After 3 years in our new home, my wife and I are ready to take on the basement. After getting a few quotes, we realized we don't have the cash to pay someone to do it. My dad finished their basement and is a very good all around handy man. I seem to botch everything I do related to woodworking, but I'm a mechanical engineer and I'm confident if I take my time, I can make things work. So after a few conversations we are planning to start framing this weekend. I've been working on plans for a couple of years now and we think we have a pretty solid idea of what we want to do. My current plans are to do all the framing and wiring in walls. If the two of us can't figure out something with the electrical, there are plenty of EE's where I work to help me along. I figure I'll hire out the HVAC, drywall (at least the mudding and taping), and the plumbing for the bathroom and wet bar.
Here is my current plan in AutoCAD. I am planning to start getting into more detail in SolidWorks.
Most of my detailed plans/ideas so far revolve around the theater (of course.) The rest of the space will be an office and a kids play area, so there won't be much detail to it other than a few can lights and some paint/trim. In the theater, I am limited by a wide path of duct work (4 feet or so) where my ceiling will be limited to around 76-80 inches. I hate that as I am 6'2", but I'm really limited in what I can do here. The theater room will be about 14 x 22 or so. I could go a bit longer. If I switched the theater to the other side where there are fewer duct limitations, my width and depth options decrease. So my current plan is to box out the duct work, but I don't think I'll have room for clips or anything. With that boxed out, and being an engineer and liking symmetry, I decided I want to do a tray ceiling, with a matching box/sofit on the other side as well as front and back. I can make this ceiling up to 88 or so inches (the joists are about 91.) Then I would like to build my projector into the back of the tray so it is out of sight. I will be putting my equipment under the stairs with access from the play area to wiring and probably some fabric panels in the theater with one being a hidden door to the front of the equipment. Seating will likely be a first row with 2 recliners and a second row elevated with 4 recliners.
I've been reading here for a while now and get overwhelmed by the information available and all the acronyms! I'm learning and figuring things out as I go. I do have a few questions before I set out on this journey...
1 - Sound isolating the duct work - how do I do this with my height limitations already? Just from out the duct work and put insulation around it?
2 - Best option for walls; 2x6 staggered studs or double 2x4's with clips? Realistically both options are still on the table for me as I haven't bought anything yet. I was planning to do staggered studs for simplicity.
3 - Are clips going to be worthwhile for this ceiling arrangement? I saw someone elses thread today where they elevated the clips into the joists to get the drywall as close as possible to the joists but still isolated.
4 - How to isolate the projector from the floor above? Do I just build a box/shelf and attache it to the joists with clips?
Here are a few pictures of the basement. I am so excited to get going on this project! I don't know how fast things will progress with my dad and me, but my hope is to get the wall for the storage area framed this weekend, including a 36" door. After that I'd like to get the unfinished side of it drywalled so I can shield the stuff over there from the impending dust storm...
The TV box is about where my screen will be. Looking at a 120" 2.35"1 screen. It would be 2' off the floor and 8" from the ceiling. The room will be from the poles to the wall.
Between the poles will be the entrance to the theater. As a concession to the wife, I am planning double doors. That is still in negotiations.
The equipment will be under the stairs where the stobe is in this shot. There will be an office about 14x14 where the window is.
After 3 years in our new home, my wife and I are ready to take on the basement. After getting a few quotes, we realized we don't have the cash to pay someone to do it. My dad finished their basement and is a very good all around handy man. I seem to botch everything I do related to woodworking, but I'm a mechanical engineer and I'm confident if I take my time, I can make things work. So after a few conversations we are planning to start framing this weekend. I've been working on plans for a couple of years now and we think we have a pretty solid idea of what we want to do. My current plans are to do all the framing and wiring in walls. If the two of us can't figure out something with the electrical, there are plenty of EE's where I work to help me along. I figure I'll hire out the HVAC, drywall (at least the mudding and taping), and the plumbing for the bathroom and wet bar.
Here is my current plan in AutoCAD. I am planning to start getting into more detail in SolidWorks.
Most of my detailed plans/ideas so far revolve around the theater (of course.) The rest of the space will be an office and a kids play area, so there won't be much detail to it other than a few can lights and some paint/trim. In the theater, I am limited by a wide path of duct work (4 feet or so) where my ceiling will be limited to around 76-80 inches. I hate that as I am 6'2", but I'm really limited in what I can do here. The theater room will be about 14 x 22 or so. I could go a bit longer. If I switched the theater to the other side where there are fewer duct limitations, my width and depth options decrease. So my current plan is to box out the duct work, but I don't think I'll have room for clips or anything. With that boxed out, and being an engineer and liking symmetry, I decided I want to do a tray ceiling, with a matching box/sofit on the other side as well as front and back. I can make this ceiling up to 88 or so inches (the joists are about 91.) Then I would like to build my projector into the back of the tray so it is out of sight. I will be putting my equipment under the stairs with access from the play area to wiring and probably some fabric panels in the theater with one being a hidden door to the front of the equipment. Seating will likely be a first row with 2 recliners and a second row elevated with 4 recliners.
I've been reading here for a while now and get overwhelmed by the information available and all the acronyms! I'm learning and figuring things out as I go. I do have a few questions before I set out on this journey...
1 - Sound isolating the duct work - how do I do this with my height limitations already? Just from out the duct work and put insulation around it?
2 - Best option for walls; 2x6 staggered studs or double 2x4's with clips? Realistically both options are still on the table for me as I haven't bought anything yet. I was planning to do staggered studs for simplicity.
3 - Are clips going to be worthwhile for this ceiling arrangement? I saw someone elses thread today where they elevated the clips into the joists to get the drywall as close as possible to the joists but still isolated.
4 - How to isolate the projector from the floor above? Do I just build a box/shelf and attache it to the joists with clips?
Here are a few pictures of the basement. I am so excited to get going on this project! I don't know how fast things will progress with my dad and me, but my hope is to get the wall for the storage area framed this weekend, including a 36" door. After that I'd like to get the unfinished side of it drywalled so I can shield the stuff over there from the impending dust storm...
The TV box is about where my screen will be. Looking at a 120" 2.35"1 screen. It would be 2' off the floor and 8" from the ceiling. The room will be from the poles to the wall.
Between the poles will be the entrance to the theater. As a concession to the wife, I am planning double doors. That is still in negotiations.
The equipment will be under the stairs where the stobe is in this shot. There will be an office about 14x14 where the window is.