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The Plains Theater - Page 11

post #301 of 946
2/16/12 at 6:16am
Thread Starter 
It's just cut off in the layout above, sorry about that. It's in the top left of the layout shown above, you can just make out the "ia" in media closet.

So, to the right of the theater entry door, outside of the room when looking at the layout above.
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post #302 of 946
2/16/12 at 6:30am
So what is going to be fed from this panel and why so far from the equipment? If it is in this room for a reason I would stick it in a location that can't serve any other purpose. That long wall looks like a great location for shelving.

Without regard for all your concerns on mounting it to the concrete exterior wall, I would stick it on that short exterior wall just inside the door on the left.
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post #303 of 946
2/16/12 at 6:37am
Thread Starter 
With the exception of one room, the basement will be left unfinished for now. I'll use that sub panel to feed the entire basement once it's finished. The only other location I could think of would be the mechanical closet (which is next to the media closet), but it will have my structured wiring panel in it as well as my network equipment, so it makes me a little concerned about EMI.

I agree regarding the shelving. That does look like a good spot for storage, but I don't know if there are any issues with moisture/condensation if I mount the sub panel to a concrete wall.
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post #304 of 946
2/16/12 at 7:07am
The two main panels in my house are on an outside concrete wall adjacent to the service entrance. They shot a big piece of plywood to the wall and mounted everthing to that. I just noticed that it may not be pressure treated but it is in the same condition today as it was 17 years ago when we bought the house.
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post #305 of 946
2/16/12 at 8:10am
Why are you drilling holes in the concrete for the subpanel?

I attached my panels to the concrete walls with a couple 2xs used as spcers and a sheet of plywood. A couple nails shot into the wall and I was good to go.

The only issue with putting it on the stud wall is if you ever want to remodel that wall. It will be a royal PITA to move that panel.

Im not sure about code but you could always run a couple 2xs from the basement floor, to the floor joists above and secure them the joist.
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post #306 of 946
2/16/12 at 10:45am
What our electrician did in the basement was build a full-height wall with pressure treat at the bottom where it meets the slab a total of 3 standard stud bays wide. He installed the panel in the middle bay and brought wires straight down in and from the left and right stud bays as well. So when I went to finish out the basement all I had to do was butt my walls up against his and then drywall. No penetrations whatsoever into any concrete except for where he ramset the footer into the slab as is typical.
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post #307 of 946
2/19/12 at 12:02pm
Thread Starter 
I think we found a location for the electrical sub panel. The previous drawing didn't show a recessed area in the foundation near the front wall of the theater. We decided to move the sub panel there, and have the framers put a wall up there to mount the sub panel on. I'd planned to use the nook there to mount some shelves, but I think this will be a good compromise. It gets the sub panel out of that potential walkway so that I won't bang my shoulder on it walking past it. It's also no longer attached to my theater, which will let me move that wall around if I need to and prevent any potential door rattles.



Thanks for the feedback guys!
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post #308 of 946
2/22/12 at 4:59pm
Thread Starter 
Wow. There's been a lot of traffic on the boards lately! Three pages back again. I had to come up with an excuse.... I had to post a picture today, so that'll move me back to the first page again

The brick masons got most of the house done last Friday, and I think they're waiting for the windows to be installed on the back to finish up. Neither of the pictures really show the color of the brick, but without the brick to look at, I couldn't really correct the color. Here goes anyway!

Most of what you see without brick will either be stone or shake (with the exception of the small section on the garage). So they really do have most of the brick work done. It only took them 2-1/2 days to do most of the house.



This picture is a little closer to the correct correct color, but still not quite right.



Hopefully the framers will be out to put the last few windows in and frame up a few odds and ends so the electricians can finish up. After that it's spray foam and drywall
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post #309 of 946
2/22/12 at 5:30pm
Wow, looking fantastic. How many sq ft. are you going to have including the basement? I really like the look of the brick. I've said before and I'll say again I LOVE spray foam. It is about three times the cost of the regular pink stuff, but IMHO it is well worth the upgrade as there is a lot less to worry about with it vs. other types of insulation. I'm very glad I used it in my build and if I was building a new home it would be just chock full of spray foam. I would go spray foam nuts!

