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Billybar's Basement Theater etc.. Build - Page 3

post #61 of 200
3/25/11 at 9:54am
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Here is the updated floor plan since taking measurements in the theater.

There isn't enough room for the small bar



Here is the new plan for seating with the bar removed



Hoping to put the framing to rest this weekend and then on to lighting and outlets.
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post #62 of 200
3/25/11 at 1:40pm
Instead of having the sit-down bar, you might consider doing a wet-bar along the wall, possibly integrating with the touchscreen jukebox. Basically some place to put out food and drinks, etc. Work a small beverage fridge and microwave (for popcorn, etc) into it... Basically a wall unit/side-board type arrangement... Might also work well over where that little love seat is by the stairs.
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post #63 of 200
3/26/11 at 5:45am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travisd View Post

Instead of having the sit-down bar, you might consider doing a wet-bar along the wall, possibly integrating with the touchscreen jukebox. Basically some place to put out food and drinks, etc. Work a small beverage fridge and microwave (for popcorn, etc) into it... Basically a wall unit/side-board type arrangement... Might also work well over where that little love seat is by the stairs.

I like the way you think. I should have enough room along the jukebox wall to do something just like that. I definitely need some counter space for laying things out!
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post #64 of 200
3/30/11 at 9:58am
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Officially completed framing stage this past weekend.

Created frame underneath stair opening for drywall




Added soffit section along opened stairwell well




Some pics of completed tray ceiling in theater/game room







3 light switches/dimmers for gym will go on this wall outside the bathroom:



Next up on the shopping list is several contractor's packs of can lights and a 1000 foot roll of 12-2 wire.

Thanks for following along!


Edited by barlav - 10/15/12 at 9:38am
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post #65 of 200
3/30/11 at 10:12am
Are those 2x2s over the Cardio area and are planning on hanging drywall from those?
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post #66 of 200
3/30/11 at 10:15am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BllDo View Post

Are those 2x2s over the Cardio area and are planning on hanging drywall from those?

Yes, all soffit work is done with 2X2 and braced horizontally and vertically. They are strong enough for me to do pull ups on and I weigh over 200 lbs. I wasn't sure originally if 2X2 was the right choice but after I got a few up and saw how strong they were after being braced I was happy with the result. I also used screws for all soffit work giving them some more strength there too.
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post #67 of 200
3/30/11 at 10:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by barlav View Post

Yes, all soffit work is done with 2X2 and braced horizontally and vertically. They are strong enough for me to do pull ups on and I weigh over 200 lbs. I wasn't sure originally if 2X2 was the right choice but after I got a few up and saw how strong they were after being braced I was happy with the result. I also used screws for all soffit work giving them some more strength there too.

No, the framing looks awesome, guess my concern is more with the fact that I've yet to see a 2x2 straight enough to hang dry wall from.
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post #68 of 200
3/30/11 at 10:28am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BllDo View Post

No, the framing looks awesome, guess my concern is more with the fact that I've yet to see a 2x2 straight enough to hang dry wall from.

Yeah, they are rarely straight but they are pretty easy to straighten up with the bracing. I hand picked every board and took only the straightest ones. It took some time getting them just right but they seem to be pretty uniform 16" oc. Guess I will find out soon enough
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post #69 of 200
3/30/11 at 11:29am
Next step is going to be lighting in the gym. I want to get a feel for how much light the can lights will produce so I can get the theater/game room area right the first time. If the gym isn't perfect that's ok, I will take it as
Next up on the shopping list is several contractor's packs of can lights and a 1000 foot roll of 12-2 wire.


My big lesson learned on cans is buy halo. i bought 4" halo's and 6" consumer electric (Home Depot brand). Amazing how much better the HALOs are!
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post #70 of 200
3/30/11 at 11:35am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by i_want_that View Post

My big lesson learned on cans is buy halo. i bought 4" halo's and 6" consumer electric (Home Depot brand). Amazing how much better the HALOs are!

This is great advice! I was looking at some Consumer Electric housings and they seemed flimsy compared to the Halo housings. The Halo cans also seem much more user friendly to work with in just about every way.
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post #71 of 200
3/30/11 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barlav View Post

This is great advice! I was looking at some Consumer Electric housings and they seemed flimsy compared to the Halo housings. The Halo cans also seem much more user friendly to work with in just about every way.


If the 6" consumer elecrtrics weren't nailed up, i'd return them. The Halo, at least on the 4" cans, had a nice built in clip for romex so you don't have to goof around with the metal conduit need to screw romex holder things (that's a formal term). And, the halos nail up so much better.
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post #72 of 200
4/3/11 at 5:48pm
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Has any one used the 6" IC rated Halo contractor's pack that includes trim? If so, can you let me know if this looks right and answer some questions?

