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The Austin Home Theater - Page 13

post #361 of 401
7/19/12 at 7:45pm
Too Much Energy

You should toss in a few "X" braces on the deck structure.

Sometimes I think we are screwed as a country. But then I run across individuals from the next generation who "get it" and figure we might be OK after all.

Keep it up.
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post #362 of 401
7/20/12 at 7:51am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by petew View Post

Too Much Energy
You should toss in a few "X" braces on the deck structure.
Sometimes I think we are screwed as a country. But then I run across individuals from the next generation who "get it" and figure we might be OK after all.
Keep it up.

Thanks Pete!

I'm glad that you mentioned the "X" braces. I had thought about adding something like that to stiffen it up and will definitely include them.
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post #363 of 401
8/18/12 at 6:06pm
Thread Starter 
Well, it has been a little over a month since there was a post in the thread, so I think that it is a good time for an update.

First, "The Austin Resort" (aka the backyard) is nearly complete! I finished the deck and then moved onto the patio. Here is a before pic of the patio area.

DSCN2248.jpg

No joke... it was really that bad.

And after about five days of hard work....

20120806_160043_2_bestshot.jpg

The waterfall (built from all the rocks that I dug up when building the deck:

20120806_155902_7_bestshot.jpg

A shot of the completed deck from the existing deck:

20120806_160018_4_bestshot.jpg

Looking down from the pool deck:

20120806_155816_6_bestshot.jpg

The first picture shows the different areas really well. Originally I had planned to extend the existing deck to the pool, but then I realized that it would look a lot better and be more functional with different separate spaces. I love how there's different levels as you move from one deck down onto the patio and then up to the other deck.

For the patio, I used the Quikrete Walkmaker mold (http://www.amazon.com/Quikrete-6921-32-Walk-Maker/dp/B00002N8SO). It is a 2'x2'x2" mold that you set on the ground and then fill with concrete. After a few minutes you lift the mold off and the concrete cures in the shape of the stones. I used a mason's trowel to smooth everything out as I went along. It was a ton of work lifting and mixing the concrete. I did rent an electric mixer for one day but still ended up doing a lot the old fashioned way in a wheelbarrow. Originally I was going to do a more traditional flagstone patio, but the price was a little high. This was a great alternative at only about $1 a square foot.

If I had to do a patio this size again I would probably get a slab poured and then stamp it just because of all the hard work it took to move so many individual bags of concrete. I am very happy with the final product though and would recommend it to others; especially for a smaller walkway.

The only thing left for the backyard is a fresh coat of stain on both decks in the spring.

In basement related news, I finished the drop ceiling in the hallways.

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You can see my new wall decorations in the theater hallway. I think that it turned out really nice.

I still have to do the baseboards and door casings in the rest of the basement, but I've decided that I'll tackle those when I am home before I start my second semester of school.

Speaking of semesters, I am leaving for college in a few days which means that I won't be able to use the theater for awhile. It is kind of sad leaving so soon after finally finishing it, but I know that I'll be home for breaks and the rest of the family will continue to enjoy it when I'm gone. I guess I'll have to get my daily helping of home theater by reading all of your threads for the next few months! biggrin.gif

Thank you for continuing to follow along!
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post #364 of 401
8/19/12 at 9:02am
Where did you get the admit one movie ticket showtime sign at austin
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post #365 of 401
8/20/12 at 10:19am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Holiday121 View Post

Where did you get the admit one movie ticket showtime sign at austin

Hi Holiday,

The sign was given to me as a gift from my aunt. She told me that she got it at a local store. There are quite a few options available online, but I couldn't find the exact one.
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post #366 of 401
10/8/12 at 9:41pm
Thread Starter 
Well, no progress on the basement since I've been at school, but I did have the chance to go back home this past weekend for Columbus Day and I FINALLY saw "The Avengers". All I can say is WOW! biggrin.gif

I had not seen it in theaters because I refused to watch it until I saw "Captain America" and "Thor", but I refused to watch those until I could watch them in my theater. As a Marvel fan, I appreciated seeing all of the different characters interact with each other in their own unique ways. There were times when it was both comical and thought provoking.