You will reach another milestone as you get the electrical finished and the drywall goes up. That will (as you already know) change the whole look of your project. I'm excited for you.

Carry on and thanks for the photo fix!

Regards,

RTROSE
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post #310 of 946
2/23/12 at 6:10am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the compliments on the brick. This is completely different than what we'd originally thought we'd go with, but now that it's on the house we really think it fits. We're happy with our choice (good thing too ).


Our house will be a little over 4,600 s.f. once the basement is finished. So not a huge house compared to the others in our subdivision, but certainly the biggest we've ever owned. In fact, the basement alone is bigger than our previous homes, and nearly twice as large as my first house. I feel like I'm moving into a mansion I really do feel fortunate considering the state of things now.

No one really pushed us to go with spray foam, but all of the contractors we spoke with before building basically said, "if you can afford it, you'll never regret it," and left it at that. Interestingly, the HVAC contractor was really the only person that had anything remotely negative to say about it. He likes the stuff from a heat load perspective, but he said it makes it really tough to keep the humidity down because the HVAC just doesn't get to run long enough.

Thanks again for the bump RT!


EDIT: BTW, somewhere along the way I broke the 1,000 post mark! I was a little let down when there wasn't confetti or balloons
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post #311 of 946
2/23/12 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

He likes the stuff from a heat load perspective, but he said it makes it really tough to keep the humidity down because the HVAC just doesn't get to run long enough.

THIS is exactly why you needed a dual stage system with variable fan speed control and both outdoor and indoor humidity and temperature sensors hooked to the logic board of the system. Hopefully this is what you have spec'd or you will have some stuffy days ahead.

Brick looks great and things are really coming along! Can't wait to see future updates.
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post #312 of 946
2/23/12 at 7:11am
Thread Starter 
We spec'd the two-stage compressor, but I don't think we got the humidity sensors. I think the logic board that comes with the compressor can handle the inputs, but we didn't swing for the extra cost of the sensors. The way I understand the controller logic now, the system can run at reduced capacity to reduce the humidity until the the indoor temp drops 3 degrees below the setpoint. Then the system is locked out for humidity reduction until the temp increases to the set point again.

Not ideal, but at least with the two-stage compressor we can operate at 75% capacity (I think) rather than full capacity.
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post #313 of 946
2/23/12 at 7:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

We spec'd the two-stage compressor, but I don't think we got the humidity sensors. I think the logic board that comes with the compressor can handle the inputs, but we didn't swing for the extra cost of the sensors. The way I understand the controller logic now, the system can run at reduced capacity to reduce the humidity until the the indoor temp drops 3 degrees below the setpoint. Then the system is locked out for humidity reduction until the temp increases to the set point again.

Not ideal, but at least with the two-stage compressor we can operate at 75% capacity (I think) rather than full capacity.

I would at least get the appropriate wire outside for the outdoor temperature / humidity sensor if your system cannot accommodate the wireless combination sensor down the road if you choose to improve the system performance. And I would double-check that the thermostats for your house are the ones that have built in humidistats - that way your are just one outdoor combination sensor away from utilizing the full logic board for maximum comfort levels and energy savings.
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post #314 of 946
2/23/12 at 7:45am
good choice on the spray foam. I had planned on using it in my house when i was building. The quote was 3 times the fiberglass quote. At that point i was already out of control on the build. Since I was doing it all myself, i did the "might as wellls" at each stage. By the time i got to insulation I had to make cuts. Good insulation will last the life of the house. If i was to start over, my walls would be a min 12" thick with no thermal breaks due to framing.
With a tight house, you may want to look at some sort of mechanical air exchange system to control humidity as well.
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post #315 of 946
2/23/12 at 4:49pm
That's nice brick. What are you doing for stone?

I like spray foam also, but I've seen recommendations not to use it for HT. Not sure why.

