[Kubrickain]

My first build

Hello all,

I recently purchased a 1950's home. The garage was converted to a game room in the early 80's, planning on using this my home theater. Trying to do as much as I can myself to save money.

The dimensions are 19'x18'x7'10''

The layout is a little strange, there is a laundry area when you first walk in to the left wall. Next to that are two closets. One of them has the hot water heater, the other just shelves on both sides. Also a ceiling attic door near those closets. 2 windows on the following wall.


- My plan is move the laundry appliances to the detached garage. Garage is plumbed/wired for them, just have to convince the wife. Eventually convert this area to a small bar w/kegerator.

- Want to eventually go with tankless water heater, can go into the attic (roof line might be to low for current one). That closet would be for media only.

- Next closet - hold electronics.

- Windows get backout shades or curtains.

I'm in the process of gutting the room. Wood paneling and old sheetrock that has to go.

Here is where I need advice:

Sheetrock: Will have sheetrock professionally installed - is QuietRock worth the extra cost? Trying to keep the budget down but I want to do this right since it's about to be fully gutted - Wondering how much of a difference standard sheetrock w/diy acoustic panels vs QuietRock?

Floor: There is a sub floor under the crappy linoleum tiles, wanted to use carpet tiles. Should I rip up the old tiles or just lay the carpet tiles on them? Any issues laying carpet tiles on a sub floor?

Speakers: So it seems like only layout option is the entry door wall will have screen/front speakers.
Side surrounds on sides obviously(one of them between closets). Will wire for 7.1 even though I have currently have 5.0. The only option for back surrounds should be above the windows? Ideally, where should I wire the sub? Assuming left or right of the left front speaker?

Screen: I would like a 120'-135' 16x9. Do I center the screen with the entire wall or from the left edge to the door frame? Entire walls seems to make the most sense.

Seating: Would like 2 rows of couches, second set on a riser. In a room this size, would a 3rd row be possible? Wanted bar with a few stools for that.

Open areas: The laundry area (bar hopefully) is open, so are the closets - looks like they had accordion doors on them at only point but removed them. Was thinking regular doors for the closet but not sure if I leave the bar open. Seems like a distraction since it would be on the front right side of the viewer. Ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Kub

 

[Kubrickain]

Bump

 

[RedStripe88]

Bump

You will get a few responses if you post a proposed layout even if it is hand drawn - though a clean layout in SketchUp, PowerPoint, Excel or any number of tools would be preferred. You might even have a few people edit your layout for you.

What are your sound containment goals - both for keeping sound in and keeping sound out? If you are leaving the 2 windows and the ceiling attic door... could be challenging to keep sound in.

 

[Mr.Tim]

Bump

Need a floor plan. Draw it on a napkin and take a picture of it. It's hard to figure out from the pictures.

Regarding quietrock.. You're paying more for something you could do yourself with two layers of regular drywall and some Green Glue. Never looked at the test data but not many here use it.

Also never hurts to fill out your location in your profile. Some answers may vary based on where you live.

Tim

 

[Kubrickain]

You will get a few responses if you post a proposed layout even if it is hand drawn

Sorry about that, added it in the first post.

Also never hurts to fill out your location in your profile

No problem.

What are your sound containment goals - both for keeping sound in and keeping sound out? If you are leaving the 2 windows and the ceiling attic door... could be challenging to keep sound in

I'm more concerned about it sounding good. House/room is on a corner, not too concerned about disturbing neighbors. Have to leave the windows and attic door.

 

[Mr.Tim]

Thanks for updating with a drawing. Room dims look good.. you'll have some modes ~16Hz but that it probably a plus.

You'll have to make some decisions early on about what kind of theater you want. Everybody wants it to sound good.

1. There are people who are happy with a layer of 1/2 drywall and $1000 in speakers..

2. There are people who are happy with three layers, green glue, isolation and spend $1000 on a subwoofer.

But the last group are the unhappy ones. Those are the people who thought they'd be happy with #1 and realize they should have went with #2 .