Of course, there were quite a few impressive audio moments as well. I rewound the helicarrier takeoff scene twice to listen to it again. biggrin.gif

Overall, it was an absolute treat to watch and I was a little disappointed when it ended.

On my second night I chose "Battleship", mostly for the audio moments. While there were some impressive parts, the storyline was so horrendous that I actually fell asleep. How someone could fall asleep in a room with the volume up at near reference levels and seats that shake I don't know. rolleyes.gif I probably should have watched "The Avengers" again.

I'm looking forward to getting back down there to finish the molding and a few other odds and ends during the holiday break. I've been thinking about a custom concession and movie storage area as well as converting an older PC into an HTPC. We'll see where both of those go.....

To everyone building their theaters, keep up the good work and continue to post updates! It is so enjoyable to relive the experience by watching and helping others.
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post #367 of 401
10/8/12 at 10:41pm
I always revert back to your thread austin :P
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post #368 of 401
10/9/12 at 7:34am
Thread Starter 
Holiday, that is the greatest compliment someone can give. Thank you!

If I can give back just a little bit of information to this awesome forum that helped me so much then I'll be happy. I'm glad my thread can serve as a resource to others.
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post #369 of 401
10/25/12 at 12:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaustin View Post

My mother, two sisters, one brother, and five dogs just moved into a new house. At our old house I had a projector set up with a cheap box sound system so I'll be reusing the projector but getting new 5.1 surround.

Five dogs?!

FIVE?!

aaaaaaaahp1.gif

Are you guys dog sledders or something?! new_shocked.gif

Just giving you some friendly grief.

Nice job on the basement, Austin. Your mom, siblings and dogs are lucky to have you doing all that!

Hope that gets you out of cleaning up the dog crap in the yard for a while! cool.gif
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post #370 of 401
10/25/12 at 9:36pm
Thread Starter 
Hanes! I'm glad you made your way over here and thanks for the wonderful compliments!

Since you brought up the dogs (and RTROSE has shown us all his new puppies) I will share my furry friends with all of you.

I present..... The Austin Family dogs!

Ready for some DIY projects.
2011-08-20_12-11-35_71.jpg

Because ONE flower bed just isn't good enough.
2011-09-13_07-18-17_340.jpg

Someone wants to go for a ride.
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I guess someone else got jealous.
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Because it's SO hard being a Saint Bernard.
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"I got here first." "Well I'm not moving."
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Her favorite seat in the house!
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For those of you keeping track, the pups are, from oldest to youngest:
Belle-Shitzu Poodle mix
Minnie-Boston Terrier
Jessica-English Bulldog
Jasmine-Pomeranian
Boo-Saint Bernard

Can anyone spot the similarity among the names? (Hint: Jessica is normally the one that confuses people.) wink.gif

The dogs are truly a part of our family. I think about them everyday when I'm away.

I'm looking forward to completing the finishing touches on the basement over winter break. I miss the DIY projects!
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post #371 of 401
10/25/12 at 9:48pm
Thread Starter 
By the way, 1000 posts! Yippee!

Here's to many more thousands through the years.
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post #372 of 401
10/26/12 at 5:35am
Disney characters? Jessica rabbit?
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post #373 of 401
10/26/12 at 8:06am
Thread Starter 
You got it Spaceman. Most people get the other four fairly quickly but are thrown off by Jessica Rabbit.

