Guys,

Here are the dimensions of my proposed home theater. Note that I am not using all of the basement, due to the heating system and several poles being in the way.

24ft x 9ft, with 7ft ceilings.

Below are pictures of the basement, the "red" shows where the walls will be. Does this seem too tight of a space? I don't expect more than 4 or 5 people to be in it at once.

Also, here are some pictures of water pipes and hvac running in the ceiling. I'm assuming with this crap here, that I can't install drywall as ceiling. What are my options? Will dropped ceiling work for a home theater? Thoughts?

Thanks

This may help you with posting photos so they show in your thred:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10368758

You'll get more people to look (and hopefully respond) when you do that.

Guys,

Here are the dimensions of my proposed home theater. Note that I am not using all of the basement, due to the heating system and several poles being in the way.

24ft x 9ft, with 9ft ceilings.

Below are pictures of the basement, the "red" shows where the walls will be. Does this seem too tight of a space? I don't expect more than 4 or 5 people to be in it at once.

Hmm, 9' is about as narrow a room as I have seen. Can it be done? I don't see why not. I'd plan to do a false front and try to go AT, so you can minimize speaker space by getting them behind the screen...and I doubt you could do 3 seats across (not recliners anyway...maybe the theater-type seats), so either go 2-and-2 or maybe 2 recliners up front and 3 theater-type seats across the back, on the riser.

Also, at 9' wide, I wouldn't go all the way 24' back; since width is limited, maybe 2 rows and leave some space for a counter and stools at the back, if you like that style...or at the very least keep your rack, and maybe build a little concession back there.

Nice and cozy :D

CD

Hmm, 9' is about as narrow a room as I have seen. Can it be done? I don't see why not. I'd plan to do a false front and try to go AT, so you can minimize speaker space by getting them behind the screen...and I doubt you could do 3 seats across (not recliners anyway...maybe the theater-type seats), so either go 2-and-2 or maybe 2 recliners up front and 3 theater-type seats across the back, on the riser.

Also, at 9' wide, I wouldn't go all the way 24' back; since width is limited, maybe 2 rows and leave some space for a counter and stools at the back, if you like that style...or at the very least keep your rack, and maybe build a little concession back there.

Nice and cozy :D

CD

Thanks for the feedback. I hear you on the seating arrangements. What is a false front and AT?

Also, will the pictures of the HVAC in the ceiling, pose any issue? Should I do drop ceilings?

I see room for a room bigger than 9 ft in the pictures (potentially). If you would post a measured diagram of the basement it would help.

Thanks for the feedback. I hear you on the seating arrangements. What is a false front and AT?

Also, will the pictures of the HVAC in the ceiling, pose any issue? Should I do drop ceilings?

AT means Acoustically Transparent; it means you can put the speakers behind the screen, and the sound can still pass through. Many builders prefer this anyway, because it gives a cleaner look to their theater, and is the most natural sounding way to broadcast a movie (with the sound coming directly from the picture)...but I recommended it in your case because, with your limited room width, it will save you space by not having to flank the sides of your screen with the Front speakers.

A false front is a screen wall built in front of the current existing wall. It allows you to do acoustic treatments (if you want), set your speakers behind the screen, and gives a nice finished look to your room. I suggest you start looking at some build threads.

CD

I see room for a room bigger than 9 ft in the pictures (potentially). If you would post a measured diagram of the basement it would help.

Listen to BIG; he is a wizard with a napkin!

CD

I agree with Big (lots of people get to say this).

How about a diagram? It sure looks like you could go wider. You will regret only doing a 9 foot wide theater.

Wider is better, but you can work with 9' wide. (I am working with 5" wider (pre acoustic treatment), 2.5' longer, but with a low ceiling.) It will mean some compromises will need to be made. Check out the "small theater build" thread as it will give you some ideas.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=996973

I am NOT regretting my 9' 5" wide room build. It is turning out to be a nice and cozy room, far better then I dared hope for.

