# kjlewie HT redesign thread



## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Hello,

I'm starting this thread looking for thoughts and opinions on our HT redesign. The primary purpose of the redesign is to clean up the front wall. The photos are of the current setup and the Google sketchups are of the new design. The theater area is 12 x 18 within a 6500 cubic feet basement. In the sketchups I added a wall four feet behind the screen wall to create a small room where all of the speakers and electronics would fit. One of my initial questions is whether to make the screen wall of ascoustically transparent cloth or leave it drywalled and use in wall speaker grills over cut outs? Please share your thoughts on the general design as well as ideas for the front wall.

My wife has decided WE will not enclose the room but WE don't want to see the speakers so this is what I've come up with.

Thanks,

kjlewie


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## John Simpson (May 10, 2007)

Hi KJ -- looking good!

I'm a designer, so I tend to go for symmetry if possible. Rather than have a door next to your screen (and a room behind) I'd push the entire shadowbox back against the wall, and then construct a mid-room divider behind the seats. There's no need to have your equipment near the screen, so put it behind in that dividing "room".

Once that dividing space is in place, you could even build a riser to improve the cinema feel. And think about a larger screen, of course!


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Most definitely make the front AND SIDE wall of that area just studs and cloth (assuming you have to keep the little hall off to one side). You don't ever want to try to build speakers into the wall that weren't specifically designed to be in-wall. You'll completely mess up the sound since the xover wasn't designed for a front baffle the size of a wall. 

Also, the cloth over studs allow you the option to properly treat the front wall area without any of those being visible either.

Bryan


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Hi John,

I can't build the rear wall of the shadowbox any further as it would cut too far (I'm already taking 4 feet) into the bedroom (I forgot to add the window in sketchup). In one of my other sketchups I tried to use the rear bedroom as an enclosed HT:daydream:. WE decided we should keep the bedroom:nono:.

Do you have any examples what you mean by a mid room divider? Is it like a half-wall??

I thought of building a component rack in the wall opposite the window, but I haven't decided. One reason is HDMI cable distance. From the in wall rack to my projector would be less than 20' ran parallel to the ceiling joists. From the shadowbox to the projector would be more like 50'.

Thanks for your thoughts and the complement.

kjlewie


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Hi Bryan,

I have to keep the hall to access a bedroom and bathroom. I can't make the side wall of the shadowbox cloth because the door to the area will be there. Is it a huge sonic issue if only the front wall is cloth? Especially, if the screen area is treated for acoustics?

Did you mean the side wall opposite the door?

Thanks for your thoughts,

kjlewie


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

If you're bringing out an area to enclose the speakers, etc. - you should have no problem doing the front and side of it in just cloth. The door isn't on that wall and won't be in the way.

Bryan


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

I think this is what Bryan means ...









This is similar to the links I gave you before ... http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...on-thread.html and http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...ld-thread.html except that you will add another panel to the side because of the acces to the bedroom :yes:

You can use speaker cloth, guilford of main fabric (http://www.acousticalsolutions.com/products/fabrics/guilford.asp) or any other transparent fabric; I'm sure that Bryan can help you get what you need for this project http://www.gikacoustics.com/gom_fabrics.html#build


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Hi salvasol,

The links to Tanner Ridge and Blaser's builds were very inspirational. Its actually where my idea came from. Thanks for that. I could not reach the threads in your first two links above. Would you repost them? The acoustic material links will come in handy as well.

Thanks for clearing up Bpape's suggestion - I was bit confused:dontknow:. Learning as I go...

Just to be clear, the door to the proposed shadowbox area is the current entry into the bedroom. After building the new front wall, the entry to the bedroom would be a new door straight ahead facing the hallway with the bathroom on the right and the shadowbox door on the left. Is the suggestion to remove the current door and replace with fabric? I'm not sure I'd want a fabric wall facing into the hall. Durability and WAF would be a concern.

Thanks for your thoughts,

kjlewie


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Yes - remove the existing door and replace with cloth - in fact, remove the door frame and the drywall too.

Bryan


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> ...The links to Tanner Ridge and Blaser's builds were very inspirational. Its actually where my idea came from. Thanks for that. I could not reach the threads in your first two links above. Would you repost them?