It really is a personal thing. There are people in both camps in this forum.

Personally, I subscribe to the "do it nice or do it twice" theory. More effort up front but I don't have to worry about second guessing myself.

As I mentioned before, if you are considering quietrock you could probably use some of the tried and true methods found in this forum for the same price.

There's no issue with carpet tiles over subfloor. I wouldn't lay them over the existing floor tile, but YMMV.

Tim

 

[Kubrickain]

Thanks for the fast response.

After further research, Quietrock is way out my price range. Let's say I go with green glue and a 2 layers of regular drywall, will the door/closets/attic need to be adjusted/reframed due to the added layer?

Any ideas about covering up the bar/laundry area? Curtain would be cheapest solution, maybe a folding door?

I'm hopefully running wires this weekend so I need to figure out screen size and speaker placement. Should I center the screen from the wall or the door?

Possible to do 2 rows of seating and bar/stools for the 3rd ?

Right Surround can only go between closets? I want to run extra wire for future rear speakers, only option is centered above each window?

 

[Mr.Tim]

Thanks for the fast response.

After further research, Quietrock is way out my price range. Let's say I go with green glue and a 2 layers of regular drywall, will the door/closets/attic need to be adjusted/reframed due to the added layer?

If you are going to use the same door then you would add a strip 3/4x1/2 to the jambs to extend them out to the face of the second layer. If you are getting new doors then you would specify the jamb width. There is no framing that needs to be changed.

Any ideas about covering up the bar/laundry area? Curtain would be cheapest solution, maybe a folding door?

Probably a heavy (lined) curtain would be the easiest. Bifold doors would vibrate. When you can claim that space for the theater I would put a snack bar there with no curtain.

I'm hopefully running wires this weekend so I need to figure out screen size and speaker placement. Should I center the screen from the wall or the door?

I would say center it on the wall. That way when you mount surrounds to the side walls the seating will be the same distance from the side walls.

Possible to do 2 rows of seating and bar/stools for the 3rd ?

Probably not. Two rows aren't problem. Depends what your minimum seats-to-screen threshold is. If the screen is 10' wide, second row would start at about 16'.

Right Surround can only go between closets? I want to run extra wire for future rear speakers, only option is centered above each window?

Check the dolby speaker positioning diagram and choose locations based on that, not where the windows are.

 

[Kubrickain]

If you are going to use the same door then you would add a strip 3/4x1/2 to the jambs to extend them out to the face of the second layer. If you are getting new doors then you would specify the jamb width. There is no framing that needs to be changed.

Sounds easy enough.

When you can claim that space for the theater I would put a snack bar there with no curtain.

Was thinking wine fridge and kegerator but snack bar sounds nice.

I would say center it on the wall. That way when you mount surrounds to the side walls the seating will be the same distance from the side walls.

Probably not. Two rows aren't problem. Depends what your minimum seats-to-screen threshold is. If the screen is 10' wide, second row would start at about 16'.

So I realized something yesterday, the measurements are a little off. The 20' measurement includes the bar area/closet walls. The room is really more square, 18' x 18'. Centering the screen to get maximum use of the room, use the "window" wall for the screen. I can't remove the windows but I could sheetrock them in, maybe put something (Dynamat?) on the windows so they don't vibrate from the sub? Any idea on how to make them look normal from the outside?

 

[Mr.Tim]

Different ways to mask the windows.. When I had to do it, I used black plastic landscape fabric. Just about anything black will work.

After the fabric is up just fill with fluffy insulation and drywall over it. Dynamat not necessary IMHO, just make sure the window is shut tightly (you could run a bead of caulk around the sash if you are worried).

I'm confused on the bar and room length. Are you adding closets and a bar to the empty room?

Tim

 

[Kubrickain]

Different ways to mask the windows.. When I had to do it, I used black plastic landscape fabric. Just about anything black will work.

After the fabric is up just fill with fluffy insulation and drywall over it. Dynamat not necessary IMHO, just make sure the window is shut tightly (you could run a bead of caulk around the sash if you are worried).

