Hello! Been a lurker here for quite sometime and finally am joining the fray.

I'm in the process of finishing my basement (1 year old home). I've put up a wall around the utility area and framed the bathroom. I need to accommodate a Media Room, Kids Play area (4 girls) and a bedroom.

Please have a look at these pics and let me know your thoughts. In particular, the high level shape / etc of the media room.

I've done all the design / drawings myself - no where near prof.

Thanks!

http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo146/wingzero94/TopModel.jpg

http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo146/wingzero94/Angle1Model.jpg

http://i370.photobucket.com/albums/oo146/wingzero94/Angle2Model.jpg

I'm no pro, so take my post as just some thoughts out loud. :)

I don't see a full walk out - is there one? Or is it the closet a walkout? Our local codes won't allow a bed room in a basement without one.

Loose the nook that goes from the play room to the utility room - instead, make that part of the tv room, and make it such that you have to get to the utility room by going though the tv room - plus this will be a great place for a rack setup, or to run cables. Also, make the wall between these two rooms a double wall, for sound dampening.

Is the furnace that big? The utility room looks under 6', and if you can't get by the furnace, how do you use that space behind it? Can you make that the storage?

I'd look into making sure the furnace has enough breathing room - I only briefly touched upon it in my reading, but it has something to do with having air for combustion. Not sure - sorry :(

I'd loose the storage room behind the bathroom - you already one by the stairs IMHO. Can you make the storage UNDER the stairs rather than in the corner?

Good luck!

Thanks BoomBoom,

It is not a walkout. I will be cutting in an egress window (paying somebody to do the cut). 8" thick reinforced walls (poured) plus 9" ceilings.

I've always heard you don't want to have to go through a door into a room to get to another room. I like having the room without the notch though. I think i'd need a nice soundproof door for the utility room though.

I was thinking 2x6 plates for that wall with stagger studs.

The furnace model is not to scale - there is probably 36 inch travel room.

I did think about storage under the stairs. Still contemplating - although I won't get a full height for clothes storage (due to stairs).

The other storage is where the water comes into the house. Kinda useless area IMO.

My main concern is sound bleeding into the media room from the utility area. Do you guys block the area above the wall and between the floor joists?



I'm no pro, so take my post as just some thoughts out loud. :)

I don't see a full walk out - is there one? Or is it the closet a walkout? Our local codes won't allow a bed room in a basement without one.

Loose the nook that goes from the play room to the utility room - instead, make that part of the tv room, and make it such that you have to get to the utility room by going though the tv room - plus this will be a great place for a rack setup, or to run cables. Also, make the wall between these two rooms a double wall, for sound dampening.

Is the furnace that big? The utility room looks under 6', and if you can't get by the furnace, how do you use that space behind it? Can you make that the storage?

I'd look into making sure the furnace has enough breathing room - I only briefly touched upon it in my reading, but it has something to do with having air for combustion. Not sure - sorry :(

I'd loose the storage room behind the bathroom - you already one by the stairs IMHO. Can you make the storage UNDER the stairs rather than in the corner?

Good luck!

Anybody, Bueller.....

Check this out:

http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/index.php?/library/articles

Must reads!