Building Darkroom: Confused About Light Maze Entrance

FilmIsCheap · Jul 21, 2018

Hello,

I've been reading threads in this forum for months and have finally registered because I feel dumb and need some help. My Google skills are not helping me, and neither is The New Darkroom Handbook or the Kodak publication.

After wanting my own darkroom for 20+ years, I'm finally getting one in my basement. My brother is doing the work for me, and I can basically do whatever I want within reason. I would like a light maze entrance for ease of moving in and out, and because knowing my family, being able to move freely would be awesome for us.

My question: I can not figure out how many turns a light maze entrance needs to work. I see S-shapes and U-shapes. Is there a reason to choose an S over a U if a U works? I have room for an S but it would make the rest of the space pretty unusable, so I'd like a U if possible.

These are mostly to scale proposals. There's a room off of the furnace room that is 11' by 6'10". I have about that amount of space on the other side before running too closely to the water heater and furnace. There is a sliding door entrance to the furnace room (the vertical black line on the left; my label shifted down), and two small basement windows that I would like to leave uncovered if possible. I can use the space outside of the dark side for additional storage, etc.

Do either of these ideas work? Would one be better than the other? (Like the one where the entrance doesn't directly face the window?) Is there a length the U should be? I'm usually so good with spatial reasoning, but this is really throwing me off for some reason.

Thanks for your help.

Bill Burk · Jul 21, 2018

I use curtains that I can pull back around my entire darkroom, exposing the entire area to fresh air and light when not being used for dark purposes.

So I think a maze is a waste of space. I would instead recommend darkroom3.jpg with the straight part being a curtain. You can have flap curtains over the imaginary door and at the end of the straight curtain.

By making the three pieces curtains instead of walls, you can turn the outside area into a proper studio, just by pulling back the drapes.

Kevin Caulfield · Jul 21, 2018

If you're lucky enough to find one, a revolving darkroom door is a great space saver. It fits into a normal door cavity. I was lucky enough to find one and it's a great solution for keeping my small darkroom dark.

Vaughn · Jul 21, 2018

Nice idea, Bill -- I would put a worktable (and storage) under the window for activities not needing safelight conditions -- frees up clutter in the actual darkroom.

One could also stick pipes through the wall behind the sink and put a second, smaller sink in for print washing, etc to free up the darkroom sink.

David Brown · Jul 21, 2018

Before devoting that much space to a light trap, I would seriously think about just how much coming and going is really required. You will have a lot more room with a door, rather than a light maze or trap. I always recommend using a pre-hung "exterior" door. An exterior door with its weather stripping and threshold will likely be light tight once mounted. Just a suggestion.

RalphLambrecht · Jul 21, 2018

Bill Burk said:
I use curtains that I can pull back around my entire darkroom, exposing the entire area to fresh air and light when not being used for dark purposes.

So I think a maze is a waste of space. I would instead recommend darkroom3.jpg with the straight part being a curtain. You can have flap curtains over the imaginary door and at the end of the straight curtain.

By making the three pieces curtains instead of walls, you can turn the outside area into a proper studio, just by pulling back the drapes.

I agree and also, the u-shape will work just fine.If the walls are painted in a flat blacken light is getting through; as Bill said, if there still is a problem ,you can add curtains but, that somewhat defeats the purpose of having free entrance; getting the curtain out of the way while having something in your hands is a hassle.

sepiareverb · Jul 21, 2018

Pocket doors have been in my last two darkrooms. A little added trim with felt weatherstripping and completely light-tight. And no space taken up at all.

Bill Burk · Jul 21, 2018

Vaughn said:
Nice idea, Bill -- I would put a worktable (and storage) under the window for activities not needing safelight conditions -- frees up clutter in the actual darkroom.

Exactly what I was thinking, a finishing desk outside the darkroom.

I just spent about an hour reconfiguring my darkroom to setup the “studio” which has to be in the same place because I don’t have room like that. So I hope you can use the outside space.

Keep in mind though - people will put stuff there. You have to let it go and just clean it up when you want to use it. (Note to self, stop complaining when people put stuff in the sink).

Jim Jones · Jul 21, 2018

I've worked in darkrooms with curtains, mazes, and revolving doors. I prefer a hinged door to these. This can be pre-hung or improvised. It would leave the maximum useable space outside your darkroom. Consider the possibility of moving bulky items to and from the darkroom: it's a problem with revolving doors and mazes. Curtains tend to block less light. Plan for water supply, drainage, and ventilation before starting construction. I had maybe 18 electrical outlets, and most were in use. A ground fault circuit interrupter may be required by local codes, and should be used anyhow. Also consider a wall-mounted enlarger with a shelf below that can be lowered for large prints.

