Darkroom light-tight louvers

[jpa66]

I'm building a darkroom; it's all framed out and I'm getting ready to put up the drywall. I need to know if there is any type of specific light-tight louvers that I need. I'm assuming that all I need to get is a set that allows air in while maintaining total darkness in the room, and not one that I somehow need to hook up to my exhaust fan's system. Is this correct? The room is pretty small ( about 4' X 8' ) and I don't need a giant amount of air flow coming in.

Any help is very much appreciated.

Jan

 

[jpa66]

As an addendum:

My main concern is getting fresh air into the room. Air flow should not be a problem, as one of the rooms sharing an adjacent wall is a bathroom with an exhaust fan that is also hooked up to the ductwork of the darkroom fan ( two separate fans, but one big motor ). When either fan gets turned on, air from both vents circulates through the ductwork.

 

[Rob-F]

I'm not sure I understand that fan arrangement, but it sounds like you can pull exhaust air from the darkroom; and therefore only need something to serve as an air inlet. Is that right? So I should think some light-tight louvers would do the job. In fact it sounds like a great idea. I made air inlets by building light traps between the ceiling joists over my basement darkroom. I just need to get around to putting in the fan (I sort of have the opposite situation from yours) :angel:

 

[jim_jm]

Jan -

I recently remodeled a bathroom with the need to have it double as a darkroom, so I found these Doran light-tight louvers at B&H Photo http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/43102-REG/Doran_DOL1212_L_1212_Light_Tight_Darkroom.html

I installed the vent on a wall separating the bathroom from my studio. The contractor just cut a hole in the outside of the wall to fit this louver, then on the interior cut a same size hole and installed a non light-tight louver which matched the bathroom decor. Ventilation is very good and I have a standard bathroom ventilation fan in the ceiling which draws the air across the length of the room and up and out. No issues with light leaks of any kind.

There are smaller louvers - you just want to make sure your fan does not draw more air than the louver allows to flow through. I also inserted a sheet of open-cell foam in the wall between the louvers to minimize the amount of dust being drawn in from outside.

 

[jpa66]

Jan -

I recently remodeled a bathroom with the need to have it double as a darkroom, so I found these Doran light-tight louvers at B&H Photo http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/43102-REG/Doran_DOL1212_L_1212_Light_Tight_Darkroom.html

I installed the vent on a wall separating the bathroom from my studio. The contractor just cut a hole in the outside of the wall to fit this louver, then on the interior cut a same size hole and installed a non light-tight louver which matched the bathroom decor. Ventilation is very good and I have a standard bathroom ventilation fan in the ceiling which draws the air across the length of the room and up and out. No issues with light leaks of any kind.

There are smaller louvers - you just want to make sure your fan does not draw more air than the louver allows to flow through. I also inserted a sheet of open-cell foam in the wall between the louvers to minimize the amount of dust being drawn in from outside.

That's the item I've been thinking about getting. I'm glad that you mentioned the louvers for the other side of the wall - I had totally forgotten about that! I'll also have to check how much air that the fan is supposed to draw in.

And to think that building a darkroom was supposed to RELATIVELY easy...

Thanks guys.

 

[neelin]

Since you have not drywalled yet, put in a couple of wood baffles like sketch in one stud space. This allows air into the darkroom & allows you to put very inexpensive residental return air grilles top/bottom.

If you exhaust is in the ceiling, having the fresh air discharge at the floor on the opposite side of the darkroom would probably cross ventilate the best.

Robert
p.s. Since you haven't drywalled yet, install your main light switch a foot higher than "normal" so you can never unthinkingly turn it on. You safelight switch could be at normal height.

 

[jpa66]

Thanks, Robert. It appears that you and Rob-F have done a similar thing. That's definitely something worth thinking about. Also, the light switches are already in, but the safelight will be on a different switch than the main light.

 

[mike rosenlof]

I used black ABS pipe for light tight ventilation holes through the walls. About a six inch length, 90degree elbow at each end, one points into the darkroom, the other points out the other side of the wall. It's not that pretty, but works fine.

Since these are the air intake, I had thoughts of puting filters on those inlets. I've had the darkroom for about 15 years, no filters yet.