Advice Needed for Possble New Project

[jdthakid36]

It's been a while, and i'll start off by apologizing to any open thread replies that I have not returned due to another long layoff from the hobby. Due to my 2 year old, 9-month old, a new job, lack of space, dial-up Internet that won't cooperate, as well as a dinosaur computer that won't cooperate either, among other reasons...I have ot been able to enjoy my collection an trading! Ok, enough with the excuses...ha ha.

Although my family and I are trying to sell our house, I have decided to take my father in-laws advice and turn my shed into a potential hobby room. It's about 8x10, with 8' cielings (I believe). It's not insulated and is your typical garden shedright now...good news is it has power. I'll need to insulate it, put in walls, a cieling, and some type of flooring.

I'm looking for advice on what route to take on many of these areas. Keep in mind, I have thousands of dollars in rare, an autographed Nolan Ryan, Duke Blue Devil, and Washington Redskins memorabila, as well as over 30,000 cards, and my large and extremely important Nolan Ryan card collection. I want to keep this stuff as safe as possible, as far as weather and temperature is concerned.

I am leaning towards T1-11 on the cieling and walls, with a roll insulation that has a R-13 rating. There is an old air conditioning unit, that has been unused for about 5 years (in the window). I will probably want to replace it with something smaller and more efficient. I am an operations manager for a flooring company, so I can come up with some sort of flooring product that will save me some pennies...I would either put down a floating floor, or carpet...preferrably a floating floor (Kahrs or Bruce product).

I am looking for any and all advice, additional ideas, and comments/opinions. Everything is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance. I really look forward to the responses!!!

JOSH

 

[anglinomics]

Moisture is the problem here. Will you be able to create the same conditions that you have in your home?

 

[jdthakid36]

Moisture is the problem here. Will you be able to create the same conditions that you have in your home?

I was in the process of putting a cieling in today...until the storms came! I will be insulating the walls and putting in some sort of heating and AC. What would be some precuations to moisture?

 

[timfsu2k]

Wow, I'm not sure I would trust an outdoor shed to protect my collection. Sheds aren't built like houses and to me there would be too many possibilities of something happening to my stuff. Even like a mouse or something getting in there could really do some damage. As a fellow Ryan collector, I would hate to come to the Bench and read a thread you started about your Ryan collection being ruined!!

 

[mintman2]

If you're truly trying to sell your house it sounds like a big waste of time and money to me. You'd probably be better off spending your time and money slapping on a new coat of paint, new bathroom/kitchen fixtures, or other superficial "repairs" that are fairly cheap, look good, and will improve the saleability of the house and worry about housing your collection when you get into your new place.

 

[jdthakid36]

The problem is, the market's so bad we aren't expecting our house to sell...so frustrating. This particular shed was actually built pretty well. Some insulation, T1-11, a cieling, and a nice laminate floor will make this place like a minature house...I don't think it's your typical shed that you buy at a Lowes or something. Plus, I can't stand not having a hobby anymore...my wife reads all the time, and I have nothing to do but watch TV when I get home (while helping out with the kids...).

Believe me, if I think my collection is going to get damaged in any way, I will call off the project! With the right planning and preparation, this could be a nice little "hobby house". It may also be an interesting "purk" for a potential buyer, maybe...But I am still optimistic about the house selling. The wife...not so much.

I appreciate the comments so far, and the concerns. How about some ideas and advice...? I'd like to get back to trading cards with all of you, I can't do it with everything boxed up a closet. My collection is lonely, ha ha.

 

[mintman2]

I'm suprised you haven't gotten more replies. Who'd you tic off ?

If you're thinking about displaying as well as storage I've got 3 thoughts with your limited space.
1) Something like a poster "flip" rack for a wall which allows you to change the look and easily view your stuff.
2) A four sided, maybe rotating, rack. In principle, something like the rotating seed packet displays. Lots of display space in a small area.
3) A shelf all the way around the room 9-12" from the ceiling, enclosed if possible, for bobbleheads, bats, mugs, plush toys, etc, etc.

I was in the process of putting a cieling in today...until the storms came! I will be insulating the walls and putting in some sort of heating and AC. What would be some precuations to moisture?

