Darkroom Flooring? Suggestions?

[Monty McCutchen]

I have a room in our new house that will allow me to have my first dedicated darkroom--so cool ya know? Anyway the room had nasty on top of nasty carpet in the room that had to be yanked out. Now I have a wood sub floor waiting for a good floor to be added on top that will work well with its intended purpose of being a darkroom. The room is about 12 x 18 feet if that plays a role in your suggestions.

Thoughts and suggestions please. Although spending others money is one of lifes great joys it should be said I don't have much for you to spend so if its all the same keep the suggestions to middlin' to fair and we should be good.

Thanks in advance,


Monty

[lenser]

Linoleum or some other such surface for easy clean up and liquid resistance plus good quality rubber matting like they have in perforated interlocking squares for schools, labs, work sites, etc. for your sink and enlarger floor stations to ease stress on feet and legs. They just pick up so are easy to clean and to get to spills.

[Allen in Montreal]

Having worked on many different surfaces, I have found the best for my personal tastes and comfort is the dollar store one foot square foam interlocking squares meant for the play room to protect baby from smacking her head.

They clean up well, there are about 3/8 of padding and lock into place and stay put. You buy and lay them down as you go, locally, they are a dollar a square, do the area in front the enlarger and the sink first, keep moving until the room is completed. They come in deep blue, yellow, red and black. If I may, I suggest the black ones. :)

[Allen in Montreal]

My apologies Lenser, I opened the window and made a tea before posting and did not see you suggesting the very same thing.

[lenser]

Allen, That's one of the beauties of this site....sharing experience and offering it on to each other. I had forgotten that this product was available at the dollar stores, so thanks for adding that in. Hopefully, we've both been helpful to Monty.

Tim

[cowanw]

I have a cork floor. It came in 3 foot wide rolls and was glued down and covered with poly urethane. 30 years and still good. Spills are not a problem and a bit of cushioning on the feet for long standing.
Regards
Bill

[Paul Ewins]

I have industrial grade sheet vinyl - pretty much the modern version of linoleum. It's waterproof, chemical resistant and hard wearing.

[Bruce Watson]

Poured acrylic. Run it up around the edges of the room too, so you turn the floor into a nice sort of bowl. So that when you spill something it's easier to wash it down your floor drain. You do have a floor drain in this new darkroom don't you? If not, seriously consider it. Saved my tail more than once ;)

If you do use poured acrylic, get your vendor to add some sand to the mix to make a non-slip floor. Much safer in a room where the floor can get wet and stay wet while you are walking on it in the dark (so you don't see that it's wet).

[Mike Castles]

Sheet vinyl/linoleum with the interlocking matts to save wear/tear on the feet/legs and back. It's what was in my darkroom when the water heater went and flooded. Best advice I can offer beyond that, if possible, add a floor drain (wished I had) it will save many headaches.

Congtratulations on the new DR, Monty can't wait to see what comes from it.

[Monty McCutchen]

Thanks all! Everyone has indeed been very helpful. That is why I love this forum--t never fails to come through.

Mike and Bruce the floor drain is a fabulous idea and I will look into that immediately. Mike I hope to finally have a place that things are readily available to work on short notice as is the case with my travel schedule. Nothing killed the creative juices more than thinking about getting all the picnic tables out, then the trays,then waiting until dark etc etc.

It's an exciting time. Thanks to all again for taking the time to respond.

Monty

[D. Bryant]

I have a room in our new house that will allow me to have my first dedicated darkroom--so cool ya know? Anyway the room had nasty on top of nasty carpet in the room that had to be yanked out. Now I have a wood sub floor waiting for a good floor to be added on top that will work well with its intended purpose of being a darkroom. The room is about 12 x 18 feet if that plays a role in your suggestions.

Thoughts and suggestions please. Although spending others money is one of lifes great joys it should be said I don't have much for you to spend so if its all the same keep the suggestions to middlin' to fair and we should be good.

Thanks in advance,


Monty
I've got 2 ft. sq. interlocking foam pads which really helps reduce foot fatique. It's pretty easy to install and can be pulled up if need be.

My 2 cents,

Don Bryant

[Merg Ross]

Monty, there is nothing like a dedicated space for a darkroom. Congratulations! My only question is the size, 12 by 18 feet. Do you anticipate the darkroom being that size? From a practical standpoint, and years of experience, I would suggest that is an excessive size for a wet space. Perhaps you intend to include a finishing room also.

As to the floor covering,you have received good advice; sheet vinyl with one of the available fatigue mats would be my choice. Have fun!

[Greg Lockrey]

Monty, there is nothing like a dedicated space for a darkroom. Congratulations! My only question is the size, 12 by 18 feet. Do you anticipate the darkroom being that size? From a practical standpoint, and years of experience, I would suggest that is an excessive size for a wet space. Perhaps you intend to include a finishing room also.

As to the floor covering,you have received good advice; sheet vinyl with one of the available fatigue mats would be my choice. Have fun!

