Model Rooms

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Navigators Model Railway Group

Established 2013 with more than 150 years experience!

Creating a model room. The following described works required to convert a prefabricated concrete garage. Every potential model room has its own challenges to conversion. However there are a few common objectives that should be considered when planning and budgeting. These include:

Insulation: Do not skimp on insulation. If you do your model room will probably suffer from a wide range of temperature variations. It’s either going to be too cold in winter or too hot in summer. Either way, the planned layout can suffer from damp or warping. We would suggest that walls should include a minimum of 50mm , double foiled solid insulation sheet such as Kingspan or Celotex. RThis is placed between timber stud work. A further 25mm of the same material is placed at right angles to the stud-work, and the sheet taped together using a 50mm aluminium tape. This top barrier helps prevent cold bridging between the stud work and the insulation.

Floors: In outside areas, one should consider lining the floor with a damp proof membrane. This stops moisture rising in the model room. This should be applied without tears or rips and should be big enough to be turned up at all edges to form a ‘bath-like’ effect.

Timber: Stud work is based on treated 4x2 (100x47mm) joists. Don’t be tempted tp buy cheaper CLS timber. Without treatment, timber is susceptible to rot and warping.

Roof Spans: If it is necessary to run timbers to add support to a roof, you should ideally seek professional advice as to the size of timbers required. The longer the timber across a void, the higher the risk of deflection (bending). Depending on the load being applied, insufficient timbers could cause structural failure.

Electrical: Any electrical installation should comply with current legislation. Outside model rooms should generally be serviced with an independent fuse box (Distribution board) capable of taking the calculated electrical load.

Ventilation: Consider installing a bathroom type ventilation fan especially if you are considering working with materials that produce fumes. A personal preference is a HUMIDISTAT fan as not only do these provide ventilation, but also automatically switch on if they detect moisture.

Other considerations include: