Landry room nook / darkroom conversion

kingbuzzie · Feb 2, 2017

I'm thinking of converting the area by the washer dryer into an area for printing. The problem is that it is not enclosed, with a doorless entry into the kitchen on one side and the master bedroom door on the opposite side (not shown in picture). The door in the photo is the back door to the house. So I guess I would have to hang light proof curtains in front of the nook and probably only print at night to be safe. How stupid of an idea is this? My only other option is a very small closet 5 x 2 1/2 feet that doesn't have ventilation or power. The laundry nook has a built in fan already, as well as power and plumbing if I needed it. Building a wall or door in front of the nook isn't optional, as it would make the space too restricting (and pricey). I guess I also have to hang something over the top of the light blocking curtain rod?

bdial · Feb 2, 2017

"where there's a will, there's a way..."

Can you put curtains at the open doorway? Ideally, on both sides so that the outside one cuts the bulk of the light, and the inner one takes care of the rest. For doors, you can add weatherstripping around the edges and a door sweep at the bottom which won't substantially change the door but it will take care of any light issues.

kingbuzzie · Feb 2, 2017

I've been thinking of that too. Or perhaps both? A curtain in front of the nook (after I install a horizontal eave to make the ceiling squared off due to ceiling slant) and a curtain for the inside of the open doorway (so it can't be seen when pulled open).

131802 · Feb 2, 2017

I develop and print in a laundry room just about identical to the one you describe. When I print, I generally do it at night, and install a double curtain of black plastic sheeting. I don't use a curtain rod -- I just tape it to the doorway trim with blue masking tape. Works fine, and the blue tape comes off without damaging the paint. I print once a month or so; if I printed more often I would probably want a better arrangement.

grahamp · Feb 2, 2017

Can you do without the back door as an entrance while the 'darkroom' is in use?

Blackout fabric is easy enough to find - and if the 'blackout' stuff at the drapery store is not good enough some black paint can help. A good overlap of the doorway helps. I have done it, you just have to look at what you have to work with in terms of overlaps, pelmets, hooks, and such. Things are a lot easier if you own the property and don't hit major domestic opposition

Old-N-Feeble · Feb 2, 2017

My question is: What will you do with all that stuff currently in the room?

kingbuzzie · Feb 2, 2017

grahamp said:
Can you do without the back door as an entrance while the 'darkroom' is in use?

Blackout fabric is easy enough to find - and if the 'blackout' stuff at the drapery store is not good enough some black paint can help. A good overlap of the doorway helps. I have done it, you just have to look at what you have to work with in terms of overlaps, pelmets, hooks, and such. Things are a lot easier if you own the property and don't hit major domestic opposition

We don't have to use the back door very often, and have a gate that goes around to the back if needed. I don't print THAT often, so I don't think inconveniencing the wife is an issue. And yes we do own the property, but I've been working on the wife for over a year now to sell and move to Oxford MS or Athens GA, so I'm not keen to muck it up too much!

kingbuzzie · Feb 2, 2017

Old-N-Feeble said:
My question is: What will you do with all that stuff currently in the room?

Haha ah you know, outside shed, attic, other closet etc. Some of it can stay. I just need room for the enlarger and some trays. A lot of that is my junk that can be gotten rid of.

kingbuzzie · Feb 2, 2017

Better shot of the laundry nook from the back door, showing the entry to the kitchen. It looks like in addition to a wood pelmet to square the slanting ceiling above the nook, I'll need to put some sort of moulding on one side of the kitchen entry, as it is flush with the wall and wouldn't block light with a curtain very well (unless I taped it down every time... rather not). All in all sill seem not like that much investment to get the area suitable. Depth is 46 inches, not a whole lot but enough to stand and print. On the plus side I can put a nice curtain in front of the blackout and then no-one has to look at the laundry.

jacaquarie · Feb 2, 2017

If this helps,
I work in my basement, the trays go on the washer and dryer and the deep sink is for rinsing finished prints. I have two windows and for the most part choose to work at night and block the view of the window with either black plastic, cheap from building supply, Have worked this way for years, not fancy, seems to get the job done for me.
Your results may differ.
The block out fabric from the fabric store for the liner of drapes does work quite well. For those that are extra fancy.
Whatever it takes to do the job. Sometimes we seek the "perfect" dark space for creating the photograph. Perfection get is the way of "good enough" and acomplishing our goals and art!