I don't know what happenned ... here they are http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...-tanner-ridge-cinema-construction-thread.html and http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...construction/8587-blaser-ht-build-thread.html




> ... Just to be clear, the door to the proposed shadowbox area is the current entry into the bedroom.... Is the suggestion to remove the current door and replace with fabric? ...


Yes, see response from Bryan ... this is the only difference between your false wall and Blaser and Tanner build :yes:... they did it from wall to wall.



> ... After building the new front wall, the entry to the bedroom would be a new door straight ahead facing the hallway with the bathroom on the right and the shadowbox door on the left. ... I'm not sure I'd want a fabric wall facing into the hall. Durability and WAF would be a concern...


You can use the same door that you have right now (just in a different place); remember that you will replace it (at the current place) with wood and fabric ... I suggest to paint the door, wall, etc. the same color as the fabric you'll use ... or put some curtains in the front to cover it if you want to keep a light color; this way you won't be distracted when watching movies (unless it doesn't bother you :bigsmile

Were here to help each other :T


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

I haven't been able to get back to this thread for a couple of weeks due to the recent flooding here in the midwest. Fortunately, we've had no direct impact from the flooding but we've spent some time helping out.

We've also had a couple of contractors by to discuss our wall/door moves. There are a number of technical issues (moving HVAC, electric) that have pushed their bids up. I've used sketchup to come up with another alternative. Please weigh in with your thoughts of the acoustic potential and overall design.

Per bpape's suggestion, I'd still use fabric all around with the potential exception of the right side. To cover the subs, the frame would come out 21"-30" from the front wall and taper back to 14" to cover the center channel. The L/R channel frame would extend 15"-18" from the wall. Overall front wall dimensions remain the same (11'6' W x 8' H).

Thanks again for your help.

kjlewie


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Glad you're OK with the flooding up there. Looks to be a mess.

All I can say is that the less solid surface you have, the better off you are. Skeleton frame and all cloth is the best.

Bryan


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> ... Per bpape's suggestion, I'd still use fabric all around with the potential exception of the right side. To cover the subs, the frame would come out 21"-30" from the front wall and taper back to 14" to cover the center channel. The L/R channel frame would extend 15"-18" from the wall. Overall front wall dimensions remain the same (11'6' W x 8' H)...


I'm glad nothing happened to you ... this weather have been crazy :yes: ... floods in one area and 110 F heat in others :whew:

Like Bryan said: " try to use wood and cloth everywhere" ... he's the expert on accoustic.

Is there any way you can bring the screen to the front??? ... so is in line with the front speakers or at least just a little behind them (1" - 2") :dontknow:


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

I like the suggestion. I haven't sketched it but I think I see what you mean.

I continue to struggle with something my wife and I both like that is a reasonable blend of looks and performance. I've probably cranked out dozens of Sketchups that don't make the cut.:thumbsdown:

I could be on the verge of a major breakthrough! My wife said, "Maybe we should just make this a family room and we can use the storage room for an HT?raying::daydream::bigsmile::T

Have to be really careful here. The situation is very delicate and fluid. One false move could blow the whole thing. Actually, she just wants to know my plan and whether it fits the budget. Great questions to help refocus my excitement.

I've had loose plans for years but now I need to make some strategic decisions.onder: I have to really consider sound proofing solutions (DD/GG/RSIC?) as the storage room is below the kids bedroom. And acoustics - what's the point of a dedicated room if you don't make it sound good? Thank God for these website forums. After the holiday, I'll post some pics of my plan and the space for advice and comments.

I will make use of Bpape's acoustic expertise here - thanks for that.

I won't get too far out over my skis though as I'll keep your screen suggestion in mind for the current space.

Thanks again for reading and helping.

kjlewie


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## titch-- (Sep 15, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> I could be on the verge of a major breakthrough! My wife said, "Maybe we should just make this a family room and we can use the storage room for an HT?raying::daydream::bigsmile::T
> 
> Have to be really careful here. The situation is very delicate and fluid. One false move could blow the whole thing. Actually, she just wants to know my plan and whether it fits the budget. Great questions to help refocus my excitement.
> 
> ...


