[HardWay]

Here are a few of my new project (framing is complete) where I'll be pulling wires soon. Since I always seem to do things the hard way (hence the moniker) I am floating my HT out from the front of my new house over the driveway, and giving it lots of windows to take advantage of surrounding views. I built a separate room (too boring for pics until I put something in it) nearby to house equipment.


Its my first HT project so, like everybody else did their first time, I'll be figuring it out as I go.


The pics show the HT framing from across an open loft area, a closer angled view showing a double stud wall for soundproofing, and an exterior street view.


I'll post more pics as I go along.


HardWay

 

[tlllava]

Looks like it's going to be a nice house and a nice theater. I can understand why a room like this would get a lot of windows but since you made it a theater, light will be a problem for you. How are you going to handle the lght problem so that you can see the view and the movie?

 

[HardWay]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tlllava /forum/post/14179763


Looks like it's going to be a nice house and a nice theater. I can understand why a room like this would get a lot of windows but since you made it a theater, light will be a problem for you. How are you going to handle the lght problem so that you can see the view and the movie?

Thanks - I'm not sure yet - just figuring it out as I go

. Originally, I had planned to install a product called American German Roll Shutters, and activate them whenever I wanted to use the HT. I saw one of their installations that had a great effect as they rolled down: You get about a 50% light block as the shutters roll down, then when they hit bottom, the louvers begin to turn from the bottom up - so then you get a 100% light block that rolls upward from the bottom. Very cool

. I don't have enough posts yet to include a link, but their company site is at shade4u dot com (hope its ok for me to do that). Those were exterior roll shutters, but the effect was so neat that I wanted them.


Then when I decided on butt-glaze corner windows to maximize my views I found I would have to give up those shutters since they require about a 3" track (no light leaks from the sides) on each side of the window frame. I can't have that track in my clear corners. I asked the folks mentioned above if they had anything (interior or exterior) that would work for my corner windows - but no joy.


I spent a little time researching motorized draperies, but I haven't found any good answers yet - I'll have to spend more time on that issue. For now I've put aside the matter of blocking light. I'm not too worried since I think I can use always use floor-to-ceiling blackout drapes on a curved track. They should work much like the theater style curtains people put in front of projection screens. For now I just plan to be sure I get some power in the walls for auto drapes/blinds/whatever, and some low voltage wire for the controls.


Whatever I decide I'll post the info here. Thanks for your interest

 

[E39S62]

You're not kidding. Just from you decision on the extra windows, I can tell this will be done the hard way. Keep the pics coming, house looks like it's off to a very nice start

 

[HardWay]

Pics I got

. Here is another view that shows an issue I will have. This pic shows the Great Room with the HT on the left:

The floor and ceiling trusses of the HT extend into the Great Room. Flanking sound traveling through those structural members into Great Room is something I will have to deal with.


(I was a happy camper during the design phase when I had never heard of "flanking sound".)


((And BTW - I'm think IB Sub under those stairs when I want to rock the house! (another thread))

 

[HardWay]

Here is another pic showing (in the distance) the equipment room:

There is a small room immediately to the left of the doorway that leads to the walk deck. This room is meant to house the a/v equipment, the home automation brains (another thread), and now my HVAC guy says he needs to put an air handler there also. I'm told that an air handler in that room is not a bad thing - it will help cool the equipment. The HT is just out of sight on the right.


The HT will have its own a/c unit (a package unit on the roof sitting on sound isolation feet) so sound transmission through ducting will not be a problem.


The distance from the equipment room to the HT is about 25 feet.


HardWay

 

[HardWay]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tlllava /forum/post/14179763


Looks like it's going to be a nice house and a nice theater. I can understand why a room like this would get a lot of windows but since you made it a theater, light will be a problem for you. How are you going to handle the lght problem so that you can see the view and the movie?

I think I have that figured out now. I can use blackout shades with side and bottom channels. The solution for the corner windows:


Use built-in triangle-shaped cabinets in the four corners of the room. These cabinets will provide opportunities for bass-traps, art niches, hiding subs, etc.

The triangle-shaped corner cabinets will be short under the corner windows to not block the views.


I can hang blackout shades at 45-degrees across the corner windows. For the shades I can have side channels on the walls and bottom channels on the fronts of the built-in cabinets for light blocking


I can use a framed ceiling valence to hide all of the blind motors.


I'll essentially be using cabinets to change the room from 4-sided to 8-sided. This should provide other benefits in addition to solving the light-blocking issue.


Whew! There is always a way

HardWay

 

[HardWay]

Now I'm roughed in, drywalled, and painted. Here is a shot of the back bar cabinets just installed. I'm waiting for drawer fronts, crown molding, and doors. The lower cabinets have gaps for a refer and an ice maker. Most of the equipment will be in a separate equipment room - but the left cabinet has power and coax for a dvd and IR flashers.

 

[jamis]

I'd love to see a pic of that great room (and everything else)... a very cool room indeed!

 

[HardWay]

Here is cabinet I had made for the right front corner. My original idea was to put a subwoofer on a sand-filled tray behind fabric-covered doors in the lower opening. Then to put bass-trap material in the upper opening behind fabric covered doors. The middle opening was planned to have low volt lighting and serve as an art niche. We'll see. (The center back piece needs to be stained to match.)

The screen wall is to the left of this cabinet. Using corner cabinets like this means I'll have to come up with something fairly original for a proscenium/stage. What that might be I have no idea at this moment. But there is always a way! For me its just usually the HardWay

.

 

[HardWay]

Here is a shot of the equipment room showing the low volt rough-ins. There is a low volt panel just out of sight to the left of the doorway. I also installed an exhaust fan in the ceiling that vents to the outside. It will be controlled by a temperature switch that turns on at 90 degrees. It is intended to pull hot air out at the top of the room and replace it by pulling conditioned air in from under the door.

In an earlier post I said I thought I'd have to put an air handler in this room for loft cooling - but I found a better place - whew!