You could redo the interior HVAC sheet metal to a wider/less high profile and get a
8.5' drywalled ceiling height and box the other sheet metal in a soffit.

An AT screen would also get you a bigger screen and not have you burying your front main speakers into the corners. It would also help to eliminate the bowling alley feel to your narrow/long room. Plus having the speakers hidden would keep "clutter" in the room down and make it feel more spacious.

That all said, what's the rest of the basement look like?

Thank you for all of the responses. Good to know there are other options! I will get a diagram together tonight and other pictures of the basement. It will just be a visio diagram most likely. I checked the prints I have of the house, and the basement isn't in it.

All,

Here is a quick sketch of my current basement layout. I have used a dotted line to show where my proposed home theater will be placed. With the ducting in my basement, my usable ceiling space is around 7'

Things to note:

-The area surrounding the steps is already framed. However, I cannot continue this in a straight line to the far wall. The reason being is that the heating system intrudes into the way. The diagram shows this

-There is an electrical outlet on every wall, which should help things a bit

-The entire basement is 828 sqft. The size I'm dedicating to the HT is 24' x 9'. I will not be using all of this space. The equipment rack will be in the far back.

-Will the HVAC being so close, pose a noise problem?

Anyway, maybe someone will see a better way of doing this. I would prefer just to leave the ceiling as is (unless there is strong opposition). I'm guessing a drop ceiling is my only option? I am pretty confused in this area.

Thanks guys

http://www.ryansebastianracing.com/Drawing7.jpg

I've been in a theater that was tighter quarters than you would ideally want, and it was pretty charming. It had a coziness that was welcoming and gave a great movie viewing experience. If your tastes lean towards smaller crowds and cozy then I don't know if I'd necessarily change things.

You should edit the first post to fix the height.... It just got more challenging ;)

Drawn along the lines of my build, which is extremely close to your room.

I'd put the AV rack in the side wall, under the stairs.

The back row would get an island style riser, the size of the couch plus a foot rest area.

Seymour AT screen, and rear speakers hidden in a small AT space.

Can you measure the distance from the metal pole at the end of the stair wall to front of the furnace. It looks a lot longer in the first picture than it looks on your drawing.

I have a couple of ideas but I need to verify that dimension.

Thanks for the responses. Here is the updated diagram (below). Thanks to Ted for the assistance:

BigMouth: There are 3 support poles I believe. 2 under the stairs and one in front of the furnace. The distance between the stair's support poles, to the furnace is 12ft. The distance between the other support pole and the furnace is 4ft.

Thanks again guys

http://www.ryansebastianracing.com/Drawing7b.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b393/bigmouthindc/DSC02333.jpg

One other thought is to do your equipment rack to the left of the couch in a rack under the stairs. Access rear of rack via a door on other side of stairs.

bigmouth: Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I think I am going to put the equipment there, it should work pretty well.

So on to my next question. My usable ceiling space is 7', what are my ceiling options? The reason it's 7' is due to the fact I have several ducts in the ceiling area

bigmouth:
So on to my next question. My usable ceiling space is 7', what are my ceiling options? The reason it's 7' is due to the fact I have several ducts in the ceiling area

When I look at this picture I really want to know more about that duct work in the middle of the room. I can almost see where it goes.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=132030&d=1233461332

The reason I ask is that a buddy of mine had a similar situation. We looked at the one close to the center of the room and it was a return. It connected a single return on one end and to the furnace on the other. I suggested he investigate moving it over to the opposite side of the room and connect the ends with ductwork that fit up in the joist space. That is what he ended up doing.

He than had matching soffits built on both sides of the room but used the full height in the center of the room and it turned out great.

If it is a return, it is almost a DIY (and a helper) project. Hiring a HVAC company shouldn't be that pricey. You could get a quote and that would at least tell you if it is feasible.

I think you need to assess how long you plan on living in this house and how important having a good looking room is to you.

