a photography studio.
---Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy, How big is this shed?
A 12x 20 shed ready-made and delivered on a truck would be a fairly decent size. Unless your "smaller spare room is that size already. {if available there- we have Amish people around here who build them ready-made and delivered on a flatbed- even customized if special ordered}
You'd still have to provide insulation and sheetrocking and electrical and climate controlling, but it's worth a look-see.
Food for thought.
In regard to backyard sheds, kits for sheds up to 12 x 20 are available at most big box home improvement centers.
It's always a good idea to check with the local building department. I have lived where anything up to 400 square feet could be built without a permit - and in other jurisdictions where you couldn't build a dog house without one. Then, too, it's one thing to put up a simple shed, and quite another thing to build `liveable' space. Electrical service tends to be a local codes hot button.
In my own case, it's a moot question. I couldn't put a storage locker in my back yard without violating setback rules...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in an attached garage)
tomikawaTT In regard to backyard sheds, kits for sheds up to 12 x 20 are available at most big box home improvement centers. It's always a good idea to check with the local building department. I have lived where anything up to 400 square feet could be built without a permit - and in other jurisdictions where you couldn't build a dog house without one. Then, too, it's one thing to put up a simple shed, and quite another thing to build `liveable' space. Electrical service tends to be a local codes hot button. In my own case, it's a moot question. I couldn't put a storage locker in my back yard without violating setback rules... Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in an attached garage)
Good advice; also, a very good chance that your property tax assessment will rise if a permit is required: another factor to check.
Dante
Blind Bruce Randy, How big is this shed?
I'll have to check. It's not a 12x20 but it's not a tiny little garden shed either. Looking at Home Depot and Lowes, the providers they use for shed, at least around here, go up even bigger than 12x20, if your property and code allow larger structures. At some point a bit of DIY might come in - at least one of the guys over on another forum built his own outbuilding int he back yard to house his layout, but he's in Texas. He didn;t do it all himself, just a lot of the tedious and time consuming stuff where you pay a lot in hours for a contractor to do, and left some of the more critical stuff to experienced contractors - good way to keep costs down but not have to worry that the buildign will fall overbecause you forgot something.
--Randy