We thought that it fit her well since she's so beautiful with that underbite. wink.gif
Edited by aaustin - 10/26/12 at 8:11am
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post #374 of 401
10/26/12 at 9:45am
2 more dogs and you could have done the 7 dwarfs
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post #375 of 401
10/26/12 at 10:44am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spaceman View Post

2 more dogs and you could have done the 7 dwarfs

Haha! Now that would be funny! biggrin.gif
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post #376 of 401
10/26/12 at 11:54am
96 more and you could have done 101 Dalmations.
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post #377 of 401
10/26/12 at 12:38pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tlogan6797 View Post

96 more and you could have done 101 Dalmations.

eek.gif Now that would be a handful!
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post #378 of 401
10/26/12 at 2:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaustin View Post

eek.gif Now that would be a handful!

Not to mention all the dog poo in the yard! eek.gif

Regards,

RTROSE
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post #379 of 401
10/26/12 at 8:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RTROSE View Post

Not to mention all the dog poo in the yard! eek.gif
Regards,
RTROSE

Most definitely!

I guess I'd just have to train them. biggrin.gif

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post #380 of 401
11/2/12 at 11:28pm
I read through this entire thread and have to say that you did an amazing job! The room you have is great for what you had to work with! You have inspired me, and I will probably be starting my own home theater thread soon to get ideas on how to improve my current basement layout to make way for a dedicated theater room. I also have those Kmart Theater chairs and for the money I paid they can't be beat. Anyway, great job!
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post #381 of 401
11/3/12 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks blobula!

I appreciate the compliments and am glad that I was able to inspire you to pursue your own home theater dreams.

I agree that the chairs are awesome. Super comfy and a great price. It's too bad they aren't carrying them anymore.

I'm looking forward to seeing your thread.

Thanks for stopping by!
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post #382 of 401
11/6/12 at 3:14pm
I started my own build threat here.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1437578/blobulas-coming-soon-theater-build-thread

Any thoughts you might have I'd like to hear after your recent experiences.
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post #383 of 401
12/7/12 at 7:27pm
Amazing work! As a fellow Engineer, DIYer, and Austinite(Georgetown) I am extremely impressed with your work. Especially that outdoor patio, I feel your pain as i did a stamped concrete patio this past summer.
I am in the early research stage of our media/game room and I fully intend to plagiarize some of your ideas. I had intended to do a dropped crown with rope lighting behind it, and also a two tone paint pattern. My wife wants to do just an accent wall with a shade of a royal purple behind the projector but I want to do similar to yours with the dark gray behind the projector and then a two toned look with a chair rail. I am thinking about doing a shadow box wainscoting under neath the chair rail as well.

Once again great job!
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post #384 of 401
12/7/12 at 9:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rschuler313 View Post

Amazing work! As a fellow Engineer, DIYer, and Austinite(Georgetown) I am extremely impressed with your work. Especially that outdoor patio, I feel your pain as i did a stamped concrete patio this past summer.
I am in the early research stage of our media/game room and I fully intend to plagiarize some of your ideas. I had intended to do a dropped crown with rope lighting behind it, and also a two tone paint pattern. My wife wants to do just an accent wall with a shade of a royal purple behind the projector but I want to do similar to yours with the dark gray behind the projector and then a two toned look with a chair rail. I am thinking about doing a shadow box wainscoting under neath the chair rail as well.
Once again great job!

Thank you so much for the kind words and compliments!

Yeah, the patio was a "fun" project. Hauling all that concrete around was a giant pain, but it was all worth it in the end since it turned out great.

Feel free to steal as much as you'd like; I stole ideas from many other builds on this forum. Check out some of the other awesome build threads to get even more inspiration. Also, think about starting your own build thread once you start planning and have a general idea of what you want to do. The knowledge on this forum is endless.

Good luck and thanks again!
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post #385 of 401
12/10/12 at 12:15pm
Really awesome job, but I find it hard to believe you were in highschool when you did this! Most people in HS have never used a hammer before...lol
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post #386 of 401
12/10/12 at 3:43pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the compliments elmalloc!