1. Here is the empty housing. Loosening the wing nut allows me to adjust the depth of the socket but I can only bring it closer to the surface and not deeper into the can which I would prefer. Is the screw at the top of the channel (in between the left and right arrows) there to prevent the socket from going any deeper into the can? There is room to go deeper if I move the track down past the screw but I'm not sure if that is ok to do? I was thinking that maybe with the IC cans that this is as deep as the socket should go?


2. Does this look like the correct installation of the trim/baffle? The instructions weren't very clear or detailed with the trims/housings but I can't see how else these would fit. The trim fits kind of loosely but tight enough to stay in place. They seem kind of cheap but I got 6 for $70 so I guess I'm not expecting much:







This is how it looks with a 65W bulb in it. If this is the best I can do with a 65W bulb then these are going back because I can't stand it. The bulb comes down past the trim. I would prefer the bulb to be more recessed into the can but maybe this is the best I can do unless it's ok to move the socket down deeper into the can. Or, maybe there is a shorter 65W bulb out there that will not extrude as far?



Here is the rest of the stuff I bought today. I'm happy with the 4" halo housings/trims but they weren't nearly as cheap as the 6" but the trims are of much better quality.
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post #73 of 200
4/3/11 at 6:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barlav View Post

Has any one used the 6" IC rated Halo contractor's pack that includes trim? If so, can you let me know if this looks right and answer some questions?

1. Here is the empty housing. Loosening the wing nut allows me to adjust the depth of the socket but I can only bring it closer to the surface and not deeper into the can which I would prefer. Is the screw at the top of the channel (in between the left and right arrows) there to prevent the socket from going any deeper into the can? There is room to go deeper if I move the track down past the screw but I'm not sure if that is ok to do? I was thinking that maybe with the IC cans that this is as deep as the socket should go?

2. Does this look like the correct installation of the trim/baffle? The instructions weren't very clear or detailed with the trims/housings but I can't see how else these would fit. The trim fits kind of loosely but tight enough to stay in place. They seem kind of cheap but I got 6 for $70 so I guess I'm not expecting much:

This is how it looks with a 65W bulb in it. If this is the best I can do with a 65W bulb then these are going back because I can't stand it. The bulb comes down past the trim. I would prefer the bulb to be more recessed into the can but maybe this is the best I can do unless it's ok to move the socket down deeper into the can. Or, maybe there is a shorter 65W bulb out there that will not extrude as far?

Here is the rest of the stuff I bought today. I'm happy with the 4" halo housings/trims but they weren't nearly as cheap as the 6" but the trims are of much better quality.

I have the same lights and trim and you should be able to set a bulb in there without having it stick out past the trim.
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post #74 of 200
4/3/11 at 6:40pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chpwaman View Post

I have the same lights and trim and you should be able to set a bulb in there without having it stick out past the trim.

What bulbs are you using? Maybe that is where my issue is. Also, if I move down the socket bracket past that screw on top, and make the top of the bracket where the screw with the wing nut is, it's perfect. The trim is nice and tight and the bulb is inside the trim where I want it. I'm just not sure if it's ok to do that?

This is what it looks like if I do that:



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post #75 of 200
4/4/11 at 11:09am
I will pull some of my trim pieces out tonight and take a look for sure but I think mine all came out of the box like how you adjusted yours in the last pic. The reason why I say this is because I actually had one where the bulb stuck out past the trim ring and it took me forever to figure out what was different with that light.

I seem to remember doing the adjustment you did and not worrying about it. But, I will check some of the other lights tonight and see if the wing nut piece is moved to the second screw. I know I only had problems with one light...are all of your lights out of the box using the screw nearest the trim ring? I'm sure you have looked at some others lights to see, but because I had the one odd ball I was just wondering if you have just the one odd ball light and your others are set up differently.

PS...I'm using the same light bulbs you have in your pics
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post #76 of 200
4/4/11 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 
Thanks chpwaman I appreciate it! You know, I haven't looked at the other housings but that will be the first thing I do when I get home. I bought two boxes so I have 12 in all. I'll see how the other ones are setup. It would be just my luck I pulled out the odd one.
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post #77 of 200
4/4/11 at 11:34am
I'm also starting to wonder if I used these...they make a model like yours but without the socket plate. I'll look tonight and let you know for sure...

http://www.amazon.com/Halo-H7ICTNB-6...74-blogspot-20
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post #78 of 200
4/4/11 at 3:54pm
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I wonder where the springs would clip to with ones like that? There usually aren't any side clips for the IC housings. I think that is the exact same housing I have minus the socket plate. I checked the rest of my housings and they all are on the top screw. I still can't imagine that it's wrong to move it down past the top screw. There is still ample space underneath the socket plate even when I have it as far in as it goes.
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post #79 of 200
4/4/11 at 4:54pm
You have the wrong bulb for that can/trim.