Aj

GRHazelton · Feb 2, 2017

kingbuzzie said:
We don't have to use the back door very often, and have a gate that goes around to the back if needed. I don't print THAT often, so I don't think inconveniencing the wife is an issue. And yes we do own the property, but I've been working on the wife for over a year now to sell and move to Oxford MS or Athens GA, so I'm not keen to muck it up too much!

Athens Georgia is a wonderful town! Are you going to be associated with the University?

kingbuzzie · Feb 2, 2017

GRHazelton said:
Athens Georgia is a wonderful town! Are you going to be associated with the University?

That's a good question. My wife works for U of Texas, and I used to. It really boils down to being closer to family, which we are not here in Austin. After living in Austin for so long is is hard to pick a place where we would be happy (and can be employed).

Born2Late · Feb 3, 2017

What about using flexible magnets or Velcro to attach a curtain?

kingbuzzie · Feb 8, 2017

Born2Late said:
What about using flexible magnets or Velcro to attach a curtain?

I may try that. Once I get the ceiling squared off with a wood pelmet and some very slight sides on the walls.

Jim Jones · Feb 8, 2017

My laundry room doubled as a darkroom for years. Lint and dust were a problem.

kingbuzzie · Feb 8, 2017

Jim Jones said:
My laundry room doubled as a darkroom for years. Lint and dust were a problem.

I assumed. I really don't have a choice though. We have a local darkroom coop, but it so poorly ran and not actually a coop that I had to take a break from it.

Sirius Glass · Feb 8, 2017

I put velco on the walls and above doors to hand the black out curtains. They zip on and off.

kingbuzzie · Feb 9, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
I put velco on the walls and above doors to hand the black out curtains. They zip on and off.

I'm exploring that idea. I'll tack up some blackout material over the kitchen entryway to see what I've got to block out once I get the enlarger set up and build the counter for the trays.

RalphLambrecht · Feb 11, 2017

bdial said:
"where there's a will, there's a way..."

Can you put curtains at the open doorway? Ideally, on both sides so that the outside one cuts the bulk of the light, and the inner one takes care of the rest. For doors, you can add weatherstripping around the edges and a door sweep at the bottom which won't substantially change the door but it will take care of any light issues.

I suggest light traps over weather sealing or any other kind of sealing.

bdial · Feb 11, 2017

RalphLambrecht said:
I suggest light traps over weather sealing or any other kind of sealing.

Ralph, Do you have a suggested method of adding a light trap on a door?

Sirius Glass · Feb 11, 2017

OR, instead of double curtains, make the curtains wider and hang them so that they cover an area wider than the doorway. Which is what I do.

kingbuzzie · Feb 13, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
OR, instead of double curtains, make the curtains wider and hang them so that they cover an area wider than the doorway. Which is what I do.

After some exploration, I think I'm going to hang a wider curtain at the open doorway with a drapery weights at the bottom. What would be the easiest to apply felt material for the inside of a door?

MattKing · Feb 13, 2017

Look at weather stripping for the door - plus for the bottom, a draft stopper: https://www.wish.com/c/57e8ea40f0da...Vj4K8KL2xHf6MUyJ4qNOHT4DLsohyeEfXuRoC_9vw_wcB

Sirius Glass · Feb 13, 2017

Sirius Glass said:
OR, instead of double curtains, make the curtains wider and hang them so that they cover an area wider than the doorway. Which is what I do.

Velco across the top of the door and on the wall at the top for the wider width. One or two pieces of velco on each side as necessary.

rthollenbeck · Feb 13, 2017

Jim Jones said:
My laundry room doubled as a darkroom for years. Lint and dust were a problem.

+1 Lint & Dust are big problems
Assuming your not doing color and you can keep the dust from being to big of a problem.
Do all your film in a changeing bag somewhere else (especially the drying)
If you work at night you maybe able to get away with a crude curtain (assuming you don't have any army of others switching on and off lights near by).
Goto the hardware store and get a cheep plastic washtub type sink install it next to your washer dryer. Make a plywood base counter top with three raised sides making the fourth side open so it can hang off the sink. Cover it in some bar lacquer or resin to water proof it. Put your developing trays on the homemade counter top.
Get a folding table to put your enlarger on.

This will be nice becuse you can break it all down (except the sink/witch maybe nice for your laundry anyway). The dust/lint will likely stay a problem and you will in all likely hood want to move from this space and get a temp control valve, or maybe you'll move the washer & dryer away.

People have made similar B&W simple darkrooms work.

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