The heat exchanger based fresh air intakes are kind of pricey. Plus I think you need one for each air handler. For the price you might be better off opening a window and spending the money on something else.
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post #316 of 946
2/23/12 at 4:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

EDIT: BTW, somewhere along the way I broke the 1,000 post mark! I was a little let down when there wasn't confetti or balloons

More impressive I thought was getting to 'last page' status on your thread.
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post #317 of 946
2/23/12 at 5:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rabident View Post

I like spray foam also, but I've seen recommendations not to use it for HT. Not sure why.

Spray foam is not good for sound isolation. That is why it is not recommended often for home theaters since many are so concerned with soundproofing.
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post #318 of 946
2/23/12 at 5:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rabident View Post

I like spray foam also, but I've seen recommendations not to use it for HT. Not sure why.

Absorbing sound is all about surface area. With batt insulation you have tremendous surface area, with spray foam you only have the facing surface. Closed cell spray foam is much worse than open cell foam since it is very stiff and essentially solid. Most IMAX and other professional theaters actually use blown in cellulose for their soundproofing, FYI.
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post #319 of 946
2/23/12 at 6:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rabident View Post


More impressive I thought was getting to 'last page' status on your thread.

Ouch! I guess I gotta stop with all my ramblings

Maybe tomorrow!
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post #320 of 946
2/23/12 at 6:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rabident View Post

That's nice brick. What are you doing for stone?

I like spray foam also, but I've seen recommendations not to use it for HT. Not sure why.

I'm not sure how to describe the stone, but it'll be on the front porch.

We're planning to spray foam the rim joists, and the walkout wall, but that's it in the basement. Planning to use fluffy stuff in the theater for the sound isolation.
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post #321 of 946
2/24/12 at 6:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

We're planning to spray foam the rim joists, and the walkout wall, but that's it in the basement. Planning to use fluffy stuff in the theater for the sound isolation.

Good choice. I wish I used spray foam in my rim joists.
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post #322 of 946
2/25/12 at 5:14pm
Thread Starter 
I've got a question for all you computer nuts. My media server is in a Norco 4020 case, and I'll need to mount it pretty soon after moving in so I can FINALLY watch a movie again. I think I'd like to DIY my rack using the Mid Atlantic rack rails (I've also got some ideas on how to be able to add cheap shelves, but I'll save that for later ). Can I get away with hanging this thing from just the front? That's the only mounting hardware that came with the case, but previously I had some support for the back as well. I'd rather not put another set of rails in the back because then it starts to become questionable as to whether DIY is really cheaper.
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post #323 of 946
2/28/12 at 6:36am
Thread Starter 
There's been a little progress. We got the alarm pre-wire done yesterday, so we're one step closer to foam. I know the electricians have one or two other small things to tie up, but I think we're close to finishing there.

I went out and took a pile of photos of wiring in the house, so I've got over 600 photos like this (that's just to keep the photo junkies from complaining)



At this point I've got well over 3,000 construction photos, and I'm sure there will be areas that I wish I'd photographed better.

I also ordered my DIY rack rails. That will be a little project I'll tackle in the not too distant future. Thanks to a PM from someone here on the site, I've got some pretty good ideas about what to do there.

And finally, I need to order my keystone wall plate and jacks as well as my in-walls and in-ceilling speakers here pretty soon for the 5.1 in the living room. I'm planning to use Monoprice for all this. But I've got a couple of quick questions. Should I use an RCA for the sub, and banana jacks for the other speakers? Also, should I use the solder or screw-on type jacks?

As always, I appreciate the help guys!
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post #324 of 946
2/28/12 at 6:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

I've got a question for all you computer nuts. My media server is in a Norco 4020 case, and I'll need to mount it pretty soon after moving in so I can FINALLY watch a movie again. I think I'd like to DIY my rack using the Mid Atlantic rack rails (I've also got some ideas on how to be able to add cheap shelves, but I'll save that for later ). Can I get away with hanging this thing from just the front? That's the only mounting hardware that came with the case, but previously I had some support for the back as well. I'd rather not put another set of rails in the back because then it starts to become questionable as to whether DIY is really cheaper.

