I'll put up a blue curtain topper, just for you!
You'll see, where the layout is going, up to over my head (6') you won't be able to see the wall at all. Unless you crouch down and look under the bottom deck with a flashlight, or stand on something, or stand all the way back to see over the top valance. And in the meantime, while I am trying to work in there - it's super bright. They should have the last couple of lights in today so I can see what it really looks like, I might need sunglasses.
Sheldon - don't forget, I'm checkbooking 99% of this. I can't recommend these guys enough though, used them for a few smaller projects before and they always do quality work, super fussy about making sure everything looks perfect when they are done. And on their Facebook page they have some of the custom cabinetry they've built for others - nice work. A father-son team. I have future plans for some updating of the bathrooms upstairs as well as fixing the kitchen, and I'll definitely be calling these guys again.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerYeah - I still have a bunch to do when the contractors are done. Sand and paint the stairs,
That is one thing my wife and I still need to finish too. We did get the stair ceiling and walls mudded, sanded and painted, but the stair steps wood needs stained, the sides painted, runners added and baseboard put down. Once we got the basement proper inspected and passed, we still had to finished the vinyl plank floor and baseboard. After that was in we kinda had had enough after 11 months of solid work on weekends and holidays! Plus I wanted to get moving on the layout construction. Aside from the stairs, we still need to put a door on the utility room too, so a few loose ends.
We put out construction debri bit by bit through out the 11 months of construction so didn't need to get a truck to remove it.
And since we have yet to really have a Winter, it's getting towards Spring and it will be time to work on the pool and patio. --Randy
Global warming I guess, been a mild winter here in northern Virginia too. Not that I'm complaining. But are you going to let the pool and patio distract you from layout construction? Priorities man! I try not to let warm weather take too much time away from the trains. And the basement is nice and cool in the summer too, just sayin!
I have to say, the sky blue sure is easy on my eyes when I'm down in the basement.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 Looking good. The plank flooring is nice too. So far I'm liking the vinyl plank flooring I put in as it cleans up easy. I try to keep paint off but the random dreams come right off. Once that is finished, the trick, at least for me, is getting time to progress the layout; my wife is a type A and heck, the last 3 day weekend got totally swallowed making an elaborate cat tower.
Looking good. The plank flooring is nice too. So far I'm liking the vinyl plank flooring I put in as it cleans up easy. I try to keep paint off but the random dreams come right off.
Once that is finished, the trick, at least for me, is getting time to progress the layout; my wife is a type A and heck, the last 3 day weekend got totally swallowed making an elaborate cat tower.
Yeah - I still have a bunch to do when the contractors are done. Sand and paint the stairs, and make (several) trips to the dump to clear out all the junk now piled in the garage. Too much mixed stuff, and also more than one or two truckloads even if it wasn't. All the cardboard goes to the recycling center, I probably have a load just of that in squashed boxes. I have a dozen or so fluorescent tubes that I can only take on a specific saturday morning each month when they are there to take e-waste. And all the non-recyclable stuff goes to a different location where it's basically $15 a truckload to unload (they weigh you in and out, but it's $15 minimum and to get to the higher rates I'd need a MUCH bigger truck, probably a 3/4 ton at least, or a big trailer load). And since we have yet to really have a Winter, it's getting towards Spring and it will be time to work on the pool and patio.
Nice Randy!
Mike.
My You Tube
Looking good. The plank flooring is nice too. So far I'm liking the vinyl plank flooring I put in as it cleans up easy. I try to keep paint off but the random drips come right off.
Damn auto correct! fixed.
rrinkerWon't be long now.
That looks great.
I cannot imagine how excited you must be right now.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Looking great Randy.
Most of the ceiling and the lights are up. Wow, talk about bright!
Won't be long now.
These guys work fast. Though they are quite fussy and take extra time to make sure everything is just right - they still are occasionally touching up little bits of paint, even though it will all be hidden. I used them for other work, which is why I had them do the basement. And I'll have them do other things - kitchen is next.
Considering it looked like this when I moved in (then add 6 years of it being used for storage - believe me, in these pictures the carpet looked a LOT cleaner than it ever was - washed out pics and it was a couple of phones ago. And these are the ones that all came out sideways for some stupid reason.
Randy,
.
I am very impressed. I am going to be working in the same direction very soon.
rrinkerOn it rolls.
You are really on a roll! It's amazing to see how fast things are developing. Your basement is actually starting to look 'civilized'!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
On it rolls. Flooring done, bathroom done, drop ceiling going in.
