Pimp My Garage - Page 2

Thanks Chris! Can't wait to get to the sitting back and enjoying it (and constantly upgrading it) stage that you're at now!

Not very exciting pictures to look at, but here it is anyway - the insulation is in, drywall next:

Thanks RastusW

Drywall went in today - crew of 4 started around 8:30 and were done by 2:30 - wow. A little sloppy in places, but nothing too bad, more caulk and mud to the rescue.







garage side:

Reworked the first post to contain more detail (floorplan, SketchUp model, etc.) and current progress - will update with the current plan and progress as things move ahead.

Don't scare me like that Dennis!


Wow, that certainly would have been original - not to mention bringing a unique set of (acoustic, lighting, waterproofing, squirrel) challenges!

Stucco around the entry doors:



Tape, first coat of mud:



(had to special order the equipment closet door, couldn't find any solid core interior doors in stock anywhere, so ordered a safe n sound door)

Thanks! Somehow I don't think my wife would go for the ticket booth idea, lol.

Come to think of it, we've had that there for over a year, and there still isn't a tree planted in it, I did wonder why...

Your truly

Mulch

Thanks a bunch for checking in on me Leo. =)

Progress a little slow last couple weeks, nothing particularly picture worthy yet - well the exterior is stuccoed / painted, I guess I should post a picture of that. We were on vacation for a week, then our contractor was on vacation for a week.

Since our last episode:

- outside of the garage stucco patched, exterior painted
- entry door locksets installed
- electrical fixtures installed and tested (outlets, switches, interior and exterior lights) - except Grafik Eye, which I received today (4 zone)
- equipment closet door installed
- repatched some drywall on the garage side that the contractors missed
- started priming the HT side and the garage side (only the ceiling will be painted, the rest fabric panels, but it somehow seemed the right thing to do to at least prime underneath - dust, durability, etc.)
- spent days on end sifting through, organizing, dumping 20+ years worth of clutter before just cramming it back into the garage - want to build shelving before the remainder goes back in
- too many trips to Lowes to buy/return those "last few things I need for this stage" - its so nice when you open a box, and the contents don't match the box, or are broken, or are missing pieces *(@&#$(*

Not a lot to report, been distracted by other things lately.

Removed the 3x plastic wallbox, installed 4x metal wallbox, and got the Grafik Eye installed. I had to rewire one of the circuits - contractor misundertood, and thought the junction box near the ceiling was for an outlet, not a light - so had it tied to the outlet circuit instead of the lighting circuit, so I had to redo that. Even after double checking all the wiring with a meter several times, I still cringed a little when I flipped the breaker back on, half expecting to hear a loud pop somewhere. Fortunately it worked out fine, everything working as expected.

Installed the smoke alarm, exterior lights.

Finished priming the garage interior, and almost finished priming the HT side (still need to do the equipment closet). Need to paint the garage and then install shelving, so I can get all the garage stuff back into proper storage (much of it in plastic bins outside in the back yard - not good).

Started talking to Roman about seats... Won't be ready to use them for a while still, but the power buy is on, so must take advantage. I guess I'll need to nail down room colors, so I can decide between black and brown for the chairs.

My current plan is to have all the equipment hidden in the closet - but waffling on whether I should maybe have the front of the rack poke through an opening into the room (with access to the back of the rack from the closet). What would you do?

pros to all hidden: better sound isolation, keeps the equipment heat out of the room, clean look.
pros to exposed to the room: easier access for popping a disc in, wireless controller access to PS3, XBOX 360.

Thanks for the support / encouragement, superleo, JJ2K1, chinaclipper and premiertrussman.

Debating whether to make do with my current B&W 5.1 bookshelves (2x dm602, 2x dm601, cc6), maybe adding an extra pair for 7.1 - or put them all on audiogon, and shell out for more suitable HT speakers (TCA PRO-10s).

Some updated pics:

Entry door from the outside:



Garage side primed:



Grafik Eye (GRX-3104) installed:



HT side primed:



equipment closet access door - shame if it ends up being a first reflection point (which it probably will), may have to cover the nice looking door with a panel.



door closed, lights on (no baffle trims installed yet, since still have to paint, etc.):



entry door from the inside:



junction box for rope lighting around the soffit:



drywallers buzzed off the screw holes at the bottom for the A/V plate - boo - will need to replace it unless I can jury rig something:

Sloppy with the rotozip - the cost to working as fast as they did (two guys finished putting up all the drywall in the garage and theater in like half a day, done by 2pm or so).

I should have unwired it, I asked them to work around it because I didn't want to hassle unwiring it and putting it back - should have known better.