Hi everyone

I'm looking for advice please on part converting my Garage to a railway room. It's a single unattached brick built garage, with lights and power, but no heating as yet. It's single brick with a flat roof and is in good repair, but not insulated. I'll have to share the space with tools, fishing tackle, a freezer and some bikes, so there's a bit to be done.

Has any one any suggestions or experience of how to do this. Budget will be limited, so I might just convert one area instead of the whole thing.

Thanks

Dave

Insulate the concrete roof or it will rain on you if you put heating on out their. Then insulate the walls ideally with foam board that has a plastered finish on one side, I intend doing this with mine this year. The ceiling is most important especially if using a gas heater, I learnt the wet way.

Also consider ventilation.

Insulate for both summer and winter with R-15 minimum. The rafters, too. You want the space snug but not airtight. If you must, put in some small downward facing vents - no bigger than 4" but smaller will do. An exhaust vent for painting is advisable while you are doing your conversion. Insulate your swing or sliding door. Not much you can do for a roll up with the skinny slats except if you're not parking your car in there you can just use a loose sheet or sheets of foam to block drafts. Gas heat is good but nothing beats a small space heater right where you are.

Good luck and keep on planning.

I like the idea of the plaster finished insulation board. If I used this would I still need to line the garage with plasterboard as well, or will this do?

You can build it as many layers as you wish.

Quote from: Dave F on March 23, 2014, 01:49:57 PM
I like the idea of the plaster finished insulation board. If I used this would I still need to line the garage with plasterboard as well, or will this do?

My mate who is a builder advised just using the plastered foam board, I was going to use foam board and plywood sheets. The plastered foam will be lighter colour than ply and breath. You could then tape the joints and paint it.

My workshop/office is a converted garage that's attached t the house..

Its fully lined and insulated but doesn't have heating (or windows).

A tower PC left on keeps the chill off! A fan heater on for a few minutes raises the temperature.

Best regards
Michael

My layout is in the garage and mice get in.

Have a bad phobia about mice so have to get the garage checked for corpses before I go in  . . .

Ya should see wot get onto my layout here in Aus! 

Maybe security is worth thinking about too. The average garage door lock is only a token device at best.

It sure is. However, in my part of the world, what I presume are drug-infected people who break into houses to fuel their habit do not recognise what is in front of them.

My house was trashed from one end to the other once, with entry from the place where my layout was. Layout, not touched. House? Trashed.

Quote from: Bealman on March 24, 2014, 09:46:34 AM
It sure is. However, in my part of the world, what I presume are drug-infected people who break into houses to fuel their habit do not recognise what is in front of them.

My house was trashed from one end to the other once, with entry from the place where my layout was. Layout, not touched. House? Trashed.

Sorry to hear that George. I suspect it is about demonstrating attitude and showing you that they have no respect for society and possessions.

More like they are just after cash to fuel their habit. I don't think that any point was being made there.

Anyway, totally off-topic, which is about how to use a garage.

Let's talk about the pro's and cons and how to go about it. However, your point about security is very valid, as are all of the insulation, heating, etc. posts.

Dave F, my layout is in the garage, and has been for 27 years. Go for it, mate!

Hi,
As with the previous replies, my layout is built inside my garage. The garage itself is colour bond and the train room is on the lower level and fully stud wall and insulated and lined. I have carpet on the floor. As it is "downstairs" it remains nice and cool so no heating or a/c required. I think gap rock lined walls give you a clean room. Just remember not gyprock all the wall to the floor leave a small gap so any moisture won't get into the gyprock
Just yesterday I started to line a mate shed. I made the dumb choice of building the layout with no thought to the shed itself. After he saw mine area he wanted the same. I fitted it out with stud walls insulated and lined it after I redid his electricals as he needs fans and an A/C unit to keep it cool/warm. The down side is he has two roller doors so it really never will be dust proof.
Bart

My garage is brick built with a up and over door and a side door.

I had the roof professionally replaced with a 'warm roof', the insulation is above the rafters with a triple layer of felting on top. I sealed the main door with metal brackets leaving ventilation holes and built a stud wall behind it. I tanked an end wall where there was a small damp problem then battened the walls and fitted insulation panels with bonded plaster board. The floor was waterproof so i laid foam insulation with floorboard panels on top. A sliding ventiulator was installed in the side door and it was insulated and strengthened with high quality locks installed. To get in you would have to demolish the door and the alarms would have gone off!.

Electricity was installed professionally and i have daylight flourescent tubes plus additional daylight bulbs. I use a thermostat controlled fan heater but if you like it quiet an oil filled radiator will do.

Three walls are painted sky blue and the fourth plus the ceiling are white.

The pjoject was quite expensive but i enjoyed all the building and it makes a cosy railway world.