Mr Bill · Jul 21, 2018

Something not often appreciated regarding the walk-through light traps is what the people are wearing. You can use the best flat black paint there is, but if a couple of people wearing white shirts are coming through, it's all for naught. It may be ok for printing, etc., but if high-speed films are being handled, well ... good luck.

The curtain ideas are good, and if you want to make them easily passable, use two curtains overlapping in the middle - after you pass through they'll swing back into place. Also, make a family policy to always announce oneself, say "coming through," etc., so that two sets of curtains don't get opened at once.

If you need to be reliably safe, some sort of door is best. Kevin's suggestion of a revolving door is a good one - no possibility of fogging film. But they are (were?) very expensive new. Also requires one free hand to pass through. If you need to haul stuff in and out of your darkroom, even a mop bucket on casters, better make the revolving door removable (or add another, conventional, door for cleanup, etc.).

A two-door light trap (with standing space between them) allows light-safe access at any time, PROVIDED that your family will rigidly follow rules to loudly knock, and wait a few seconds, while listening, before entering. If you hear a knock as you are passing through, you have to immediately yell, "Dark!" so they will know to not open a door. Otherwise, first person to knock has the priority to pass through.

Walk-through light traps are just not a very good use of space. But if you have lots of space available to make extra-long passages they can be a good way to give ready access to untrained people. (Make sure you have key-operated light switches inside your darkroom if untrained people are moving about.)

Steve Goldstein · Jul 21, 2018

I second Bob's suggestion of a pocket door - it's what was already in place for the bathroom I use as a darkroom and was not too difficult to lightproof. One of its big advantages over a hinged door is that you don't need any clearance on either side.

My door wasn't initially lightproof so I built a frame of 3/4 x 1-1/2 stripping that fits tightly inside the top and sides of the door frame and stapled black velvet strips to it. The velvet both covers where the stripping meets the door frames and contacts the door to provide a light seal on three edges. For the bottom I use a rolled-up black towel that my wife cut and hemmed to match the door's width, putting down the towel when I need dark and removing it otherwise. I have no trouble handling 400-speed sheet film (loading, unloading, or tray developing) when the adjoining room is brightly lit, and the entire rig can be removed in seconds with no holes left behind when we eventually move out.

John Sexton has a very nice lightproof pocket door for his darkroom that doesn't require the measures I needed. I don't know whether it was a standard product or custom built, I forgot to ask.

ic-racer · Jul 21, 2018

For a small darkroom I'd not waste valuable space with a light maze. I'd explore things like paper safes, daylight processing tanks, door warning lights, intercom system etc.. If you really need to frequently leave in a hurry when light sensitive materials are open, the I'd consider a revolving light trap door.

grahamp · Jul 21, 2018

When I converted an out building to my darkroom, there was not enough space to put in a swung door, so I went with a pocket door. I used some wood fillets around the jamb on both sides to make a 'U' light trap. I have an always on (when the room is occupied) fluorescent shop light just outside, and the light trap works fine.

One side effect of a pocket door is that it can be light trapped without making it air tight. I found I did not need an air inlet for my fan - the pocket door passes air very well.

I have used a labyrinth and a double door system at college and work, and the labyrinth scores if you have lots of space and many people. The double door works for lower traffic environments. For just me, it would be over-kill.

Luis-F-S · Jul 21, 2018

I've built three darkrooms and have never had a room for a light maze. Since I'm the only one ever in the darkroom I use an exterior door with a sill and just weatherstrip around it and put a piece of wood across the bottom to act as a light trap and paint the seating surfaces black. A community darkroom is one thing, but for a private darkroom I've never found it necessary.

MattKing · Jul 21, 2018

Welcome to Photrio!
I would echo the comments above about how much space a light labyrinth consumes.
That being said, it looks like you have ample space for a combination of an outer door and an inner door. That is usually enough for darkrooms used mostly by just one photographer. A small wall that tends to minimize spill from the open outer door to the inner one is probably a good idea.
I would also look into really good blackout curtains for the windows that can be opened when the darkroom isn't in use.

mshchem · Jul 21, 2018

Luis-F-S said:
I've built three darkrooms and have never had a room for a light maze. Since I'm the only one ever in the darkroom I use an exterior door with a sill and just weatherstrip around it and put a piece of wood across the bottom to act as a light trap and paint the seating surfaces black. A community darkroom is one thing, but for a private darkroom I've never found it necessary.