Looks like you better take her out for steak and lobster this weekend to soften her up some.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

:T :surrender:


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

That long holiday weekend at the inlaws really paid off. She said, "Yes" to the dedicated HT.:jiggy: 
The room is 19 x 11 x 8. I nee to snap a few pics of the current space, but I have a couple of sketchups to offer up for any comments. I'm a little concerned about the jog out on one of the exterior walls, but I'm not sure if I need to be? Should I?

As I continue to plan, what else can I consider to help with sound isolation on the ceiling and walls (in addition to DD/GG/RSIC)? I've seen a few posts on "soundboard"? Can that be combined with DD/GG/RSIC for better sound isolation?

Thanks for reading and helping.

kjlewie


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Schweeeet!

If you're doing all the rest, you don't need anything fancy for wallboard. Standard drywall will work just fine.

The only other thing you can do is if you can redo the walls so they're 1/2" short of the joists above and use DC-04 clips to decouple it. You'll also need to look at floor transmission and how to isolate the HVAC system.

Bryan


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Gooooood!!!! :T

I like sketch #1 ... because on #2, the gray rectangle on the right of screen is a door right???, and that won't help with the accoustics.

When are you starting the build???


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

salvasol said:


> Gooooood!!!! :T
> 
> I like sketch #1 ... because on #2, the gray rectangle on the right of screen is a door right???, and that won't help with the accoustics.
> 
> When are you starting the build???


Not sure which way I'll go, but I like both with a preference for the seating space on #2. The door will be closed so acoustic treatment on it should help, right? Not sure when I'll actually start but I've attached a rough construction timeline to help my planning. Is there anything missing from the list?

Currently, I plan to build the equipment into the wall. Have you heard of successfully isolating sound with a built in rack? Would I be better off locating the equipment somewhere else or has this been done successfully without lots of sound leaking through?:help:

Bpape -

Where would you list floor treatment on the attached timeline? The floor is concrete - do I need a subfloor or just underlayment below the carpet? Would you suggest a thread that discusses floor treatment/transmission and one for HVAC? I've seen posts on linacoustic but I haven't researched it yet.:help:

I've included some pics of the room for reference. First is the entrance; second is the front of room; third is the back. I'll take better pics when I move some things out of the way.

Oh yeah - the completion dates on my construction timeline are purely for the entertainment of anyone reading this thread - go ahead and laugh.:rofl:

Thanks for reading and helping.

kjlewie


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

You will get some flanking of bass energy through a concrete slab but it's not near the issue that the rest is. You can float a floor using Dri Core and then build walls on top of that if you want to go that far. It'll cost you another inch of height. On the other hand, it also allows any SMALL amount of water to simply flow under the room and out with no damage. 

Bryan


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

bpape said:


> You will get some flanking of bass energy through a concrete slab but it's not near the issue that the rest is. You can float a floor using Dri Core and then build walls on top of that if you want to go that far. It'll cost you another inch of height. On the other hand, it also allows any SMALL amount of water to simply flow under the room and out with no damage.
> 
> Bryan


Hello All,

Here is an update on my planning. I'm going with the DriCore or Delta-FL for a subfloor and all walls and ceiling decoupled with (RSIC, DD, GG). I'm "close" to making my first cut in the wall, but I have a framing question first with pics to show my space.

Pic 1 is my likely screen wall location in plan #2 from my earlier post. I plan to build a wall across the pic 3.5' from the back wall to separate the sump and utility box from the HT then add a new door for the sump area. So there would be a door for the HT and a door for the sump area. Pic 2 shows the new location of the two doors including molding (the vertical blue tape with the HT door on the left and sump door on the right).

My question to everyone is when looking at the back wall, do you see any framing alternatives to my plan above that would eliminate the need for the sump room door and gain more space in the HT? I'd still need to be able to access the utility box behind the screen, maybe some sort of hinged opening???. I could just flip the room, but I'm having trouble figuring how to take advantage of the potential extra space. I feel like I'm way into paralysis from overanalysis but I'd just like some different perspectives as I decide which way to go.