I'm confused on the bar and room length. Are you adding closets and a bar to the empty room?

Thought about Dynamat because I was worried the sub might rattle the window. Had issues with that in my previous house, sub was a couple of feet from the window, rattled badly. This setup would have the sub about 2 feet from a window. Would drive me crazy to hear that sound again after the sheetrock etc was done.

The bar/laundry/closets (all on the same wall) was included in the length according to the floorplan. If you were to close them off or not include them, the room is roughly 18' x 18'.

Putting the screen and speakers on the window side would shorten the wire runs for front three speakers and sub. Bar and entrance door would be behind/out of view.

Now I if I can only get 2 rows of seating, I'm thinking 2 4 person couches.

What would be my max screen size for this configuration? 120inch with the first row being 12' away?

Any other suggestions ?

Thanks so much for all the help. I'm trying to tackle this while renovating other parts of the house. Overwhelming but exciting!

 

[Withapict]

This may just be me but I just put in a 120" screen and at 12' from the screen a little bigger could have worked. No real theatre seating as of you but we generally watch from 10.5-11' from screen. I would have gone larger if I planned a second row. I utilize a u shape seating arrangement and can seat 8-9.

 

[Mr.Tim]

The diagram says the closets are 18' from the opposite wall. It indicates the 20' dimension is from the windows to the opposite wall.

I think maybe the diagram is not correct? According to diagram, if screen is on windows the bar/laundry would be to our left, not behind you?

I would put seating for a 120" wide (not diagonal) screen with your head 10' from the screen. Are you doing 16:9 or scope? You should spend some time with the riser height calculator to make sure the height of the screen will work out ok.

Tim

 

[BIGmouthinDC]

could you make the side closets and room all one long room with one door, that would clean up the side wall.

 

[DaveyMac]

What speaker system are you thinking about?

I highly recommend this, if its around your budget. Their customer service has been great and I really like the speakers:

Hybrid 3 HP - 5.1

 

[Kubrickain]

I would have gone larger if I planned a second row. I utilize a u shape seating arrangement and can seat 8-9.

Wife wants regular couches

I think maybe the diagram is not correct? According to diagram, if screen is on windows the bar/laundry would be to our left, not behind you?

I would put seating for a 120" wide (not diagonal) screen with your head 10' from the screen. Are you doing 16:9 or scope? You should spend some time with the riser height calculator to make sure the height of the screen will work out ok.

I need to redo the diagram, it isn't correct. Room is close to 18' x 18'.

Correct the closets and "bar" are to the left but I the bar wouldn't be visible (left corner behind seats)

Going 16:9, will look into the calculator.

could you make the side closets and room all one long room with one door, that would clean up the side wall.

One of the closets will be holding the equipment, other media once I get the hot water heater out/install tankless in the attic. Unfortunately, it's not in the budget atm.

What speaker system are you thinking about?

I'm going to use my current system:

Paradigm Studio 20's
Studio CC 470
Studio ADP

Looking at some cheaper Paradigms eventually for the rear.

Sold my SVS sub a while back, was way too big for my current living room. Thinking about getting another SVS or HSU.

Still need a projector too. Thinking BenQ HT1075.

 

[Kubrickain]

Small update...

Recently purchased the BenQ 1070. Hopefully new sub purchase soon.

No progress on the room due to other renovations around the house but I'm about to start soon. Need advice on decent budget insulation. Does acoustic insulation make a difference? 3 of the walls are "outside" walls, closet/laundry side is an interior wall.

Thanks

 

[JRock3x8]

A lot of us first timers own the benq - I really like mine.

 

[Kubrickain]

A lot of us first timers own the benq - I really like mine.

Originally I wanted the Sony VPL-HW40ES but it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. Still need a sub and rear surrounds.

A buddy of mine has the short throw version of the 1070 and it looks pretty great for the price.

 

[bruiselee]

Look forward to seeing how this progresses