DIY construction 3 (walls and roofs)
Wall Openings
The next step is to cut openings for windows and doors. Precision is key, especially if the outer walls won't be covered with wallpaper or paint. Double-check the dimensions of the openings, particularly if you plan to use pre-made doors and windows. Oversized openings can be challenging to fix discreetly. If you’re crafting the doors and windows yourself, this step is less critical, but accuracy is still recommended.
In general, doors are typically at least 2 meters (or approximately 3.3 feet) in height. In H0 scale, this translates to 200/87 = 2.3 cm. To ensure realism, avoid making doors significantly smaller than this.
It's helpful to keep a figurine in the correct scale on hand while working. This can prevent common mistakes, such as positioning windows too high on a wall. However, double-check that the figurine is truly H0 scale (roughly 2 cm tall). Be cautious, as cheaper figurines particularly from China, are often inaccurately scaled—either too tall; or in 1:100 scale, which is too small.
Brick texture from the internet
For my Etgaine station, here still under construction, I refurbished a second-hand building purchased at a train fair. The walls were damaged with glue residue, so I sanded them down and repainted them using ochre Vallejo paint mixed with fine sand for added texture.
When modeling an existing building that’s within reach, consider visiting it to photograph the brickwork for accuracy. Choose an overcast day to avoid harsh shadows, ensuring consistent lighting for your photos.
Stand at a reasonable distance from the wall to prevent distortion and position yourself perpendicular to it. Make sure the wall is evenly lit and free from shadows. Don’t forget to capture special architectural details, like rounded brickwork above doors and windows.
In the Netherlands, standard bricks are approximately 20 cm long and 5 cm high. In h0 scale, this translates to about 2.3 x 0.6 mm, which makes individual bricks quite small and difficult to distinguish. Personally, I prefer simplifying this by using 1 mm for the height of a layer of bricks (or 10 layers per cm of wall height).
Print your desired wall finishes on regular paper and attach them to the cardboard walls using a glue stick, such as Pritt. While wood glue can also be used, it’s slightly more challenging to apply evenly. If you opt for wood glue, diluting it with a small amount of water can help, but be cautious not to overdo it, as excess water can cause the paper to wrinkle. For now, glue the printed paper directly over the openings for doors and windows.
Zinc roof crafted from cardboard and sewing thread, finished with an initial layer of grey paint. The roof (and facade) have yet to undergo weathering.
For creating flat roofs, there are several effective techniques to achieve a realistic look. One option is to use prints that mimic the appearance of aged or brand-new bitumen roofing. Beige or grey sandpaper is another excellent choice for simulating a pebble-covered roof. This method works especially well when viewed from a distance. For areas in the foreground where more detail is required, I often combine both techniques. Start by covering the entire roof with sandpaper. Then, apply a very fine layer of beige or grey-white ballast, securing it with diluted wood glue. Be sure to leave the perimeter of the roof free of ballast, as this area serves as the gutter for flat roofs.
Photo on the right: A comparison between a standard black sandpaper roof (bottom) and one enhanced with a thin layer of fine ballast. Adding extra details like chimneys, air conditioners, or vents can further make a roof more visually appealing. This is important since most observers will view models from above.
Covering walls
When all holes have been made, the next step is choosing a finish for your outer walls.
A plastered building can be realistically modeled by painting a piece of cardboard. For added texture, you may mix in a small amount of very fine sand with the paint—just be sure to test it on a sample beforehand. Avoid using textured paints, as they tend to be far too coarse for this purpose.
When designing buildings, a stone or wood finish is often the preferred choice. Many specialized model-building shops provide ready-made prints or thin cardboard sheets featuring a variety of materials. However, if you have access to a printer and software like Photoshop, you can create these textures yourself. Simply search online for textures of your desired material: brick, wood, slate, natural stone, and more.
For my Eybergen module, I used photographs of the brickwork and yellow decorative accents from the still-standing station of the same design in Groenlo.
Roof Completed
For roofs, you can apply similar techniques as used for the walls. However, if the building will be prominently displayed, you might think your pitched roof needs added texture or relief like roof tiles for a more realistic appearance. Unless you own a high-end 3D printer, your best option is to use plastic sheets available from model building stores.
For complex roof designs, it’s always a good idea to create a template using paper or cardboard first. Cutting hard plastic sheets can be challenging (and be sure to protect your fingers!). While an old-fashioned contour saw might work faster, it can be harder to control with precision.
Zinc roofs can be effectively created using cardboard. To achieve this, coat thick sewing thread with wood glue and wrap it vertically across the roof surface, maintaining a spacing of approximately 7 mm (representing 60 cm in real life). Alternatively, you can attach thin strips about 1 mm wide onto the roof surface. Once completed, paint the entire roof a light grey to finish the look.
For detailed instructions on crafting corrugated iron roofs, refer to this separate dedicated page.