Pic 3 is the back/seating area in plan #2. That area is 2 feet wider than the screen area at 13.5' allowing for more seating :yay:- the reason we like plan 2.

I hope this is clear

Thanks for reading and helping.

kjlewie


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> ... Pic 3 is the back/seating area in plan #2. That area is 2 feet wider than the screen area at 13.5' allowing for more seating :yay:- the reason we like plan 2.
> 
> I hope this is clear
> 
> ...


Can you use the door in the back wall (I see there's a frame, but I don't know how it connects to the rest of the basement)??? ... :huh:

The idea of the two doors is okay ... but to tell you the truth, I don't know how that will affect the sound (even if the door is closed); hopefully Bryan will clarify that for us :bigsmile: ... if you use a door in the back wall, you'll just move the existing door to the right to have acces to the utility room :yes:

Where are you planning to install all the equipment??? ... (I didn't read all the post to see if you already decided :hide


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

salvasol said:


> Can you use the door in the back wall (I see there's a frame, but I don't know how it connects to the rest of the basement)??? ... :huh:
> 
> The idea of the two doors is okay ... but to tell you the truth, I don't know how that will affect the sound (even if the door is closed); hopefully Bryan will clarify that for us :bigsmile: ... if you use a door in the back wall, you'll just move the existing door to the right to have acces to the utility room :yes:
> 
> Where are you planning to install all the equipment??? ... (I didn't read all the post to see if you already decided :hide


I like your thought. I've already considered and actually drawn (by hand) your suggestion for the back door, but as it would use more storage space for a hallway and entrance it has not received the warmest welcome from the executive committee.

I plan to put the equipment in a rack under the stairs if I go with plan #2. I wanted to build the gear into the wall but I'm concerned about maintaining sound isolation. Plus, I decided I don't need to look at my gear (See - I can make a decision after all).

If I go with the two doors, I'd build a decoupled wall in between to separate the sump pit area with its access door on the other side. Is this what you mean by "how it will affect the sound" or is your concern because the door would be in a reflection point?

Thanks,

kjlewie


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> I like your thought. I've already considered and actually drawn (by hand) your suggestion for the back door, but as it would use more storage space for a hallway and entrance it has not received the warmest welcome from the executive committee....


Maybe we need to make some changes on how decisions are taken??? ... Just give a notice to executive committee that decission will be taken by the designer (you) and committee will just need to sign the checks to build :bigsmile: :rofl2:



> ... I plan to put the equipment in a rack under the stairs if I go with plan #2. I wanted to build the gear into the wall but I'm concerned about maintaining sound isolation. Plus, I decided I don't need to look at my gear (See - I can make a decision after all)....


We know you can make decisions :yes: ...

This may sound crazy (this suggestion is based on pictures only) ... Can you build a door under the stairs to use as the entrance??? ... and build the equipment rack where you have the two extra feet :huh:



> ... is your concern because the door would be in a reflection point? ...


Yes, that's my concern ... the reflection point :yes:


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Well, the door is generally the weakest part of the isolation scheme after HVAC and electrical penetrations. If you do the doors right, they can be pretty good. Now, having them at reflection points isn't a problem IF you don't mind doing treatment on the doors.

Bryan


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

salvasol said:


> Maybe we need to make some changes on how decisions are taken??? ... Just give a notice to executive committee that decission will be taken by the designer (you) and committee will just need to sign the checks to build :bigsmile: :rofl2:
> 
> LOL - shh - I think she heard that:hide:
> 
> ...


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> ... The sump pit/breaker box room is in gray on the other side of the screen wall and the HVAC/storage is in gray at the back of the HT. The rear entrance uses a lot more space but provides an area for concessions, HT assessories, etc. The front entrance uses less space and leaves more room for storage. This all sounds vaguely familiar.:gah: Clearly, I'm a man of action - just give me a few mintues to think about it:yes::no::yes::no:. Hey, I just found my tagline. Off to think...