I believe what you need is an R20 or PAR20. That bulb looks to be a BR30.

With the correct bulb you should not have to adjust the depth of the bulb beyond the screw.

Check the label on the inside of the housing. It will say which bulb to use with the trim you have there. Different trims use different bulbs.

Also note that a smoke alarm has to be 4" from a sidewall. I saw in one of the photos you had it about an inch or so.

Hope this helps.
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post #80 of 200
4/4/11 at 5:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by barlav View Post

I wonder where the springs would clip to with ones like that? There usually aren't any side clips for the IC housings. I think that is the exact same housing I have minus the socket plate. I checked the rest of my housings and they all are on the top screw. I still can't imagine that it's wrong to move it down past the top screw. There is still ample space underneath the socket plate even when I have it as far in as it goes.

Just checked my lights and they are all in the configuration you show in the later pics, the one where your bulbs fit. Mine came out of the box in this way as I mentioned I only had to adjust one can housing. My bulbs are a mix of Fleet brand and GE brand. All 65 watts and the GE show R30 for a size. Can't see a size on the fleet brand. I think you are fine to raise the socket plate. Why would the screw be there if you couldn't...right?
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post #81 of 200
4/4/11 at 6:29pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Tim View Post

You have the wrong bulb for that can/trim.

I believe what you need is an R20 or PAR20. That bulb looks to be a BR30.

With the correct bulb you should not have to adjust the depth of the bulb beyond the screw.

Check the label on the inside of the housing. It will say which bulb to use with the trim you have there. Different trims use different bulbs.

Also note that a smoke alarm has to be 4" from a sidewall. I saw in one of the photos you had it about an inch or so.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Mr. Tim, the housing says it's ok to use BR30 bulbs for this trim so that's why I thought I should be able to use them and adjust the socket bracket to be deeper into the can. If I don't move the socket deeper into the can the trim is very flimsy and loose and the bulb extends past the lip so it almost seems like I am supposed to move it in. Also, thanks for the smoke alarm tip! I am going to replace that with a CO/Smoke alarm unit. When I added that block I was wondering if there was some kind of minimum distance I should have it so know I now. I will be relocating it at some point.


Quote:
Originally Posted by chpwaman View Post

Just checked my lights and they are all in the configuration you show in the later pics, the one where your bulbs fit. Mine came out of the box in this way as I mentioned I only had to adjust one can housing. My bulbs are a mix of Fleet brand and GE brand. All 65 watts and the GE show R30 for a size. Can't see a size on the fleet brand. I think you are fine to raise the socket plate. Why would the screw be there if you couldn't...right?

Thanks for checking chpwaman. I'm glad to know you're using this configuration without problems. I looked at the rest of my housings and they all are defaulted the same way. I have looked everywhere and read as much documentation as I could find on these lights/trims and nowhere does it mention this top screw or state not to adjust the socket bracket deeper in the can. I have a question into halo but not sure if I will receive a response or not. I am going to see how a PAR20 75W looks with it at the default height. If I like it I will go with it otherwise I'm sticking with the 65W and raising socket plate.
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post #82 of 200
4/5/11 at 3:27am
Here is the installation sheet for the 993 trim. The spings are inserted up onto the keyhole slot (never saw that before).

Here is the installation instructions for the H7ICAT recessed light

From the installation instructions, "NOTE: Some housings allow only limited vertical adjustment of the socket plate. Do not attempt to defeat these safeguards." I would not try to adjust the bulb beyond what that screw will allow.
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post #83 of 200
4/5/11 at 6:01am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Tim View Post

Here is the installation sheet for the 993 trim. The spings are inserted up onto the keyhole slot (never saw that before).

Here is the installation instructions for the H7ICAT recessed light

From the installation instructions, "NOTE: Some housings allow only limited vertical adjustment of the socket plate. Do not attempt to defeat these safeguards." I would not try to adjust the bulb beyond what that screw will allow.

