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Pandemic project finally finished - should have done this long ago Journals/Blogs
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MRH Author 424 posts bobmorning MRH Author 424 posts
bobmorning

Sharing a pandemic project that we should have done 12 years ago when we bought the house, but then again the kids were still in school, then there was college tuition for 2, then a wedding but now the last two have left the "nest" and funding became available.

With a bit more disposable income and plenty of time thanks to the pandemic, we (my wife and I) set out to build a proper workspace in the basement.  This was the last unfinished portion of the basement.   My layout room/home office is on the other side of the right hand wall and was finished long ago.

This space was cold in the winter, poorly lit (2 LED bulbs), and not conducive to wanting to work at the workbench.  The project took 45 calendar days and we did all of it.  We did have our HVAC guys come in and put a Daikin Split system to heat and cool the entire basement.

Here is the space when construction first started:

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Here is the finished product:

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Now we have concealed storage (Jane added drapery to the open bay storage on the left), R32 insulation, drop ceiling, diffused LED lighting for my aging eyes, contractor grade cabinetry from the local big box hardware store, carpeting, effective heating/cooling, and a man cave workspace that will add value to our home.   Her workbench is closest to the camera, mine is to the right, the space behind the louvered doors is the what we call the "water room" that has the well pressure tank, water softener, UV light unit, and water heater.   Drop ceilings were a must so that the water, waste, and electrical systems were accessible for future maintenance.

I also took the time to organize all of the fasteners, washers, and other "stuff" that one accumulates over the years.  The storage organizers were inexpensive and procured from Amazon:

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Hopefully this inspires others to revamp their workspace.   My model railroad hobby time was suffering because I didn't want to be in that space to work for long periods in the winter.   Now I'm down there daily clearing out the projects that have sat way too long.

We wait for spring and the vaccine, until then we are hunkered down here in PA.

Take care, stay safe!!

 

Bob M.

Modeling the Western Maryland in the 1980's at http://wmrwy.com

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MikeHughes Super User 5,521 posts
MikeHughes

Bob

Looks great. I know the challenge with "festering" projects.  But once they're done, one wonders, "why did I wait so long."
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Paul Mac espeelark Super User 708 posts
Paul Mac espeelark

Looks great!

Love what appears to be LED light panels in the drop ceiling!

PA huh? I grew up in PA next to the shoreline of that snow-making machine Lake Erie. Not there anymore.

Paul Mac

Modeling the SP in Ohio                                                                                  "Bad is never good until worse happens"
https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/38537
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Rick Sutton Prolific poster 4,359 posts
Rick Sutton

Yee Haw!!!!!!!

You and your wife did a beautiful job on that space..........congrats and enjoy!!!!
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michaelrose55 Super User 3,458 posts
michaelrose55

You did an outstanding job! 

You did an outstanding job! 

Michael

The Breitenbach - Rosenheim Railroad V4
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Joe S. Active Member 67 posts
Joe S.

Looks great!

Looks like a great workspace to me!

Joe Suarez

A small layout in 1:160 is better than large layout in my head.
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jimfitch Prolific poster 5,281 posts
jimfitch

Finishing a space really does

Finishing a space really does make for a nicer environment.  I haven't really found much extra time due to the pandemic - wife and I continued F/T work so it hasn't been a boon to us, except maybe for the $timulu$ money!

I can relate to the extra disposable income after my daughter finished college, which allowed my wife and I to move out of a townhouse and into a stand-alone house with an unfinished basement.  The main 700 sq ft of the basement had stud wall already in when we moved in but we didn't start working on the basement until some other main floor projects had been done - such as rehabbing the kitchen and master bathroom.  The utility room area in the basement is the only part still not finished, which is 14x14.  I store my trains and have a work bench and utility sink there.  It is a long term wish to finish that area but we always seem to have so many wife projects that it would be few years off.  I split my time between the new DIY kitchen island project and the layout on weekends.

Anyway, I looks like you now have a nice environment for the work area.  It really is worth it if you can swing it financially.  My wife and I aren't loaded and we managed to get our 700 sq ft basement finished, including a full bathroom, for under $5k.  The shower in the basement bathroom is the best in the house!

BTW, to keep costs down we found 3 base cabinets at the Habitat for Humanity Restore for $80!

.

Jim Fitch
northern VA
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Michael Tondee MRH Author 5,531 posts
Michael Tondee

That looks great but...

If it were my space, I'd give it about two weeks and it would be filled with clutter again! I can't even see the top of my bench right now.

Michael, A.R.S. W4HIJ

 Model Rail, electronics experimenter and "mad scientist" for over 50 years.

Member of  "The Amigos" and staunch disciple of the "Wizard of Monterey"

My Pike: The Blackwater Island Logging&Mining Co.
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David Husman dave1905 MRH Author 9,833 posts
David Husman dave1905

Looks good

Really nice work room.

Dave Husman

Visit my website :  https://wnbranch.com/

Blog index:  Dave Husman Blog Index
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jimfitch Prolific poster 5,281 posts
jimfitch

If it were my space, I'd give

Quote:

If it were my space, I'd give it about two weeks and it would be filled with clutter again! I can't even see the top of my bench right now.

It looks like he thought of that.  Two long closet spaces with shelves on the left and cabinet space and wall shelves on the right!  But I know what you mean.  My shop area, it's hard to find a horizontal space to work on anything and I keep adding shelves yet it does no good.  Maybe I better sell some stuff! 

.

Jim Fitch
northern VA
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bkivey Regular poster 363 posts
bkivey

Slam Dunk!

Six weeks? A partner makes things so much easier.
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