Decisions, decisions, desicions ... :scratchchin: :gah:

I was wondering how did you came up with the new HT room layout ... looking at the first pictures I couldn't figure out the room dimensions :rubeyes:

Now that I see a big picture, I noticed that you're building the HT in another place ... not where you used to have your TV .. :yes: :bigsmile:


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

I've decided to go with the rear entrance, I think. On the advice of many, I'm having an acoustical analysis done by bpape before I get started:T. Hopefully, the analysis will be done next week and I can start building.

kjlewie


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> ... I'm having an acoustical analysis done by bpape before I get started:T. kjlewie


I'm sure you'll build an excellent HT ... starting with a professional accoustic design to get the best sound possible; I think that sound is at least "75% of the experience" :yes: ... you can have a nice picture, but if the sound is not at par of better ... you won't enjoy what you're looking at :bigsmile:


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Don't forget to give us an update of your new HT :bigsmile:


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Thanks for the nudge. I'll post an update of my progress, used loosely, with pics later tonight.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

It has been a while since my last update so let me show you where I am currently. I have settled on a plan and actually completed my first build task and tackled one minor inconvience. Task two on my build list is electrical. This is the reason for my lack of updates.

My electrical skill abilities (installing lights, ceiling fans, or switches mostly) is at a level that requires profession help for any major project (like wiring a room and connecting to the main panel). I knew with all of the flooding in our area earlier this summer that electricians would be hard to come by. But, my search has been frustrating (understatement). I've had three "pros" come out to see what I want and give me an estimate. So far, none have mailed the estimate. I don't know what the deal is here. The project seems to be large enough to be worth the time. All comment on how busy they are with the flood insurance claims, but to not give an estimate, after using $4/gal gas to come out to the house?? What am I missing?? I even went to the BBB website for the most highly rated companies and still nothing. Are any of you from Iowa and do you know an electrician???? I can't believe its been nearly two months since my first call to an electrician.

Anyway, here are some pics. The first two pics are my build plan. Followed by pics of my HVAC work (my neighbor helped with this and it was a breeze - he's a good guy). We added a return and split the supply into two. We removed the stainless ductwork and replaced it with the acoustic flex duct - it will be hidden in my soffits if I ever get to that point. As an extra step I replaced the ductwork to the kids rooms above with the flex duct as well. What would you use to seal some of the gaps in the stainless at the registers - some sort of caulk?:huh:

Finally, I have some pictures of my sump pump which sprang a leak at the coupling. I was really worried here as I noticed it after returning from a weeklong business trip - it could have been bad. I always worried about the pump dying during a rain storm, never thought about a leak. I will add an Ace-in-hole for piece of mind.

I feel restless like I should be doing something - maybe order some conduit for the low voltage stuff. Popping down for a few minutes to stare at my HVAC work is not satifying the urge to make some progress and reading "how to wire 101" books at midnight is....sorry I dozed off just thinking about it. Hopefully, I'll have more to add soon.


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## tenzip (May 4, 2007)

Next time you have an electrician over for an estimate, make sure you have several of those brown bottles of lubricant on ice. Could help.

Looks like a nice plan, and I'm sure it won't get done fast enough, but it will be worth it.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

tenzip said:


> Next time you have an electrician over for an estimate, make sure you have several of those brown bottles of lubricant on ice. Could help.
> 
> Looks like a nice plan, and I'm sure it won't get done fast enough, but it will be worth it.


I agree ... you'll be enjoying your HT in no time :T


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

I finally found an electrician or at least someone willing to do the job. I see him every morning when I look in the mirror.:sarcastic: After reviewing wiring books for months, something clicked and I starting thinking I could do it myself. After some encouragement and advice from a group of HT enthusiats over at AVS, I bought the supplies and dug in. Now, I think I'm basically ready for my rough-in inspection. I plan to take some pics tonight.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Good :T



kjlewie said:


> I finally found an electrician or at least someone willing to do the job. I see him every morning when I look in the mirror.:sarcastic:


Just don't let him boss you around .. he has to do the job the way you want ...:bigsmile: (you need to play dual personalities)


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

salvasol said:


> Good :T
> 
> 
> 
> Just don't let him boss you around .. he has to do the job the way you want ...:bigsmile: (you need to play dual personalities)


He did a good job, but I wish he was a bit more decisive instead of consulting me on every little detail.:coocoo: Here are some pics of his work:


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Good job!!...looks good :T



> I wish he was a bit more decisive instead of consulting me on every little detail.