AC takes care of the moisture, for the most part, in the summer and heating, if something like forced air takes care of it in the winter. If you go with something like electric or radiator heat you'd probably want a dehumidifier. With passive(?) heat you can create quite a sauna !

 

[jdthakid36]

I don't think I upset anyone here...I hope not atleast! Thanks for the advice! I like all three of those ideas, and will probably incorporate 1 or 2 of them, if not all 3. Here's my progress so far, due to limited time and money...the money thing isn't so bad, and i've decided to just sink a few hundred bucks anyway...i'll be making money until I die, and this project is worth it! Plus, I have quit the booz, so i'll have some more money each month! The wife is on-board with this project too, so that extra special support will speed things up now.

- cieling is complete
- subfloor is fixed and complete (I put in a second layer of 1/2" OSB for added support...)

Still to come:
- wall insulation
- Red Oak Panels will be used in place of drywall - comes primed and I won't have to worry about mudding and taping...plus, I think it looks nicer. You probably won't see much of the walls anyway
- I have an exotic 3/8" Bruce hardwood floor going in, a floating floor. It will look great! Plus, since I work for a flooring company, it was free...can't beat that!
- Will be getting some sort of high speed Internet, either a dish or Verizon broadband. We can't get DSL or cable Internet where we live, so the mobile chip or dish is the only options aside from dial-up, and I am running out of patience with dial-up...
- Once this is taken care of, i'll be up and running. I can't wait!


Again, i am always looking for advice and ideas. Keep'em coming. Oh, I may be going with basement insulation here, any concerns?

I'm suprised you haven't gotten more replies. Who'd you tic off ?

If you're thinking about displaying as well as storage I've got 3 thoughts with your limited space.
1) Something like a poster "flip" rack for a wall which allows you to change the look and easily view your stuff.
2) A four sided, maybe rotating, rack. In principle, something like the rotating seed packet displays. Lots of display space in a small area.
3) A shelf all the way around the room 9-12" from the ceiling, enclosed if possible, for bobbleheads, bats, mugs, plush toys, etc, etc.



AC takes care of the moisture, for the most part, in the summer and heating, if something like forced air takes care of it in the winter. If you go with something like electric or radiator heat you'd probably want a dehumidifier. With passive(?) heat you can create quite a sauna !

 

[Kekamba]

Id been very carefull. Only because if you get this complete and end up thinking this is the ultimate collection room. I can almost promise you someone will come along and buy the house as soon as you finish it get set up and start enjoying the hobby again. With that said, it seems to me that most people now days use a computer to list, sort and all kinds of things with their collection. So you'd probably want to find a way to have that access in your new project. Id even go as far as adding that amount into the orginal budget for this project. Even if it means a new home computer and the old one in the shed.

 

[jdthakid36]

Id been very carefull. Only because if you get this complete and end up thinking this is the ultimate collection room. I can almost promise you someone will come along and buy the house as soon as you finish it get set up and start enjoying the hobby again. With that said, it seems to me that most people now days use a computer to list, sort and all kinds of things with their collection. So you'd probably want to find a way to have that access in your new project. Id even go as far as adding that amount into the orginal budget for this project. Even if it means a new home computer and the old one in the shed.

I was thinking the same thing, but the wife took the house off the market. It looks like we're going to stick it out for another year or two...

Also good advice on the computer. We have three Internet options where I live. Dial-up, satellite, or mobile broadband. I hate dial-up! I have been reading up on satellite and mobile broadband, and i'm a little hesitant with both. $60-$70 a month is a lot...and I am afraid it's not going to be any better than 56k dial-up. I was about to pull the trigger on HughesNet or WildBlue (because WildBlue is affiliated with Dish Network, who we have out TV with), but I was reading some terrible reviews yesterday about how satellite wasn't any faster than dial-up. I may go with the Verizon mobile broadband now, and invest of one of those NetBooks...kind of cool. I have most of my collection on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, but I will have to update it and spend some time making sure it is accurate.

I just can't wait to start trading and coming home to some new packages each day!

 

[katester44]

There are a lot of good ideas being floated around. I am sure you have thought of it, but make sure you put a moisture barrier between the walls and the insulation/framing, it is just one more layer of protection to keep everything safe.