And my master control panel:
The left-most switch is the lights - problem is there isn't a combo of one normal switch plus 3 outlet shaped items. There are plates for 2 and 2, but not 1 and 3, so they swapped the regular switch for the lights with the same type with the pilot light for the outlets. There are 3 switches because there are 3 circuits. There are 3 circuits because yes, there IS a limit on how many outlets can be on a single circuit, and breaking it up in half, the ones at normal height and the ones installed up high, was too many on one circuit. So the normal level ones are divided in half, and the upper level ones are the third circuit. Still, all off when I leave the room means EVERYTHING will be shut down.
Looking forward to seeing this pan out. Great looking canvas so far, with quality "foundations"!
Thanks for posting this.
Yannis
rrinker ALl the same way, but they won;t be removeable sections. There will be a vertical piece at each stud, bolted into the stud, and then horizontal ribs of plywood attached to the back with right angle brackets. On the sides, not top and bottom like shelf brackets, which would mean cutting out the backdrop around them all. Risers will be screwed right to them, or larger sheets of plywood for yard areas. Minimal deck thickness. It'll probably look a little odd untilt he fascia goes on. --Randy
ALl the same way, but they won;t be removeable sections. There will be a vertical piece at each stud, bolted into the stud, and then horizontal ribs of plywood attached to the back with right angle brackets. On the sides, not top and bottom like shelf brackets, which would mean cutting out the backdrop around them all. Risers will be screwed right to them, or larger sheets of plywood for yard areas. Minimal deck thickness. It'll probably look a little odd untilt he fascia goes on.
Finally getting a mental image of your upper deck construction, sounds similar to what I built for a friend.
Things are looking good.
I agree with you about the white paint and basement work lighting.
My basement walls are white and will stay that way. The back drop will hide them, mean while it makes it brighter down there. No drywall for me, the block walls are fine.
Places where there is no layout will stay white.
Because I am staying with a single deck this time, I have decided against any view blocking walls, going more for the traditional open layout room.
Anywhere else in a house I hate white walls, unless you have dark trim, like in early 20th century Craftsman or Edwardian style houses, then white or cream can look real good.
I've been working on completing my track plan, hope to get it posted here on the forum soon.
Sheldon
Looking good! I kind of like the idea of seperate back drop, away from the wall, between the decks. You could lay the sections on a bench, and do the work on the backdrops, set them in place, see how they look, remove, and make any changes, along with not having to plan out wiring from one to the other, as it'a all hid.
This could also give you a chance to add any lighting to the back drop scenes, like building windows, distant street lights, etc.
What about the upper level? Done the same way? or right on the wall?
If your having a valance over it all, you could do it the same way.
Mainly it was cheap and easy. and easier to return to general purpose use. It will also make it very bright while working on the layout with the room lights on - and particularly underneath the bottom deck. Phone camera doesn;t capture it very well but it is nice and bright now, even witht he hanging bulbs. Glares will go away with proper lighting panels.
It might have helped to use blue though - the drywall is a greenish color (moisture/mold resistant type) so the primer went on easy. White on white though - even though the primer was dead flat. I could only see by looking at reflections of the light - I need a LOT of light with my eyes. Contractor ended up finishing it, I gave up. I don't have a big work light - the one in the picture is theirs. In the end, the brightness gain with the white walls will be hugely beneficial to me.
ANd I still say you won't see it at all once the layout is in place. Between the drop ceiling coming down about 8 inches from the top, and to see under the lower deck you'd have to lean way down to see it - even then most of it not as the space will be used for storage, all you will see are palstic totes, until I hang a curtain of some sort. So from the floor to the top cap, that's about 7 feet covered, wall completely hidden behind curtains or backdrop. Standing close by to run trains, the top cap will block most of the top - or else I will have to put a taller fascia on the top cap that sticks up, because power supplies for the upper deck are going to sit up there and I don't want those visible either.
Going to be a while before I can show that, first I have to build the lower deck and helix. And draw a plan for the upper deck. Maybe I can render it all with 3rd PlanIt.
Any reason you couldn't just use a very light blue instead as a covering color of paint? Even if it is covered in many places. I just find white really draws attention to itself. I like white as a neutral paint in many rooms of a house, but for train room, at least for me, not at all. Of course it's your show!