View attachment 204521

This simple solution is the best. If you are the only darkroom user this works fine. After about 10 minutes in the dark your eyes will pick out tiny light leaks. I've never had a problem .

silveror0 · Jul 21, 2018

Dust is the enemy in ANY darkroom. The chosen ventilation method, its filtering, and resulting directional air flow is related to dust control. I consider any open entry/exit type as an obstacle to control of these variables. Incoming filtered air should come from an adjacent room in living areas, not from outside (otherwise darkroom use in winter can be impractical). Outgoing air and the chemical fumes it contains should be drawn through an exterior wall via an exhaust fan (variable speed fan is optional). My entry/exit door is a standard door that opens into the darkroom, with weatherstrips that block most light, and is covered on the darkroom side with lightproof black fabric from Joanne Fabric & Craft store (hung on curtain rod); there is an excess length of fabric that drapes onto the floor as a light baffle at the door's bottom. So no threshold to trip over. On the opposite side of the door is hung a sign to notify family members that room is in operation and NOT TO ENTER; can be talked through without an intercom. This setup has worked well for me for years and requires only minimal effort to maintain dust-free conditions.

nsurit · Jul 21, 2018

When building my darkroom, I decided a revolving door I had for my entrance would take up too much real estate, so I opted for good weather stripping on the sides and top and a Zero International door seal on the bottom. zerointernational.com. Might be a potential solution for you. Bill "In the Dark" Barber

FilmIsCheap · Jul 21, 2018

Thanks for all of the input. My brother is a pipe-fitting apprentice; before that he a Marine who started as a firefighter and then became an explosive ordnance disposal tech. So he's detail oriented, familiar with building codes, good with his hands, and a perfectionist (you don't dismantle bombs more than once or twice if you're sloppy ). Because of that, we've already got the ventilation and plumbing figured out. (I think he was highly disappointed I didn't need a super powerful ventilation hood he picked up for free at one of his work sites.) Also, the room has electricity and we just upgraded our panel in the spring, so we have lots of room for a lot of outlets. (I've learned two main things in combing this site: people say to put in more outlets than you think you need, and a really good sized sink.)

I definitely hear the consensus on the door (or possibly two doors with a hallway between them) and yep, I can put blackout curtains over the windows. Considering this room is not used for anything else--not even storage, I basically get free rein over it. I'll just have to train the family members.

Thanks so much folks, I appreciate your time. I haven't been in a darkroom since I was in high school, and I'm really looking forward to dusting off my Canon!

Bill Burk · Jul 21, 2018

Get that ventilation hood... may as well have one thing that is way overkill

cowanw · Jul 21, 2018

Just for the record; if you do a maze, you need two 180 degree turns in direction, or three passages. Your plans show for one such turn only.

Firestarter · Jul 29, 2018

I think a simple two door access trap is plenty good enough. I am sure it would be possible to include locks with an interlock system if you are really concerned about light accidents. A labyrinth would be great for ventilation though as it allows a constant airflow.

Dave Gooding · Jul 31, 2018

I'll just give my twopennyworth on this one.
My father had a darkroom once with a U shaped maze. To get around the problem of passing through with large items, it also had a door in it that cut straight through the dividing wall in the U, which was normally secured shut. That gave the best of both worlds. He did have plenty of space for it in that darkroom. I personally never used it so I don't know how useful the maze was in practice - I was only a kid - but I do recall walking in and out through the maze to speak to him when he was working in the dark.
For his next darkroom, after moving house, he did not bother with a maze and just had a double door arrangement, and I never heard him complain about missing having his maze. So I am not sure that he actually found it all that useful in practice.

MattKing · Jul 31, 2018

A maze/labyrinth is really useful in a darkroom that is used by more than one person at a time.
A darkroom that is used usually by just one person rarely needs it.

glbeas · Jul 31, 2018

A reminder about the outlets, be sure they are high on the wall, especially over the sink. Any fixer splashed or dust from mixing the dry fix is hygroscopic and if it gets into an outlet will eventually corrode and short out. Seen it happen in a newspaper darkroom.

Building Darkroom: Confused About Light Maze Entrance

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Building Darkroom: Confused About Light Maze Entrance

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