If you plan on doing murals (which I used to do), that's a good size. :)

[weasel]

The last darkroom I built, I simply painted the subfloor. It worked very well- cheap, easy to do, and mopped up spills very well.
I am not sure what sort of area you live in, but if you want padding for the floor and live in a rural or semi rural area, go to a farm supply store and get dairy matts. They are dense rubber like pads to keep cows from tearing their joints up on concrete floors. I found them to be much cheaper than basically the same thing made for childrens' rooms. they come in pretty big pieces, but can be cut to fit your space.

[Monty McCutchen]

Monty, there is nothing like a dedicated space for a darkroom. Congratulations! My only question is the size, 12 by 18 feet. Do you anticipate the darkroom being that size? From a practical standpoint, and years of experience, I would suggest that is an excessive size for a wet space. Perhaps you intend to include a finishing room also.

As to the floor covering,you have received good advice; sheet vinyl with one of the available fatigue mats would be my choice. Have fun!



Hi Merg,

The room that was designated for the darkroom was the best room for me to take over based on what worked for the rest of the family so the size of the room was ultimately what it was. That being said I've taken on the folly of a 20 x 24 camera the last several years for Pt/Pd, Gumover, and Wet Plate Collodion as my desired ends, so at least initially before having actually completed it I was anticipating it being about the right size for a sink that will being able to handle the big trays, bigger print washer, (trays going underneath the sink) on one side of the room and then the other side would be lined with a countertop that contained a coating station, light table for registration of the big negatives for the gumovers, and the UV light source for the Pt/Pd printing. A big sink was the real shining star as I am tired of one big tray on a card table in the basement for pre-soak, empty, develop film, empty, stop bath, empty, fixer, empty go outside where my washer sat on the ground and wash.
The thought of all separate trays lined up in a big sink has me positively giddy!

While we're here I would love to hear your thoughts on what not to forget to include if the above doesn't sound right to you. Since this is my first darkroom I'm all ears as to what might be indispensable to having a successful outlay. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to answer!

Best,

Monty

[Don Hutton]

Monty

IMO, stake out the biggest space you possibly can early... It's way easier having too much room rather than too little. My previous darkroom was very nice and designed around silver 16x20s - it was 7x12 and worked perfectly. Of course just about the time I finished it, I was getting interested in alt processes with ULF cameras, so the compact well designed layout became obsolete and clunky for what I was trying to do. My new darkroom is 15x15 and it's wonderful - although probably larger than I now need (as I am using digital negatives instead of big in camera negs)... In my new darkroom, I have two separate sinks and I'd recommend that to anyone with the space. I also decided to make this one much more modular (after my previous experience, where everything was fitted and built in and my interests changed) - I can theoretically completely reconfigure the darkroom with minimal effort - all of the workspaces, cabinets etc (even the sinks) are separate units which can be moved.

Back on subject, I have a painted concrete floor (I considered the acrylic option and just didn't get round to it) with a few of those industrial type "rubber" carpet mats like they use in the entrances of diners. Every now and again (after too many spills etc) I take them outside and power wash them.....

[Turner Reich]

I have a cork floor. It came in 3 foot wide rolls and was glued down and covered with poly urethane. 30 years and still good. Spills are not a problem and a bit of cushioning on the feet for long standing.

Bill that's an interesting and natural choice. Any idea where a person can buy Cork today?

[Merg Ross]

Hi Monty-

Ah, the large space makes sense; I was thinking along the lines of a smaller end product. Also, perhaps a bit envious!

One aspect of the design, that I am sure you have considered, is an adequate ventilation system. I can not stress the importance enough of good exhaust and fresh air intake.

You should have a lot of fun designing the space; I look forward to updates.

Best,
Merg

[Richard Wall]

Bill that's an interesting and natural choice. Any idea where a person can buy Cork today?

You can get cork flooring at Lowes, at least at the one near my house or at lumber liquidators:
http://www.lumberliquidators.com/home.jsp

However, I put my vote in for linoleum or some flooring that is non porous and can be easily cleaned. I have worked in darkrooms with unsealed concrete floors and the small chemicals spills, that were cleaned daily, eventually were able to seep into the concrete and contaminate the floor. The room eventually became a nasty, possibly toxic, mess. The floors had to be professionally cleaned and sealed.

Richard

[Ralph Barker]

I concur with the suggestions of using sheet (roll) flooring (or, a poured floor), so as to avoid joints and seams if possible. As I recall, the standard rolls carried by most home centers is 12 feet, although 14' is available, I believe, by special order. Thus, having the room be exactly 12', or a little less, is better than say 12' 4". Cushioning rubber mats for the "standing" areas are also very helpful.

Having a center floor drain can be a plus for big spills and/or cleaning, but that also complicates construction - both for the room and for cabinets and such, since there needs to be a slight slope to the floor.

[cowanw]

Bill that's an interesting and natural choice. Any idea where a person can buy Cork today?
I have seen 1 foot squares at many flooring stores. But the roll at the time was from home depot. as I look into it now it may be I was using underlayment. But it has worked well and is green (in a brown sort of way)

http://corkdirect.com/underlayment.html?OVRAW=cork%20rolls&OVKEY=cork%20roll&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=1569186022&OVKWID=13354070022

http://mantoncork.com/?OVRAW=cork%20rolls&OVKEY=cork%20roll&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=16140457021&OVKWID=7973399521

http://www.flex-a-chart.com/cork2.htm

Regards
Bill

[Kevin Crisp]

I vote for linoleum squares with a floor drain even though you think you will never need one. Then get a couple of those big rubber fatigue mats they sell in restaurant supply stores, makes all the difference in the world to have those where you stand by the sink. They also help with dust control since whatever falls off your shoes goes down through the holes and stays underneath.

