Attaching a DIY home theatre screen to floor and ceiling only

If you have a solid floor and ceiling joists, then a simple hardwood 2x4 placed in the center of where the screen goes--attached to the ceiling and the floor, away from the wall, can be used as a mounting device. If your screen is large, then two 2x4s separated halfway the width of the screen would work. Simply paint them black or cover with black velvet.

2" square Aluminum Channels toed in at Top & Bottom with Brackets. Something similar to the Brackets a metal Porch Railing would use.

Lightweight, easy to Cut/Drill/work with. Rigid. Straight at the beginning and for the duration. Removable. And not all that expensive.

How about something like this?
http://www.griplocksystems.com/displ...ns-and-Banners

Pretty cool...bookmarked that one, I did.

If you have a local Ikea, they sell a stuff that you could use.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=Stolmen

Yeah, I thought it was a good find...I plan to build a DW screen with 1" aluminum tubing frame, then suspend it from the ceiling joists with the GripLock stuff. The screen will be flush with the front edge of a pair of 15" deep bookcases flanking either side. Should be a pretty slick look. I'll be sure to start a thread when I'm done. Maybe start a build thread, even.

My fixed screen hangs from a couple of hooks screwed into the beam in the ceiling...

The Floor got forgotten.

I built a frame for a sintra screen using 1" aluminum tubing from 80/20. Instead of right angle connectors at the top corners, I used "T" connectors. I added 1" aluminum tubing extensions to reach the ceiling and fastened it to the ceiling with hinges from 80/20. I painted the hinges and tube extensions to match the ceiling/wall so the blend in. Screen sorta looks like it's floating. The hinge also allows me to fold it up against the ceiling and latch it when not in use. The fireplace is behind it and the wife didn't want it covered all the time.

Hinges are available at an online auction site:

http://cgi.ebay.com/80-20-Aluminum-R...item5634dd770c

Why not just build a new full width wall in front of the existing wall? Attached at ceiling and stage, covered with fabric. Much like how an acoustically transparent screen wall is built. You might want to add some heavy rubber between the ceiling and the studding, and the stage and the studding, to help isolate the wall from any subs on the stage from the screen wall.

Are steel studs available in south Africa? Might be an option...

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. I did this for my screen in my apartment since I am only renting I can't really do much to the walls. You can get ideas from mine if you wish, you can view my screen here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1258660

-Sean

Have any photos you'd care to post?

Here's my front AT wall. It was built in place. The wall was started with a 1x4" screwed into the soffit, with a strip of heavy duty rubber. A plumb bob was then used to mark the stage to establish the edge of the AT wall at the bottom. I then secured a Draper horizontal masking system to the 1x4", then added the vertical studs, and built the lower framing. The picture shows the side attached to the side walls, but this isn't necessary to support the wall. This is being done to ensure a couple of extreme subs won't rattle the AT wall.

The masking system and studs will be covered with bevelled edge panels, covered in Fidelio Velvet while the lower kick panel below, will be black GOM on a stick frame, attached to the ladder framing between the stage and lower mask.

There's four long screws into the soffit, and four (short) screws into the stage. (Fabric walls and acoustical treatments will hide the side wall bracing.)

let's try that again.... attached the thumbnail.