I guess you'll just have to trust me when I say that I built it in high school. wink.gif
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post #387 of 401
12/10/12 at 6:11pm
How are you liking the laminate for a screen? I'm thinking about going that route.
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post #388 of 401
12/10/12 at 8:06pm
Thread Starter 
Hi rschuler,

I like the laminate a lot. It was relatively cheap and easy to put together. Plus, the fact that it's so durable and easy to clean is very nice.
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post #389 of 401
12/10/12 at 10:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaustin View Post

So today I had a surprise waiting for me in the mailbox when I got home. The LED's arrived!!!



I was very pleased with how quickly they got here. Since they came from Hong Kong I didn't expect them until next week.


Here is everything that I ordered. It all came from ebay (thanks Iusteve!) and cost about $55 total.





That's two 5m lengths of 30 LED/m RGB strips, one 12V 6A power supply, an ir controller with five outputs (you can connect up to five strands), and a 44 button ir remote.


My original plan for tonight was to work on the screen, but after plugging those LED's in to test them out I just had to see them installed. It took one extra trip to Home Depot for some 14 gauge landscape wire but I got them all in and working great!



















These are only some of the available colors. They also can flash between colors and do a slow fade.



I was able to extend the wire from the power supply and splice that into the romex going up to the soffit. Then the controller with five outputs made it pretty easy to run some more of the landscape wire to the beginning of the second run. Despite all the splices and other aspects of my "interesting" install, all of the lights are working beautifully. Once again thank you to everyone who helped me to figure out how to implement these LED strips in my theater! A big shout out to Mr. Tim especially for his invaluable advice!


I really couldn't be happier with how these look in the room. I always knew that I wanted to do some kind of lighting in crown molding, but the LED's add a whole new dimension to it. I can see it being one of those things that guests say "wow" over and remember when they leave.


Plus, it wasn't much more expensive than doing incandescent rope light. By the time I bought the rope light AND a dimmer switch to control them, the price would have been very close to the LED's. Just a thought for anyone trying to decide between the two.


I also swapped out the 4-gang switch box for a 3-gang and am now in the process of closing up the gap due to the larger hole.


Tomorrow will include finishing the hole around the box and building the screen. Then hopefully I can get started on my manual masking system built into the screen border (more info on that later. If it works it should be really cool.
)


By the way, carpet will be installed on Monday!!


Thanks for following along!

Can you school me on this process. I would like to do this in my home. I plan on adding a flying crown modling and placing LEDs above it exactly how you did it. Did you run the LEDs the entire length of the crown? I have walls that are roughly 17' x 23' how many strips would I need, would this be feasible?
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post #390 of 401
12/12/12 at 7:26am
Thread Starter 
Hi rschuler,

Yes, I did run the LED strips the full length of the crown.

Here is what you would need.

RGB LED strips (30/meter):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-30Leds-M-RGB-5050-Waterproof-SMD-LED-Lights-Flexible-Strip-/160688397549?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item2569c65ced

I had to buy two strips for a total of 10 meters. They can be cut every few inches.

A remote and controller:

This one has two outputs to allow you to connect two separate stands.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/44-Key-IR-Remote-Control-Controller-For-5050-RGB-LED-Light-Strip-two-outputs-/160774070507?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item256ee1a0eb

There is also this one that has five outputs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/44-Key-IR-Remote-Controller-For-RGB-5050-LED-Light-Strip-Five-outputs-/251024970634?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item3a7241138a

A power supply:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-AC-Power-Supply-Adapter-DC-12-Volt-6-Amp-12V-6A-/280869637229?pt=Laptop_Adapters_Chargers&hash=item4165228c6d

Each 5 meter length requires 3 amps of current. Since I ended up using about 8 meters, I bought a 6 amp power supply like the one that I linked to.

Mr. Tim also just posted some very good information on voltage drop with LEDs over in his thread. It can be found here.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1426519/mr-tims-15x27-theater/120#post_22687289

Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll try to answer them as best I can.
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