[cowanw]

You can get cork flooring at Lowes, at least at the one near my house or at lumber liquidators:
http://www.lumberliquidators.com/home.jsp

However, I put my vote in for linoleum or some flooring that is non porous and can be easily cleaned. I have worked in darkrooms with unsealed concrete floors and the small chemicals spills, that were cleaned daily, eventually were able to seep into the concrete and contaminate the floor. The room eventually became a nasty, possibly toxic, mess. The floors had to be professionally cleaned and sealed.

Richard
Not to push it But the natural cork can be painted with urethane to as thick a layer as you wish and has stood up to more spills than I should admit to
Regards
Bill

[Gary L. Quay]

I have the worst possible flooring. Particle board. It was what was under the original carpet, and I didn't have the time or money to replace it. So, I primed it and painted it black, and covered it with some polyeurithane (sp?) sealer. I used 3 coats, and it seems to be holding up so far. There's no reason why you couldn't just seal the wood floor, and have it last for years. Oil-based marine paint also works, and if you covered that with the polyeurithane, you'd have a floor that would turn aside drill bits.

I also have 2 3x4', 1/2" thick floor mat made out of recycled tires in front of the sink.

[Steve Sherman]

Try some water, my wife swears you can walk on it!

[Monty McCutchen]

Try some water, my wife swears you can walk on it!



I don't know about that but I love her for believing it anyway! This post will have to be short as I have to go wash dishes, and then go over to my neighbors--his wife is out of town and he doesn't know where the food processor is, and thus finds himself in dire straights.

Monty

[Steve Sherman]

he doesn't know where the food processor is, and thus finds himself in dire straights.

Monty

Cletus suggested I put a clapper on that processor, one hand clap and that sucker starts right up in the cabinet

[miguelgarbutt]

Thanks for sharing! :)

[neil poulsen]

I would get the highest quality sheet vinyl that has the maximum degree of stain resistance. I got vinyl that's stain resistant, but a notch or two down from the best, and it stains.

I think that Armstrong's supposed to be good.

[Paul Ron]

I would get the highest quality sheet vinyl that has the maximum degree of stain resistance. I got vinyl that's stain resistant, but a notch or two down from the best, and it stains.

I think that Armstrong's supposed to be good.


+1

you never have to worry about spills. its easy to clean and when it looks lousey...just get another sheet.


those fatigue mats are great. you can get them faily cheap. the nice thing is since you dont have much, you can take them out in the yard n hose m down.

[Willie]

Older thread brought back.
Try a farm or horse supply place and get a horse stall mat. Rubber, nice and thick and cushions well. Easy to clean. Put it where you tend to walk around and save your back, hips and knees.

[HMG]

Older thread brought back.
Try a farm or horse supply place and get a horse stall mat. Rubber, nice and thick and cushions well. Easy to clean. Put it where you tend to walk around and save your back, hips and knees.

That's what I use. Mine is approx 3x5 and 1 covers most of the working area in my small darkroom.

[Leszek Vogt]

Thanks Willie. Spotted couple of places and one (Wilco) had 4' wide or 30 inches and one can determine the length of the pad....according to their space. I just put in a v. nice bamboo flooring and this recycled cushion will help my footsies and keep things dry from spills.

Les

[scheinfluger_77]

Another possibility are the 1” mats hair stylists use. Those are about the most comfortable things I’ve stood on. But they are not porous with no holes and tapered edges, and expensive.

[Tin Can]

I'm putting a floating sheet of vinyl flooring over my 100-year hardwood floors, which are rough finish, not sanded and sealed. It's a bedroom I don't need. Plumbing right through the wall to the washer on the other side.

For standing comfort.

I wear closeout Doc Martin fabric shoes or boots with the softest and least slippery soles I have ever used. No cushion needed. They call them Air Wair Bouncing Soles. $50 a pair. Young women tell me my shoes are cool.

I started wearing Doc Martins industrial steel toes 40 years ago when the factory paid 50%. They do not slip on grease, oil, blood or fat. The only shoe to claim and prove that.

The new Chinese versions are actually better than the Originals still made in England. And cheaper.

Big toe box for old feet. I watch for closeout sales and have a new pair coming tomorrow.

[Fred L]

Another possibility are the 1” mats hair stylists use. Those are about the most comfortable things I’ve stood on. But they are not porous with no holes and tapered edges, and expensive.

imo,those types of mats are the best. Darkrooms I've worked in had them and they were incredibly comfortable when you're on your feet souping and printing all day. the black ones with the swiss cheese holes, while less expensive, aren't in the same league.

Something like these are what I'm considering buying http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=71127&cat=1,43456,43465

I'd suggest spending the extra for the better ones and don't look back.