Budget minded DIYer needs haaaalp!

So during my hours upon hours of lurking the forum I think I have only further confused myself on the choices for what I should use for my screen. Before I go any further on my thoughts I will answer some questions I found in another thread.

•Will it be for a dedicated Theater, or Family Room use?
Not a dedicated home theater but more of a media/game room. It will only be used for movie watching, gaming(Wii), and sports. Not ever day TV
•Will lighting be controlled, directed, or absent altogether during viewing?
Lighting will be somewhat controlled but ambient light could be an issue.

•What color are the Walls, and the Ceiling?
Walls behind PJ is a dark purple, on sides are a dark gray, ceiling is still build tan but may end up being painted.

•Where (how far from the screen) will you sit?
About 12' can move back some but don't want to more than about 2-3 feet

•What will the majority of your viewed content consist of?
It will only be used for movie watching, gaming(Wii), and sports. Not ever day TV

•How big is your room? Dimensions?
17' x 23' 23' is the projecting length, looking at a throw of between 11-13' as athe max for my PJ

•How big of a Screen would you like?
would like 120"

•Are you rollin' in dough...or just as cheap as most all of us?
I'm cheap for sure

Projector EPSON 705HD

Pictures can be seen at the link below.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1444378/joker-room-build-thread


I was originally thinking a spandex screen just because it would be easy to create. I screened my entire back porch using the screen tight system and I am very familiar with it. However, I don't have a need for an AT screen. I would like to maximize the good attributes of my PJ and minimize the bad.

So from what I have read, the PJ is extremely bright but has contrast issues. Should that point me in the direction of a gray screen particularly when ambient light could be an issue?
I have begun looking into substrates and painting for that reason above. I called around to the sing shops in my area and Sintra at the 6mm 5’x10’ size is hard to come by.
I have just started exploring using Wilsonart Laminate for a screen. Would my PJ be to bright for use with Wilsonart and cause hot spotting?
Like the title says.

HAAAALP ME!

I forgot to add....

I'm thinking gray for sure. I'm just exploring the easiest, most cost effective, and best picture quality solution. Of course it's all give take. I'm leaning towards spandex more an more because of the drawbacks I read about solid substrates.

I was mostly refering to the drawbacks of the 3 mm sintra. I made a dozen calls today and nobody including laird had 6mm thickness in. I will try back tomorrow, maybe I spoke to the wrong employee.

I am still thinking about using a gray laminate as well, that would give me OTS utility with the potential to still paint later if needed.

Would 3mm Sinatra be an option. I would probably need to build a good frame for that.

So after a caffeine fueled Brigade Staff Duty Officer shift I am once again swinging back towards laminate as my substrate.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1371617/the-austin-home-theater/270 Aaustin's method of using contact cement and mounting to 3/16" hardboad seems like great solution for my needs.

Now i'm contemplating what color and type to get. Back into the laminate thread. Please feel free to interject with any comments or ideas at any times.

Houston we have a problem!

So when we were brining the screen upstairs from the garage it snapped. No bueno.



My first reaction was extreme disgust for allowing that to happen. However, no I need to move on from this issue.

So my whole reasoning for using the laminate was because I lacked a smooth surface to begin with. After having it up I have confirmed that the Fashion Gray color works great for my conditions.

What are my options going forward?

1. Get another piece of laminate.
This sounds terrible in my opinion. The laminate is not very easy to work with from the get go. It is brittle as can be.

2. Wilsonart makes a color matched caulk. Has anyone tried using this for repairs?

3. Skim coat the whole screen with joint compound/plaster, then paint in a color similar to fashion grey.

What do the DIY experts here say?

I used contact cement and attached it to hardboard. The hardboard came in 4'x8' sections. The split is right at the joint where the two pieces of hardboard I used came together. This really wasn't a result of laminate or the mounting method. It was simply because I tried to turn the 90 degree corner at the top of the stairs with the screen. The screen basically sheered from the torque. After mounting the two broken peices I can tell you that it is very solid. There is no bowing at all.

All would have been good if I didn't have the 90 degree turn to negotiate. I won't be able to try the seamfil until after the holidays. But, I will report back when I do.

Well after living with the repair for a bit I can say that it did not work out as intended. I am certainly going to have to either add another layer of new laminate or skim and paint. The crack itself is not as much noticable right now, however the area around it that was wiped and wiped with solvent and had residual seamfil looks "dirty".

If I were to do this again I would tape both sides of the seam off with painters tape as close to the seam as I could. I debated doing this, none of the instructions showed this, or the tutorial videos. However, I have seen many laminate installers and even granite installers do this when they fill seams. I regret not doing this.