 

[Kekamba]

I had hughes not long ago, and I have to say while I understand sometimes it seems like the only option it blows hard. When the weather gets bad, and not neccesary just out your front door you can and most likely will loose your acess. Also your limited on downloads, after about 3-4 player checklist downloads Id exceed the limit granted there was 3 of us on diffrent computers but when you exceed your time your speed goes slower than dial up. A upgrade to the next package was almost twice the base rate. And really all you got was more downloads. When it was up and running with clear weather it was fast but all things considered Id avoid Hughes like the plaque.

I cant speak for the other companies out there. Someone has to offer a solid sat. service.

 

[jdthakid36]

There are a lot of good ideas being floated around. I am sure you have thought of it, but make sure you put a moisture barrier between the walls and the insulation/framing, it is just one more layer of protection to keep everything safe.

The shed was originally built with fiberboard behind the siding, so I think that serves as a moisture barrier. I wish I knew more about these things...I was talking to my wife last night and told her I could answer most questions regarding sports and memorabilia...or atleast have a lot of knowledge about them, but when it comes to everything else in the world, I don't have a clue...I guess that's what I get for not paying attention to so much! THanks for the advice!

I had hughes not long ago, and I have to say while I understand sometimes it seems like the only option it blows hard. When the weather gets bad, and not neccesary just out your front door you can and most likely will loose your acess. Also your limited on downloads, after about 3-4 player checklist downloads Id exceed the limit granted there was 3 of us on diffrent computers but when you exceed your time your speed goes slower than dial up. A upgrade to the next package was almost twice the base rate. And really all you got was more downloads. When it was up and running with clear weather it was fast but all things considered Id avoid Hughes like the plaque.

I cant speak for the other companies out there. Someone has to offer a solid sat. service.

Yeah, after doing a lot of research and crunching numbers, I decided to just add another phone line and stick with dial-up. I'm so wierry of signing up for a 2-year contract, and not getting what I expect...i's too much money to invest. I am looking in to getting a laptop, so that I can hang out with the wife in the living room at night, and still be able to browse the net and trade.

UPDATE: I wish I wasn't an impatient person!!! I ran into a hic-up yesterday and had to run new wire from the house to the shed...which meant digging a trench and disconnecting everything that had already been wired, and delaying my progress! When we bought the house 5 years ago, and my father-in-law, father, and myself were building the fence, I cut the original (correct wire) with the shovel! When we ran the new wire to the shed, my elders short-cutted and ran 14 guage wire on a 20 amp circuit...you know how some olde timey "do-it-yourselfers" are...and I didn't know any better. It's held up so far, but I want to make sure important stuff like this is addressed if i'm putting sentimental, valuable, and "one-of-a-kind" cards and memorabilia in there!

I am hoping to go get insulation and paneling tomorrow...once I finish wiring the outlets. I'm going to use a 5/8" Red Wood siding, rather than T1-11, it will save me about $70-$80, and comes primed and ready for paint.

Could I be up and running by mid-August? Man, I hope so!!!

 

[jdthakid36]

I've hit a "stand-still"!!! I worked all day Saturday on the trim and installed the floor...wore myself out! Sunday I was fiddling some more with shoe molding and other minor details, and realized that my initial layout is basically not going to work. I have about 30 boxes of cards:
- 18 jumbo shoe boxes - 4 of them contain my Nolan Ryan collection, with the remaining 14 containing my star cards for trade
- 5 single shoe boxes - miscelaneous stuff
- and 7 MONSTER boxes, which contain all my commons, 1981-2010

My original plan was to buy one of those 5-tier shelves from Lowes, but the space I was planning on putting this is too small...stupid me didn't take the window on the front in account (which has the AC unit). I am seriously considering selling the refridgerator that was left by the original homeowner ( which I cleaned up and is actually a very nice fridge now...). One, it will make some additional, much needed space. And, two, it will help with all the money i've put into this project.

My next thought is to run wire shelving about 3' high on the back wall, which is about 11' long. Any thoughts on that? I want to be able to showcase all of my Nolan Ryan memorabilia, along with my small collection of Duke and Redskin stuff, but I can't put it together.

What's wrong with me? I feel like i'm over-thinking...but then again, i'm so simple minded, that I miss some important details, like not seeing ahead of time that my original plan wasn't going to work. I drive myself crazy...how did I evr find a woman to marry me...ha ha.