While all the professional work I see is FANTABULOUS (As it should be :) ) who else here does all their own design and construction?


NJ

While all the professional work I see is FANTABULOUS (As it should be :) ) who else here does all their own design and construction?

NJ

If you read any of the threads, you'll find many of us do all of our own design/construction.

I would say the majority do their own design, and many DIY the construction to some degree, anywhere for total DIY to partial or minimal DIY. You can do yourself, it just takes research and posting your plans for criticism here, we will be glad to tell you what you are doing wrong :)

I would say the majority do their own design, and many DIY the construction to some degree, anywhere for total DIY to partial or minimal DIY. You can do yourself, it just takes research and posting your plans for criticism here, we will be glad to tell you what you are doing wrong :)


Lol well all my plans/design are in my head. (First mistake?!)


Ty for the input!

NJ

I did my whole design in my head. I read a ton here (mostly lurking with a few posts) and then set about the project. Often times, I didn't know how I would handel something until it was time to build it.

For example, I didn't know how I would install the fabric until the I had to start putting up the furring strips. Would I do pannels, add columns, or do full wall covering. I read and looked at LOTS of pictures then deceided to do the full wall.

A DIY theater is not something you start researching a month before construction. If you do that, you will get a room with a large screen. Do your homework, and you will get a theater.

I have designed/built (so far) DIY. The only thing I am having a professional do is the electrical (however I am doing all of the grunt work) and the drywall. The rest will be DIY. This is my first build so I am taking my time doing a lot of reading, lurking, and posting to learn from all here. I know that I will make mistakes and learn in the process.

I guess there can always be a HT design 2.0!

Regards,

RTROSE

Designed/built whole HT - made loads of mistakes aloing the way but still when I think I saved at least $20k I don't think I did too bad on my first attempt.

Sure beats the Sony HTIB I got in the Family room :o

Designed in my head numerous times. Cut out things from magazines and anything that piqued my intrest for design ideas. Probably did 25 different plans since I am finishing the entire basement and not just a home theater. Best thing I did was map out the floor with tape to try and visual space. Sometimes it looks great on paper and then in real life it doesn't work so well. Good Luck!

Its all done here with Imagination and Money. Oh yes and time, lots of time.
Just hang around, read and read learn your lessons. Next thing that happens is that you have a plan and you take action. Not to fast because you need to come too this site for at less a hour a night to stay up with the Jones. I'm not complaining, Thanks to this site and many of the people here I have a great Home Theater. :)

I would think and hope most threads for HT construction are DIY.

My is DIY minus any electrician, carpet installer, help from a friend who actually is a builder type stuff. Now only if I could update my thread with all the pics I have taking.

Mud and tape the drywall, Install flooring, install granite counter tops, are the only times a tradesman has set foot in my basement. The rest I taught myself.

In hindsight I made plenty of mistakes but that is part of the DIY journey. Like a lot of things in life the key to mastering a skill is to "watch one, do one, teach one".

So far I'm all DIY, too.

Lol well all my plans/design are in my head. (First mistake?!)

I would say YES. Like Brit, I've made mistakes along they way too, but it's mostly been the "Gee, if I'd known I had to THIS, I would have done THAT first" variety. So I ended up struggling with something in the way of what I'm trying to do now. I had a couple of places that I had to un-staple a perfectly fine run of romex and then run an additional romex and then re-staple it. I had one place I had to do that three times.

Get a plan...it will save you TONS of time.

And I'm figuring that even with my recently failed electric rough-in (mainly for improperly crimped grounds), based on some recent threads here, I probably saved 2-3K.

Good luck,
Tom

And I'm figuring that even with my recently failed electric rough-in (mainly for improperly crimped grounds), based on some recent threads here, I probably saved 2-3K.

Good luck,
Tom

Tom,

What did you do wrong? Any photos?

I saved a ton of money going the DIY route. Let's face it contractors are expensive, so, with a lot of reading and some practice, I feel you can do almost anything to a home. When was the last time you had a contractor come over and say, damn dude, your a genious... Mostly high school edjucation people...

Now, I will freely admit, there are A LOT of tricks of the trades, that would make life faster and easier for DIY's that we are not privy to, but the tradeoff in your accomplishment and money saved is well worth it imho.

All DIY except 120V electrical, plaster, plumbing.

I. like many of the folks here am doing most everyhting myself. I get more satisfaction by doing it that way then stroking a check to someone else to do. It may take me 10X longer, and I'll make mistakes, but at then end of the day, its mine, and is the work of my mind and hands!

Doing everything in my build, only thing I really got help with is HVAC. Even that was hands on and would now be able to do myself other than getting it charged. The only I will have done pro is carpeting the Theater room and stairs coming. Who wants to lug a heavy carpet anyways and then take a chance of messing up the cuts, not me.