Thanks for looking that up Mr. Tim. That is the first time I've seen that mentioned about the limited vertical adjustment which is what that top screw appears to be. It doesn't mention this in the instructions that came in the box but I'm glad to see it written somewhere. This is good information. It's still strange that the trim doesn't fit well when it's limited to this top screw. I did find if I flipped the spring so the longer part is below the key hole in the socket plate I can get a tight fight with the trim when the socket plate isn't adjusted beyond that screw. So I will most likely keep it there and either go with a shorter bulb or live with the BR30 extending past the trim a bit. These lights are for the gym area so I'm not too concerned with either choice but when it comes time for the theater lighting I may go with different housings/trims because a recessed bulb is a must for me in that area.
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post #84 of 200
4/18/11 at 9:39am
Thread Starter 

Have a good start on the lights in the gym. The Halo housings are very easy to work with. I spent more time thinking and trying to figure out where to put the lights and how many to use. I had to remove and reattach several of the housings a few times until I was satisfied with the layout and it was really easy to do that with these housings. I imagine I will have much more light than I need but I will be able to control it with the dimmers and/or lower wattage bulbs. I would rather have too much than not enough.


The lights above the cardio equipment area. 6 6" cans and 6 4" cans





This is where the 3 dimmers will go to control this side of the basement. Weight room zone, cardio equipment zone and floor exercise zone. The wire in there now is for the weight room zone which is all I have wired so far.


My friend let me borrow this wire spool stand. The thing is great, makes it much easier to pull wire!





Next up is to complete wiring in the gym. I need 3 more 6" cans for the floor exercise area and then I will complete the wiring, install the dimmers (2 1000W and 1 600W dimmer) and then run to the subpanel. I can't wait to make immediate use of the new lighting in the gym.

Thanks for following along!


Edited by barlav - 3/14/13 at 9:45am
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post #85 of 200
4/18/11 at 10:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by barlav View Post

I spent more time thinking and trying to figure out where to put the lights and how many to use. I had to remove and reattach several of the housings a few times until I was satisfied with the layout and it was really easy to do that with these housings. I imagine I will have much more light than I need but I will be able to control it with the dimmers and/or lower wattage bulbs. I would rather have too much than not enough.

Thanks for following along!

I hear you on that one! After measuring it all out and putting on paper where I thought they should go, I too had to re arrange the layout before and after install. Sometimes it was a conduit or joist in the way, other times it didn't seem symetrical to the HT layout, etc.

I knew it all worked out when my wife said, "wow it's bright down here!" then I proceeded to show her it on dimmers,,,,WAF - check!

keep it up!

Robert
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post #86 of 200
4/18/11 at 4:15pm
Looks great, love the amount of photos! Might I suggest you double up on the 2x4's in the spots marked to help support the rails and newel post for the stairs?



You will appreciate the extra support for the lags when it's time.
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post #87 of 200
4/18/11 at 6:30pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Killer View Post

I knew it all worked out when my wife said, "wow it's bright down here!" then I proceeded to show her it on dimmers,,,,WAF - check!

Haha Killer! I'm currently lacking in the WAF department. She thinks I'm nuts for installing all those lights. Hopefully she'll come around when she she's them on the dimmers.


Quote:
Originally Posted by mmeister View Post

Looks great, love the amount of photos! Might I suggest you double up on the 2x4's in the spots marked to help support the rails and newel post for the stairs?



You will appreciate the extra support for the lags when it's time.

Thanks for the good advice mmeister . I will certainly do that!
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post #88 of 200
4/20/11 at 8:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by barlav View Post

A view from the floor which is how I looked at the lights to figure out if I liked the layout

Hey barlav - you're making a ton of progress...this looks great!

One question...are you sure this is for layout purposes and it's not just where you ended up after a workout on all those machines?? Keep up the good work!
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post #89 of 200
4/20/11 at 9:19am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AirBenji View Post

Hey barlav - you're making a ton of progress...this looks great!

One question...are you sure this is for layout purposes and it's not just where you ended up after a workout on all those machines?? Keep up the good work!

Haha! yeah AirBenji, I have ended up there more than once! You may find yourself in a similar position after you move that gigantic pile of drywall you just had delivered!

As for making a ton of progress, I am making sure to stay behind you so you and Andreas can master the art of drywalling first and then take a trip to Syracuse to show me how it's done

Your build is getting pretty exciting! Can't wait to see it all come together!
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post #90 of 200
4/21/11 at 11:39am
Haha thanks barlav, and I bet you're right! I'm always up for a trip to Central NY (I'm actually heading that way Sunday to see some family), especially if there's some wine involved! And I'll volunteer for Andreas too
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