I'm sure he did it because he can blame you for any mistake ...:bigsmile:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> He did a good job, but I wish he was a bit more decisive instead of consulting me on every little detail.:coocoo:


When I read that, it reminded me of a "Seinfeld" episode, where the guy he gets in to build his kitchen cupboards, asks Jerry about every little detail he wants..:rofl:
I hope your builder wasn't as bad as he was!!..:heehee:


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Prof. said:


> When I read that, it reminded me of a "Seinfeld" episode, where the guy he gets in to build his kitchen cupboards, asks Jerry about every little detail he wants..:rofl:
> I hope your builder wasn't as bad as he was!!..:heehee:


Funny, that's the same episode I thought of when I typed it. I think Jerry's guy had much better carpentry skills...


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Spent some time addressing potential sound transmission issues with my air return. I used 2x2s to recess the return.



















I replaced the rigid duct with flex duct.










I also began my a/v conduit runs.










I'm getting closer to insulating and closing the wall! Do you guys have any suggestions or pics of how you completed your a/v home runs? Did you use wallplates or connect directly to your equipment?

Thanks


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Well, now that my HT is nearly complete, I have no excuse for not updating my thread - unless you count watching movies. I took lots of pictures and have many posts from another thread that I will add here.

So, I'll blast the dust (perhaps ashes) off this thread and start updating where I left off to maintain the chronological timeline. More in a bit...


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Sweet. Looking forward to it.

Bryan


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Thanks Bryan. Here we go...

11/24/08
Okay, I about to start my low voltage wiring plan but I'd like some feedback. So, I thought I'd post my plans and see what you guys think. Have I overlooked something? Are there any suggestions or observations of note?

First is my LOW VOLTAGE AUDIO PLAN. I plan to use 14 gauge speaker wire for all runs. Runs #11 and #12 are for potential buttkickers in the seating area. All of these runs will terminate in the equipment room.










Here is my LOW VOLTAGE VIDEO PLAN. I culled these runs together from researching other builds on the net. I'm not sure what zone #3 (VGA) and #4 (Cat6) to the projector are for. I suspect #3 is for tweaking the projector with a computer. I put #12 (Cat 6) in for a potential IR run from the front wall but I'm still researching how all that works. All of these runs except #3 will terminate in the equipment room. Run #3 will terminate in the riser area.










What do you think? What have you done?

Thanks


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

1/1/09
All,

Happy New Year! I'm a bit overdue for an update so here it goes with pics. I've spent time getting ready for drywall and I'm nearly there. I have my DD, GG, clips and hat channel all waiting patiently. They may have to wait a little longer as I've decided to install my door jambs before putting drywall up. Why? I want to install the drywall tight to, or maybe over the jambs to help limit sounds leaks.

I'd planned to use the "interior solid core door mounted in an exterior frame" combination for both of my doors. Based on a little research, such a door appeared to be priced a little less than $200. Got a message with a quote of $420 from a local lumber yard/door shop. It seemed a little pricey but I didn't think it was too bad for a couple of quasi-custom doors. Called them back to firm up the details and learned that the quote was $420 per door. No thanks. Because of the huge price discrepancy, I wondered if I had asked for the wrong thing. I get my jambs, frames, slabs and other door terminology mixed up from time to time. A quick exchange with Ted White confirmed that I'd asked for the correct product. Hmm, maybe the door guy was confused. Called him back again to triple check. The quote was based on a solid wood door. Aha! Surely swapping to a solid core door would lower price. The new quote..........................$390-$400. Again, no thanks.

Now, its on to plan B: interior solid core doors on interior jambs with weather stripping and some solution for the bottom. A very quick search at HD shows I can get BOTH doors for about $200. I also realized that with the dricore, pad and carpet, the gap at the bottom will not be as big as I first imagined. Also, I already have one interior jamb in place so I just need to swap out the door.

On to the pics.

Built frames around my main breaker panel and phone/sat board. I'll build doors and add window plug foam to limit the sound transmission.


