One other item I would move that plastic water pipe out of the way some place. That is a Saturday afternoon project.

thanks bigmouth. I am going to post some more pictures of the duct. I think it is a return.

We are going to be in this house another 5 years at least. Its going to take me at least a year to do all of this. I'm starting a new job and have a baby on the way, so I won't have a lot of time.

Here are some more pictures of the duct:

http://www.ryansebastianracing.com/duct1.JPG
http://www.ryansebastianracing.com/duct2.JPG
http://www.ryansebastianracing.com/duct3.JPG
http://www.ryansebastianracing.com/duct4.JPG

Here is a shot of the basement again, stitched together (stairs are omitted)

http://www.ryansebastianracing.com/complete_view.jpg

Seems Big and I are both trying to shorten your room. You need to watch the "scale" of the room or it will have a "bowling alley" feel to it.

That duct would be worth moving over to the outside wall if possible. Reuse the sheet metal and hangers and use the floor joist space to run a connection. I bet that would be the best money/time/effort you will spend in your space.

Two questions: 1) Do you need/want the theater to be in that exact spot? and 2) Can you post a to scale plan with the actual dimensions on the drawing? I see some other possibilities as well, but need the actual basement dimensions to see if they make sense.

If you move the ductwork to the other side of the basement and build a wall blocking off your furnace you should still have adequate space for a HT. The wall will also allow you to have a larger screen and room for your front speakers to each side.
My only concern would be that the ceiling height of 7' (before adding drywall on the ceiling) will give you too little height for a riser. Consider building a bar behind the front seating with comfortable bar stools for your second level of seating instead of a riser.

My (very small size and budget) basement HT is only 12' wide and 11' long (although the projector is another 1' back behind an opening in the back wall) with a ceiling height of 7'. I have four theater chairs viewing a 96" screen from 9' back. I find it very comfortable and intimate. To save space, I also framed out the walls using 2X4 base and top plates but used 2X3 studs to keep the wall 1" from the existing brick walls.
While not as fancy as most of the rooms you will see in the forum, I get the full movie theater experience. If that is what you are looking for, you can certainly do it in the space provided.

I thought I put in a response earlier today but I don't see it. All those existing joist duct assemblies is more than I've ever seen. Is that furnace serving two floors. If so I imagine those crossover joist ducts must connect to a series of vertical ducts. But I count 6.

May be harder to move that return duct than I thought.

thanks for the feedback guys. Thanks for the sketch as well Bigmouth, greatly appreciate it. Yes the furnace is for two floors. I'm going to look more into this duct and see what can be done. I don't want to use drop ceiling but I may have to if things don't start looking better for me.

Moving the return duct from the midddle would be a 4 hr job for two weekend warriors. You just need to buy some more joist liner and staples to extend the returns over too the wall, and re-create the pans within the joist. I would be surprised if it were $100.00 in materials. Moving it will open up your room dramatically, if in doubt ask a buddy to help you drop the return duct (all in one piece) and move it over temporarily to the side wall , should take about 10 minutes. Take a picture and repost.


Edit: If you do decide to relocate the return and extend the joist liners don't forget to consider pot light placement (if your using them)and how it will affect it.


Bill

..that one duct in the middle of the room looks like it is just capped off. Is it a return?

Perhaps, you could just take it down and run it in the joists and that would solve that issue.

Is it supposed to condition your basement?

..that one duct in the middle of the room looks like it is just capped off. Is it a return?


Based on the pictures this is my take. The vertical return ducts going up to the first and second floors run in a wall above close to where the metal beam resides, That middle of the room duct is connect to the vertical duct work with the joist spaces closed off with metal duct work nailed to the bottom of the joists and the ends capped of. Looking at the Pics I count six joists spaces that have been used as horizontal ducting.

Moving the duct to the other side wall would involve extending all those joist wall ducts. This presents a challenge to run electrical and to place insulation in those 6 areas. Maybe it can be done. This would require a Pro consult.