Doing everything in mine except considering hiring out the final 2 coats of mud as the drywall dust really screws with my asthma.

But I will tape it all and do the first hotmix coat myself and pull the mud tight so no sanding of highspots is needed.

I did everything, except for staining my bar, which my wife did. I drew detailed plans for everything, except for the bar back, which, as it's a basic cabinet design, I thought I wouldn't need a plan. The only mistakes I made were in the bar back, which most people don't notice, but I see everytime I look at it. If I had done a proper drawing, I wouldn't have made the mistakes.

Most are DIY in here. Although I do see some of the people have the drywall finishing done, or say afterwards they should have. I dont see alot of people laying their own carpet either.

My theater started in my head. All my projects are in my head. Trouble is I am not the one that makes them a reality. So I have to get the vision from my head into my husbands output. Let me tell you that is one of the hardest tasks in the entire world.

But then I am preaching to a bunch of men here so you well know the other side of the coin. Your wive have a project she wants done a certain way and you have to create it?

Now I do give very detailed instruction as we go along, and you can guess that is equally bad but is the only way.

Anyway This theater was my baby and while we are both into AV in a big way, hubby in the industry, I did the designing and the decisions all with the aide of learning on these forums. It has been an interesting two years building the theater, and now that it is almost done, we now have to leave it behind to move to CA. I will be back to it at some point in the future but for now it will sit there gathering dust, so sad.

Wow some nice work going on and great HT's! Ty for all the feedback!

Mines almost done, (Well its never really quite done is it? lol) and will put up pics sooner or later. All work except painting (Wife is painting as I write lol) by me also.


NJ

Mine was started with my wife asking me put all of my old a/v equipment in an unused bedroom and it went from there. I started in <3k pjs for a projector recommendation and then I got deals on furniture and other stuff and it just went from there...

Victor

It has been an interesting two years building the theater, and now that it is almost done, we now have to leave it behind to move to CA.

Very sad indeed. MA to CA, what a move. Looking forward to seeing your new work. Appreciate the experiences and advice you continue to share with us.

All my designs are done in my sketch pad for the wife to look at first, straight out of my head, but just like Big mouth, I did it all, but the mud and tape. I had very little patience or desire to tackle that aspect of my build, leave that to the pro's, or in my case my brother-in-law, you'll appreciate this when it comes time to paint.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mahler007/TheatreRoom

What does DIY stand for?
---> ;)
Bud

Before building my theater, all I owned was a hammer and a socket set.

After reading this forum for well over a year, I designed my theater (first in my head and then on paper) and built it, purchasing all the tools I needed along the way.

I can recommend one thing that any DIYer would appreciate:

If you can swing it, have your daughter marry a high tech electrician who works for Busch Gardens. ;)

Is it possible to love your son-in-law more than your daughter? :p

What does DIY stand for?
---> ;)
Bud

Done In Years! :D

I would build my own house if I had the time. Then I know everything is the way I want it to be done.

Our room is a "media friendly" multi-purpose room. I gutted it down to studs, joists and subfloor, removed the patio door and an awning window. In the ensuing build-out I did everything but install the heating unit and the oak tongue-in-groove flooring. Obviously I had help from friends and family to lift the new patio door and picture window into place, but that's pretty much it. My dad helped me with some of the drywall mudding, but then I had to tear out and redo most of what he did with the electrical, so I figure that's a wash.

The next few weeks are devoted to woodwork. Most of my house was built in 1924, so I had to have all the mouldings custom milled. Plus none of the stock flooring transitions will work so I have to make up a couple of those. Gonna be a fun time!

Since mine isn't a dedicated HT I didn't have to do a lot of the architectural planning that you see on some of the projects here. I did do some framing sketches for the new (larger) window, mostly in case the building inspector asks how I did it. I did sketch a detailed electrical and low-voltage plan. This helped me quite a lot in guestimating how much of everything to buy, where to drill holes, etc. But the plan REALLY helped during electrical code inspections. When you lay it out in front of the inspector and he says "Hmm, looks like you know what you're doing," the inspections go a lot smoother!

A few days ago I made a mocking reference to that one commercial where the guy manages to hang a picture on a wall and says "I'm some kind of handyman genius." My wife obligingly replied "you should have your own show," and then asked how I know how to do all this stuff. Being a DIYer, I told her, is "50% learning from other people and 50% just assuming you can do it and plowing ahead. You just have to have a mindset of accepting your mistakes and learning from them, just like accepting that other people know better and you can learn from them, too. Swearing also helps."

Except for convenience's sake I won't ever have another tradesman in my house.