[T-Bone]

Hi,


Wife and I are doing new construction of a custom plan (architect is mid-way through design). Gameroom and theater are on 2nd floor. There is a bathroom upstairs too, and some unfinished storage. Other than the gameroom/theater, there is no other living space upstairs.


We have to place the theater in the same general location as gameroom because that's the only place we have for it. After looking at some of the pictures of theaters in this forum, we may be on the light side in terms of budget. Below I ask about alternatives to soundproofing, lighting, etc.


(See attached zip of layout and 3D views. Pay no attention to the ceiling of gable roofs... CAD program had an issue)


1. Soundproofing:

1.1. 3 sides of gameroom/theater share a wall with the attic. These walls will be stuffed with fiberglass batting (R-13).

1.2. Floor of the attic area is also the ceiling of the 1st floor, but attic area floor will have R-30 insulation

1.3. Ceiling of gameroom/theater will have R-30 insulation

1.4. Standard insulation (R-13) in the wall that borders stairwell and bathroom

1.5. R13 batting between theater floor and 1st floor


Is this sufficient soundproofing? Probably not as good as soundproof panels, but certainly cheaper.



2. Lighting:

2.1. Separate lighting control above Pool Table

2.2. Cellular shades (blocks 100% of light) on 3 windows

2.3. Separate lighting circuit to control ambient light in theater area


If no one is playing pool while the projector is running, then lighting won't be a problem. My concern is for those times when pool players want to watch TV... I figured that having a directed light shine on to the table wouldnt interfere with the darkened area of the theater. Hence, TV viewing should not be a problem. Seem valid?


These two issues are my biggest concern. I have no desire to create an actual "theater" per se, but I do desire a theater-like environment.


I appreciate any and all feedback!

 

layout.zip 206.568359375k . file

 

[scaesare]

Not to derail your thread, but may I ask what software you used for your layout and renderings?

 

[chs4]

Quick question on #1 (soundproofing). You say you have R-30 in the attic areas, why not under the theater/gameroom area as well? Just curious. While you'll never isolate all of the sound, the added insulation probably won't hurt.


As for lighting, I think you have the right approach, provided you choose your projector wisely. Make sure you have enough lumens to overcome ambiant light issues when the gameroom is in use. While avoiding direct light on the screen is critical, all ambiant light must be considered when choosing the projector/screen combination.


One other thing I thought I'd bring up is your sub situation. I don't know the height of your ceiling, but assuming 8' you have dimensions of roughly 34'x18'x8', or nearly 5000 cu.ft. That's a lot of air to move. You might want to look into multiple subs to adequately fill that space. Just a thought.

 

[T-Bone]

scaesare: I used chief architect CAD program ( www.chiefarchitect.com ).


chs4: we plan to have insulation between the theater floor and the downstairs... i just forgot to mention it in my post.


As for the sub, ceilings are 9'. I guess that is a lot of volume... never thought about a 2nd sub, but I'll have to consider it.


Because we are doing the theater "on the cheap" with respect to soundboard, etc, we have to make do with extra insulation (not the best alternative). We have several acres, and the nearest house is 300' away, so I am not concerned with disturbing the neighbors. I do have concerns with sound infiltrating the downstairs living area though.


BTW, your 3D renderings made mine look like crap .


Thanks for the feedback!



The FP lumens was a good tip.

 

[JohnM]

I am going to follow this thread with great interest. We are considering building a new house with a room almost identical to the one you have drawn! We are looking at a couple of floorplans. I too am concerned with soundproofing, lighting, and acoustics. Nice drawings by the way.

 

[cjd]

Why one huge room? Aside from your desire to allow TV watching while gaming (which could probably be done with a cheaper RPTV well enough?) it makes sound reproduction a huge issue, and not just sub-wise. Especially with hardwood floors (as it looks like you're planning) and only one side of the room gabled.


Were this my house, I would split the room into two and put the game room by the door, theater accessed through the game room. I might even go so far as to build fake gables inside the theater to balance it at least. But then, I'm not an expert either. Just adding some food for thought.


Also, build the room right from the start. Re-doing a room is much more miserable than not quite as high-end components, get the real stuff later. At least get the wiring and soundproofing you want in from the start, IMHO.


C

 

[T-Bone]

JohnM - Thanks for the compliment.


cjd - We decided on 1-room solution because we wanted the best of both worlds: a billiards room and a theater. There are trade-offs with this approach.


We thought of splitting the room, but we like the idea of a huge area to hang out in. I've been playing with the idea of creating 2 separate rooms too... don't know which way to go just yet. As you suggest, with smaller theater, doing sound-proofing the "right" way will be cheaper than doing the entire layout.


As for wood floors, wood is bad for acoustics?

 

[JohnM]

We are looking at a 1 room approach because it will be a much more useful space. We think we will use a combined space much more than we would two separate rooms. In a combined space we would include a pool table, dart board, exercise equipment, audio equipment, video equipment, other games, etc. It would basically be our "family and friends" room. As a family we would probably spend most of our time there and when friends come over it would be the natural gathering place.


We have been looking around at model homes and we are starting to see more and more of the large, upstairs, "bonus room". We looked at one yesterday that was appoximately 24' x 35'. That is a big room.


There are trade-offs to be made. In a dedicated theater you can pay more attention to acoustics and make the room sound better. However you can't play pool while watching MNF (or the Super Bowl) in Hi-Def either!


As for wood floors - they add another reflective surface. We want wood floors in our room as well. You would probably want to throw a rug down in front of your speakers on the theater end. You will probably want to add some acoustic treatments on the walls as well.