Studio in a closet

[Smiling Camel]

I have been torching outside in my garage but I have been convinced that I need to move inside closer to the fuse box so I can get the increased electrical to set up my kiln. I can also have natural gas if I'm inside because it is closer to the source. The garage was too far from the sources and we're on a slab so it was too expensive to get it to the garage.

Anyway, now that I am moving inside, I need suggestions about what to put on the floor to cover the carpet in the torching area. Also, I was thinking about putting the desk with the torch in a wide, deep closet. I thought about putting the vent in there and venting out the side of the house. In a pinch, I can close the double closet doors and the room can turn back into the guest room/sitting room it was before the studio.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions. Any potential problems that I haven't thought of?? Also, I'd like to buy a very quiet vent fan and I'd like suggestions. Money is not as much as an issue as the noise is.

Thanks for your expertise!!!!

Sharon

[bhhco]

I have been torching outside in my garage but I have been convinced that I need to move inside closer to the fuse box so I can get the increased electrical to set up my kiln. I can also have natural gas if I'm inside because it is closer to the source. The garage was too far from the sources and we're on a slab so it was too expensive to get it to the garage. Just observations.

Anyway, now that I am moving inside, I need suggestions about what to put on the floor to cover the carpet in the torching area. Also, I was thinking about putting the desk with the torch in a wide, deep closet. I thought about putting the vent in there and venting out the side of the house. In a pinch, I can close the double closet doors and the room can turn back into the guest room/sitting room it was before the studio.

I'd appreciate any and all suggestions. Any potential problems that I haven't thought of?? Also, I'd like to buy a very quiet vent fan and I'd like suggestions. Money is not as much as an issue as the noise is.

Thanks for your expertise!!!!

Sharon

Closets usually have no windows (although I was once in a friends lake home that did - they wanted to see the lake from every room - including the master closet!). So here is a personal observation (and a little story to boot)... I used to wonder why (beside code requirments of course) someone would take a perfectly good, well made house and exterior wall, and then punch a hole in the wall for a window... which can leak, break, etc.. Then come along and cover it up with blinds and curtains so it doesn't show. But after personally having hurricane storm panels up for a while I fully understood. Not being able to see out - just cause you want to - is spooky... real cave-like spooky. At least for me. So maybe get a chair and spend a few hours in The Closet with a good book (could I suggest a Steven King novel?) and see if it "feels" as good as it "seems". I'd hate to see you get all set-up with gas, electricity, ventilation, etc... and then couldn't stay in there more than 5 minutes.:wink:

Me


edit... maybe I'm just closetophobic.

[meadowesky]

I think it is an awesome idea! of course I have had a walk in (the size of a twin mattress) as a bedroom when I shared a big house with a bunch of hippies LOL. It was the coolest bedroom ever!! seriously! sounds like your closet would be perfect. You could decorate how ever you want, line the walls with shelves and be good to go!!

[Smiling Camel]

It is not a deep,scary closet. In fact, it is right next to sliding glass doors out to our garden and Koi pond with a waterfall. The desk and stuff would be in the closet, me and my chair would be in the room. So, that isn't an issue but - believe me - Stephen King would make me sleep with the lights on.

Can you think of a safety issue not to do it? I'll vent out the side of the closet to outside. There is plenty of replacement air with two windows on the opposite side of the room.

Any ideas what to put on the carpet? Pulling it up isn't an option since the whole room is carpeted.

Thanks for the responses - I appreciate any input. Plus, I am new here and it makes me feel welcome!!

[rosiescreations]

You will have to protect more floor than you think for popping glass. I would search for flam proof tarp or some thing like the firefighters use in forest fires.
That way you could roll it back into the closet.

http://www.fireproofblankets.com/

http://www.idahocanvas.com/id219.htm

[Just Nancy]

Welcome.

We used to have a sewing closet which became a computer closet till we closed it in. I would think as long as you have ventilation it would be just fine. (But I've been wrong before.) I would also think it would act like a barley box (again assuming you have a way to vent it). You would need something for the floor but everyone does that sets up a space in their home.

Can it stay there permanently (tile, cement board come to mind even just set on top of the carpet) or does it need to roll back up (such as the tarp mentioned above?)

Good luck.

[Smiling Camel]

It can be temporarily permanet if you know what I mean. I'd hate to pull up the carpet but I can put something down that can stay. Wonder if the weight of me rolling over tile that is not glued down will break if it is on carpet. Same with cement board.

I'm not sure what a Barley box is but I will do some research.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Heather/Ericaceae]

Sounds like a neat idea! I wonder if you could make a flooring platform that was hinged like a Murphy Bed to fold up inside the closet when you want to "hide" your studio? -H.

[Smiling Camel]

The HVAC guy was here today. We are going with a Glasscraft vent in the closet. He is running natural gas and giving me a dedicated circuit for the kiln which will all live in the closet.

I think that I am going to pull up the carpet in the closet and in front of the sliders and put down ceramic. I think it will work and look fine.

Thanks for your suggestions. This is going to be cool!!!

[Just Nancy]

Yeah! Glad you can make it work.

[Kevan]

What? Why have windows in your house?

Cause...

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i242/chichiboy/102001.jpg