Garage Studio Conversion

[Smeggypants]

Looking good. How are those Doors insulation wise, for heating?

[ralphhardwick]

Don't know yet. Until today the weather has been pretty mild and we have no heating in there. Hopefully this will be resolved in the next few days.

I originally wanted side opening, uPVC Insulated doors, but the Highways department objected because I needed 6m of driveway plus the distance to open the doors. Incredibly we don't even have 6m with the original doors

So we have a studio that is insulated within an inch of its life on 5 sides (it even has to have 50mm under the floor!) and has to have basic garage doors on the front The insulation accounts for, almost, half the build cost! It really makes me angry when these petty bureaucrats cause such grief

The door 'slats' are about 10mm thick and packed with insulated foam of some sort and run through a channel with brushes to reduce drafts.

Hopefully they won't be too bad.

[cardiff_gareth]

You might find they'll be drafty. Once the planning dept have signed it off and out of your hair then you could add an insulated stud wall in front of the garage doors so from outside the garage doors are there but on the inside they're not!

[ralphhardwick]

On one side that is the plan. However I want to keep one side operational so that I can bring larger products and even motorcycles in. They do seal reasonably well so I'm hopeful that they shouldn't cause to many drafts.

[Chris]

Not that I know anything about any of this, but I really like following the story. Thanks for sharing it like this, it is very interesting.

[ralphhardwick]

I'm glad you're enjoying it I wish we were Problems with the plumber, delays with the electrician and the painter suffering from 'snow blindness' are all making this a bit stressful.

Here are today's updated images. It's all gone a bit white!









Hopefully we will have heating and hot and cold water tomorrow and even more white paint! The laminate flooring has arrived, all 36 sq/m of it, ready for laying next Monday. The 3 'client' chairs and table have also arrived and we are rapidly running out of space in our house to store anything else

[Smeggypants]

You could build an insulated stud wall assembly that opens ( Like French folding doors ) to put in front of the garage door you want access to. Wouldn't be too difficult to knock together

[ralphhardwick]

Finally got the radiators plumbed in and running. The roller doors are noticeably cold (very) to the touch. In fact they actually feel colder than the glass on the doors

There was always a plan to block in one of the doors, but I now need to think of a plan for the other one. Your idea of opening doors might be a good consideration.
I might also use curtains as this will give me a variation on backdrops to shoot against for portraits.

[Smeggypants]

Finally got the radiators plumbed in and running. The roller doors are noticeably cold (very) to the touch. In fact they actually feel colder than the glass on the doors

There was always a plan to block in one of the doors, but I now need to think of a plan for the other one. Your idea of opening doors might be a good consideration.
I might also use curtains as this will give me a variation on backdrops to shoot against for portraits.

Which means they are the opposite of CH radiators and severely cooling down the room, Cancelling out the CH no doubt. it's gonna get much much colder over winter too

[ralphhardwick]

I can thank the local highways department for that

[Smeggypants]

I can thank the local highways department for that

Yup, no common sense. All box ticking

[ralphhardwick]

Tomorrow the floor goes down, but here is tonight's update. The dimmable (daylight balanced) LEDs have now been wired in and all the electrics are complete. Main plumbing is finished with just the siliconing (is that a word?) and the shower cubicle to fit.








The roller doors will be a problem as we are getting a 10 degree temperature variation from day to night. It is taking the radiators nearly two hours to reheat the room after all the heat disappears through the doors overnight. We have a bit of a cunning plan to resolve this which I will reveal in the next few days.

[cardiff_gareth]

Quick question. The only wall you have to use as a large background for portraits either group or fashion is the long wall in the opening image. You could of had a second wall if, in pic 2, you had moved that radiator to the bathroom wall?

Just thinking it would of made sense as if you want larger items in there such as a car, as you said that's why you're keeping a garage door usable, then won't that radiator now get in the way? Without it you'd have a nice cleaner working area corner with clean lines to work in?

[ralphhardwick]

Good point, but there is still more to come

There is a 'mini kitchen' going on the bathroom wall (being fitted today) which will have a tall fridge/freezer, sink, some cupboards and a space for two stools.

On the back wall, next to the radiator, there will be two tall cupboards for storage of speed lights, flags, reflectors, shoots, etc. Etc.

I am planning to add a curtain rail around one of the roller doors. This will help with insulation as well as give me a different backdrop for singles, headshots or couples.

Sadly the space is not big enough for car photography. I reckon the biggest object I can shoot would be around the size of a motorbike or sofa.

The floor has now been laid, the kitchen is half installed, the skirting boards are being fitted as I type, tomorrow the cupboards arrive, I shall finish the kitchen and the last bit of painting will be done. On Saturday the vinyl floor is being laid and I shall finish the kitchen.

Finally, on Sunday, I will be able to start adding some actual studio and camera equipment and turn it into a studio

[Smeggypants]

Nearly there then - I reckon you're gonna need more than a curtain in front of those doors to keep the cold out