Why not just buy a new rack-mountable case and transfer all of the innards? There are plenty of very nice HTPC rack-mountable cases out there on the market, including ones that cool from front to back in a controlled fashion.
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post #325 of 946
2/28/12 at 6:49am
Thread Starter 
I guess that did sound a bit ambiguous. My media server case is rack mountable. The rack rails are actually the pre-drilled rails for building the DIY server rack. So it's a pair of 78" long rails with holes drilled every 1.75" (IIRC).
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post #326 of 946
2/28/12 at 6:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

And finally, I need to order my keystone wall plate and jacks as well as my in-walls and in-ceilling speakers here pretty soon for the 5.1 in the living room. I'm planning to use Monoprice for all this. But I've got a couple of quick questions. Should I use an RCA for the sub, and banana jacks for the other speakers? Also, should I use the solder or screw-on type jacks

The most economical way to get your sub signal wire from origin to destination is to use standard RG6 coax cable. A compression connector is all that is needed on the other end, for which Thomas & Betts (and a host of other manufacturers) makes a snap-on compression RCA connector using a relatively inexpensive stripping/compression combination tool. Then all you would have to do is order the RCA "barrel" connector so you would have a single RCA jack in your sub wall plate. From there just run a standard RCA cable from the wall to the mono input of your sub.

The banana jack wall jack connectors are OK, but I prefer to get the 5-in-one combination speaker jacks. These will allow for bare wire, spades, bananas and other types of speaker wire terminations to attach. They are about a $1 more, but more versatile.

And for purposes of clarity - there are solderless alternatives for virtually every type of connection, so I would skip the solder wherever possible.
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post #327 of 946
2/28/12 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

I'm planning to use Monoprice for all this. But I've got a couple of quick questions. Should I use an RCA for the sub, and banana jacks for the other speakers? Also, should I use the solder or screw-on type jacks?

As always, I appreciate the help guys!

Screw on worked fine for me. But if you are handy with a soldering iron, I guess that would work too. And yes, RCA for the sub (unless you have a passive sub, meaning no amp built in).
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post #328 of 946
2/28/12 at 7:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by J_P_A View Post

I guess that did sound a bit ambiguous. My media server case is rack mountable. The rack rails are actually the pre-drilled rails for building the DIY server rack. So it's a pair of 78" long rails with holes drilled every 1.75" (IIRC).

I'm sorry, but I don't believe I understand your question then regarding your media server case. Is it one that requires front AND rear rack rails for support? I had 24u rack rails in a framed opening at one point in time for one of my previous systems where I had a server-grade UPS which required rear rail support as well. All I did was use a couple of eye bolts mounted into the framing along with some picture-hanging wire (steel coated with a plastic) to help suspend the back part of the unit. It worked like a champ and cost less than 5 bucks which is great considering the unit weighed close to 70 pounds.
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post #329 of 946
2/28/12 at 7:05am
Thread Starter 
Awesome guys! I don't mind soldering if it's a better alternative, but I'm not too keen on the idea of sitting there in the floor long enough to solder all of those connections if I don't have to.


Quote:
Originally Posted by TMcG View Post

The banana jack wall jack connectors are OK, but I prefer to get the 5-in-one combination speaker jacks. These will allow for bare wire, spades, bananas and other types of speaker wire terminations to attach. They are about a $1 more, but more versatile.

Do you have a link to the 5-in-one combination jacks?
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post #330 of 946
2/28/12 at 7:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TMcG View Post

I'm sorry, but I don't believe I understand your question then regarding your media server case. Is it one that requires front AND rear rack rails for support?

I was just wondering if my server needed to be supported from the the back as well. It's pretty hefty, but most of the weight is at the front where all the drives are. There are no rear support brackets on it (at least none came with it), but I'd hate to find out the hard way that it needed to be supported.
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