New build advice

Hello, new to the forums, and getting a house built. Currently in the blue print stage. I'm not getting the basement completed till a year after. In the basement will be a dedicated theater/game room. I only have the walls done no electrical yet. I have no real experience in AV. So just looking for some advise. The local shops are clowns. Not helpful at all unless your spending a fortune, and if you are them you already know what your getting. They are more into car stereos etc.

So I don't know what I'm getting yet from chairs to screens. But would like to leave it all open for whatever I research and deside.

So I'm attaching my prelim draining for input. At this point do you see any structural changes, also how high should platform be?



Your advise is appreciated.

Yes. I'll be going for mostly isolated sound. The one thing I can't help is the doors. But I'd like to be able to watch a movie loud without disturbing upstairs too much.

The issue is my draftsman makes beautiful homes but theaters/electrical/plumbing are outside his realm. He is a structural guy, and specializes in floor joist engineering, and silent floors.

This is just prelim, so changes can still be made.

Yeah, I was just looking it over last night before bed, and was concerned with the doors and that wall aswell. I'm not too concerned with the front wall, as that's the mech room, and above that is our laundry. The bedrooms are on the top floor.

Also considered moving the av rack to under the stairs, however I think that's we're the makeup water tank will go (on city water, but only 1gpm, so a makeup tank and jet pump allow for the average 3gpm of a standard tap). I'm easily 6 months from start of construction, and I'm going with the developer, and he is backed up right now. But he doesn't sub out anything except elec, plumbing, and paint. And I can specify the elec/plumbing. So it will all be higher end quality. I just want to make sure the structure is right, as once the build starts, it's kinda hard to change the basement.

From reading this morning, it seems hiring a designer for a grand is the way to go. Though it seems steep at a grand, since my structural will only be around 2500 for the house.

What would you suggest for the doors? The wife wants French, but I can just change it and tell her too bad. She is getting the rest of the shack the way she wants it.

So perhaps go to double wall between stairs and room, go to a single 36" and give a gap betwen the screen wall and mech wall allowing for recessed subs.

I don't have to have the room 100% finalized, I just need the basic size shape down. I'm not doing the basement right away, but I am getting indoor heating roughed in for zones, and want to make sure it's layer out first , so it will be zoned correctly. Then in 6 months or a year I'll have the builder come back. I don't see the sense in financing a theater for 25 years. I'll just pay cash for the basement after.

Ok, so who is a recommended designer? I won't be going with the best of the best equipment. But rather good stuff, but not entering into the niche market. Originally I was gonna go plasma, but changed my mind. I was originally going with a Panasonic vt30, but I'll be going projector after being to a few friends houses with plasma and lcds.

But I certainly want the room built properly and for it to not be the limiting factor. As I'm sure once the bug gets me, it will be upgraded and upgraded.

Well I had the draftsman redo the layout quickly. This added square footage to the house, hopefully it's still within the budget. But I wanted more theater room and seating for guests for things like UFC etc. here is the new proposed layout. He just moved some stuff around for approval before making a final rendition. I like it better.

I didn't draw this. I just phoned my draftsman and had him move the room to a larger layout. I think he went retractable in the first one due to av rack being behind the screen. I have no issue going to a fixed screen. I agreed seats need to move forward and not be cramped. Recliners is what will go in I think. I'd also rotate the av rack do it opens in the room. I don't want to have to go outside to throw a bluray in. Again he left the double door, I think he just cut, rotated and pasted. Atleast by the looks of the the rear wall where it meets the concrete, it suggests that.

All I asked for was 7 seats. A stage would be great, as this would allow for extra people to sit on the floor if need be. Since the rec room with one day have a pool table.

Im not sure what will actually go up there. I havent planned out the theater room really. My main focus on getting the basement layout (rooms), so I can get infloor heating lines ran to the mech room. The house wont be started for a few months, and then when I have the funds, he will come back in and do the basement off the mortgage. Im not sure if I will be able to do recliners, as the room is still fairly short (18'-8"). So by time I take say 24" for false wall at front, thats shrings me to 16.5' ish. So to give a good space to the front seats, say 8', that leaves only 8 to play with. So its tight. Might be recliners up front, and a couch, or sectional with cup holders in the back. Have to see how it all pans out. I have an email off to Dennis, so we will see what transpires.

*edit*

I really dont think recliners in the rear are needed. For the most part there will be 2 of us, maybe the boys watching a film/playing games, so should I have people over for UFC etc, do I really need to kick back and recline in the back row?

Well with all the research today/tonight, I can see that my budget is going to be blown out of the water on this room. Better start saving pennies lol

The furnace can't move. Upstairs there is a channel build directly above for the ducting to go straight upstairs, and distribute. So that won't really work. If I kept the width, what would be the optimal screen size? What distance can the front row be for ideal image quality.

Another thing I saw in another thread I never thought of, would be dropping the basement in a tier, or even the whole room. Swapping the screen to far end, and build a floor up. This would allow for say 11' walls on screen end and even with ducting, sound proofing, still have say 8' ceilings where you enter (same entry).

I'm definitely thinking of going a sectional 4 wide upfront (enough for us to watch a movie) and putting chairs and a bar at the rear. Better for sporting events. Thoughts?

My concerns are that my theater won't be long enough. I'm not sure how close the front row should be. So by time you do a false wall for screen and speakers. we get fairly short.

*edit* according to an online calculator, I'd the front row was 10' back, ideal size would be 75", does this seem right?

Any thoughts on dropping theater, and the short length? Draftsman is waiting to do finals. Thanks

I hear ya, we rotate UFCs etc between 5 of us or so, since it's 50 a crack. So yeah 4-5 times a year. So it looks like I'm down to one row then. As two rows will take more then a bar.

15' wide, 18'-8" long. To have a decent 2.4 screen, to get movie feel in the room, I think I'll have to be pretty far back. though if I can sacrifice a bit of screen size and do some nice framing around it, I can still put a raised bar style area, to sit at near the wall, because that won't really need surround. It won't be for movies really. I'll see what I have to work with.

Seems the online calculator that I was using said THX recommended distances, but they were not the same as the THX website. Guess im good. My distance went from 17' to 8.4' for a viewing distance.