Yes, botht he upper and lower deck will have a backdrop that stands away from the wall (so wires can run up etween the wall and backdrop. There will be a valance on top, too, so like 2 shadow boxes stacked. Won't see the white walls as the room lights won't be used.
No sky blue paint? It's so, so white!
Buncha of bare bulbs of various types screwed into contractor sockets pigtailed to the boxes where the real lights are going to get connected. THe real lights will be 2x4 flat panels to fit the drop ceiling, LED. and some 2x2 ones over by the entrance.
rrinkerNo, it's not gloss, it's satin.
Rich
Alton Junction
Lookin' better all the time!
Getting closer - painting done. Flooring and drop ceiling, and then the toilet and vanity in bathroom.
No, it's not gloss, it's satin.
rrinker FInal bit of sanding being done today, then ready for paint (these guys are pretty picky with their work - the areas they wanted to touch up today seemed fine to me, couldn't tell the difference running my fingers over those areas compared to other areas). I'd go grab paint tonight but we are goign to a concert. I was going to just use the basic contractor coverup paint, but it seems that for fresh drywall and mud it should be sealed with primer first. No worries, the basic PVA wall primer is cheaper than the paint. I'm windering though since they went to the effort and used the mold and mildew resistent drywall, if I should use a mold and mildew resistant primer as well, or is that going to belt, suspenders, and a few extra bungee cords? Also going to pick up the flooring for the entry and bathroom so they can get that installed. Then the new toilet and vanity. Soon as I get all the paintign done, the drop ceilign cna go in. ANd my extra outlets upstairs - the 'office' has 4 computers, a laser printer, and my workbench all on the same circuit. Since there is now a sub panel on the finished side of the basement, makign it easy to run more wires, I'm putting in a dedicated circuit for my desktop setup and server, and another for my workbench. --Randy
FInal bit of sanding being done today, then ready for paint (these guys are pretty picky with their work - the areas they wanted to touch up today seemed fine to me, couldn't tell the difference running my fingers over those areas compared to other areas). I'd go grab paint tonight but we are goign to a concert.
I was going to just use the basic contractor coverup paint, but it seems that for fresh drywall and mud it should be sealed with primer first. No worries, the basic PVA wall primer is cheaper than the paint. I'm windering though since they went to the effort and used the mold and mildew resistent drywall, if I should use a mold and mildew resistant primer as well, or is that going to belt, suspenders, and a few extra bungee cords?
Also going to pick up the flooring for the entry and bathroom so they can get that installed. Then the new toilet and vanity. Soon as I get all the paintign done, the drop ceilign cna go in. ANd my extra outlets upstairs - the 'office' has 4 computers, a laser printer, and my workbench all on the same circuit. Since there is now a sub panel on the finished side of the basement, makign it easy to run more wires, I'm putting in a dedicated circuit for my desktop setup and server, and another for my workbench.
We have a saying, "only a rich man can afford cheap paint". Cheap paint takes more costs and does not last as long.
We use almost exclusively Sherwin William's paints, they have an excellent drywall primer. And their finish paints cover much better than lesser brands.....
In most cases, you do get exactly what you pay for...........
And very efficient. Look at the shots showing the furnace and water heater - I have 3 zones, 2 upstairs and the basement. Though more and more I am wondering why they bothered with the basement. It's been shut off down there since the demo started, we've had plenty of cold days, pne of the things that is getting fixed is the exterior door with was totally not sealed in any way, and it's never been cold down there. That's with the old walls of paneling and no insulation, and then with everything stripped completely bare. Now that the walls are insulated and covered with drywall (they used the moisture and mold resistant type, too), the only place the walls feel cool to the touch is in the laundry area which did not get framed out, that part is still exposed cinderblock. And a small area behind the furnace and water heater.
Of course this may backfire in the summer and hold the heat in instead of keeping it nice and cool down there - cross that bridge when I come to it, but if it gets too hot down there, I may need to install a mini split to get some AC. There is just enough space above ground level at the back to get the lines out.
OK, I see, I went back and clicked on some of the pictures to enlarge.
mbinsewi rrinker No filters in the basement. I have hot water heat. Much nicer than hot air. I agree. Do you have the baseboard difussers, or the older radiators? Mike.
rrinker No filters in the basement. I have hot water heat. Much nicer than hot air.
I agree. Do you have the baseboard difussers, or the older radiators?
He has baseboard, you can see the bare fin tube in some of the photos.
Hot water heat, the best by far.
rrinkerNo filters in the basement. I have hot water heat. Much nicer than hot air.