We've only had ONE hot day..........

[Kayos]

and I want to complain already :P

I've been slowly converting my loft into a darkroom, I knew keeping it cool in summer would be a challenge as the front of the house faces south west but i've done the best I can with some extractors, ridge vents and passive stack ventilation. For some quite boring reasons I cant install a velux (yet) and nor do I want solar panels.

So we get a slightly warm day, and after all my work what do I get?

A loft 2 degrees cooler than on an equivalent day last year still too hot to use as a darkroom in the summer, meh

So my plans for a temporary/portable/moveable one in the bathroom have to be looked at, good job we have extra facilities downstairs, no way would Mrs Kayos allow me to take over it if we only had the one

(rant over)

I did manage to develop a roll of film using a slightly random technique before the heat became too much https://kayosphotography.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/film-acceleration/
But I still have 4 more I wanted to do, and I've not managed to use the enlarger yet

Think I need a pint of ale and to take t'whippet for a walk to calm down, if its not too bloody hot still

 

[the snooper]

To keep the heat out you would need the foil backed kingspan reflecting the heat back out toward the tiles

 

[Kayos]

To keep the heat out you would need the foil backed kingspan reflecting the heat back out toward the tiles

This I know, but it changes things from a cheap bit of fun to a major expense, everything else I've fitted was already available

Still a friend pointed out a 2 deg drop for free isn't all bed (he's tighter than me tho)

 

[roofman]

your going to keep getting it too untill there is at least a 60mm of foil backed insulation between the tiles and roof space fixed between the roofing spars which given that i dont think you would strip the roof off to counter batton for an air gap is and would be your best option...no amount of roof windows or vents will stop the tiles sinking the heat from the direct sunlight and transfering into the roof space

 

[brightspark]

staple this to yourroof spars . warm in winter and keep u cool in summer http://www.jewson.co.uk/building-ma...quilt-multi-layered-foil-insulation-10-x-15m/

 

[Normsthename]

Why the problem?
I used to do B&W , Slide and Colour Film/print processing.
Never had a problem with it being too hot, except that it made me sweat!
How are you doing the film processing?
I used to use a water temperature controlled tank like a Jobo

Andy

 

[Kayos]

Why the problem?
I used to do B&W , Slide and Colour Film/print processing.
Never had a problem with it being too hot, except that it made me sweat!
How are you doing the film processing?
I used to use a water temperature controlled tank like a Jobo

Andy

Making me sweat is one issue, it touched 31 deg today and it wasn't that hot outside!

I use a water bath I made myself, very accurate but in those ambient temps it always goes too high for black and white, C41 is fine tho

Last year I measured an air temp of over 40 deg, I like it hot, but not that hot........

As for major work on the roof, it's never gonna happen, the house is a semi so can't alter the tiles, and t'Yorkshireman in me won't pay for Kingspan

 

[roofman]

Making me sweat is one issue, it touched 31 deg today and it wasn't that hot outside!

I use a water bath I made myself, very accurate but in those ambient temps it always goes too high for black and white, C41 is fine tho

Last year I measured an air temp of over 40 deg, I like it hot, but not that hot........

As for major work on the roof, it's never gonna happen, the house is a semi so can't alter the tiles, and t'Yorkshireman in me won't pay for Kingspan

Ok...enjoy the summer

 

[the snooper]

Making me sweat is one issue, it touched 31 deg today and it wasn't that hot outside!

I use a water bath I made myself, very accurate but in those ambient temps it always goes too high for black and white, C41 is fine tho

Last year I measured an air temp of over 40 deg, I like it hot, but not that hot........

As for major work on the roof, it's never gonna happen, the house is a semi so can't alter the tiles, and t'Yorkshireman in me won't pay for Kingspan

convert it to a sauna ?

 

[Kayos]

Thank you for both highlighting the same thing, my solution is to not use the loft

Far cheaper than Kingspsan, just need to add a socket in the old airing cupboard (I know, I know, but I'm still doing it ) and make some blackout boards for the window

My biggest issue will be being organised, loft is big enough to store everything and just get out what I need, but still find stuff if I forget

 

[Spark plug]

Play in the loft during the night when it's cooler.

 

[chunkolini]

I was bloody working yesterday, my friends were flying at Rhossili, I was wrestling with a sheet of steel and a plasma cutter.
I did not even get free beer at the pub.

 

[zx9]

I had the same problem using a partially converted loft space as a dark room, hot in summer and cold in winter, the wife solved that problem by having the loft converted into a master bedroom with ensuite.....
Now I have no darkroom

 

[roofman]

Play in the loft during the night when it's cooler.

wont work..stays hot untill the next morning then all starts again

 

[awemawson]

air to water heat pump is what you want - or even an aircon unit at a (wasteful) push

 

[Kayos]

Please please stop suggesting stuff that costs actual money you all know the reason I need a dark room is because I'm too tight to buy a new camera

 

[Spark plug]

Please please stop suggesting stuff that costs actual money you all know the reason I need a dark room is because I'm too tight to buy a new camera

Wait till winter.

 

[Kayos]

The solution is a tempory/remove able setup for the bathroom, I've cut a ply cover for the window, and light sealed the door with some profiled draught excluder type material
For power I've replaced the old immersion supply with an rcd socket, it's outside any zones and in a cupboard so I'm safe there, just need to organise the chems so I'm not taking space up with stuff I don't need on a particular session

 

[awemawson]

In my first house (Lewisham 1973) I used to develop black and white films on the kitchen table - it was fine until a train went past and the electric sparks put too much light through the blinds