Finished all of my in wall low voltage runs. I'll do the riser area later, if I ever get to that point.









Projector run done with 2" flex. Had to buy a 50' roll - will have tons of this left. The drop on the right is for an eventual star ceiling.









Here is the EQ room where all of the runs terminate. I plan to cut down the plywood a bit and add some LV mudrings so I can add drywall. A local HT enthusiast just had is final inspection and was told the area under the stairs should be viewed as finished/living space and as such, should be drywalled. OK. Note the CAT6 and coax wallplate on the lower right. "SPEND A LITTLE EXTRA TO GET GOOD TOOLS!" I thought I'd learned this lesson before, but apparently not. I needed a stripper/crimper to terminate my Coax. I could not see spending $35 for a tool I may likely never use again so I grabbed the cheapo that came with its own F connectors. All was fine until I gave a test tug on my crimp. The connector came off waaay too easily. Took a lot of messing around...anyway









R-19, R-13, Integrity Gasket installed. Insulation is nasty stuff. Not very pleasant at all.









Vapor Barrier up to keep the nasty stuff at bay.


















Used my laser level to mark my clips and hat channel.









Mark on opposite wall 22' away









I need to figure out how to mount these so they fit below my channel and DD. Any suggestions?









I plan to mount my clips and channel, figure out my doors, add a battery backup and new sump pump then start drywall. That's the plan anyway.

Thanks,

Kjlewie


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

1/4/09
A little progress this weekend. I got my clips and channel installed. I thought I was ready to begin hanging drywall, but I had a question (of course). My first row of channel on each side is placed so I can connect my soffit to it. The rest are at 2 ft. increments per the installation instructions. My question is, "can I screw drywall and my soffit to the same row of channel?" Or, do I need a separate row of channel? Is there a better forum to post this question?

Here are a couple of pics of the clips going up



















Now a couple of the channel going in. I had to cut a few by hand but it was relatively easy to do so.




























I also rerouted my sump pump pipe and added a battery backup system. The pipe used to be 30 inches off the floor. Now it is 7" high. A couple of my neighbors helped reroute the pvc - great guys. The pump runs often but now it is much quieter. If its not quiet enough, at 7" I can enclose it inside of my stage area with the backup system sitting on top.



















Then I finished the doors for my breaker panel and phone/tv panel. I'll line them is sound proofing foam and likely use velcro to close them.














































I plan to start drywalling, but I need to figure out if the channel can support soffit and drywall.

Thanks,

Kjlewie


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

1/7/09
I decided to attach my soffits to the hat channel through the drywall. After conferring with Ted White (a really patient and helpful guy) I installed additional clips to provide extra support to the channel.

I need to finalize my soffit dimensions for the clips and channel, extend my door jambs and then….drywall.

Thanks,

kjlewie


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

2/4/09
Yeah, I'm a bit overdue for an update. I've made decent progress and continue to wittle away at my todo list. Solid core oak door installed, jambs extended and first layer of drywall up.

After I add acoustic caulk to the seems and openings in the first layer of drywall, its GG and the 2nd layer. Then soffits for my 2 air supplies and 6 recessed lights. Then riser, stage,...uh, one thing at a time. Enough about my intentions, here are a few pics of what I've actually done.

Installed a solid core oak door from Menards. Kinda difficult to do alone. I ended up peeling back some of the vapor barrier and insulation and crawling through the staggered stud wall to double, triple check my install.










Used well documented threads from JeffC and BigMouth to extend the jambs for both doors. The white temporary door in the stagger stud wall needed a 1 3/8" extension while the new oak door required a 7/8" extension. Took BIG and Jeff's advice and added a reveal. I like the result but the door hardware is rubbing the extension before it hits the strikeplate. Any ideas to fix it? Maybe a blank strike plate or a "larger/wider" one? You can see it in the next pic.










Here's the reveal on the other side with dowels to fill screw holes










Drywall ready to go up. Blocking for surround speakers and projector mounting in place. Drywall lift rented from HD.





































Want to mention that my wife has been unbelievable in her willingness to help with drywall. I could do it myself but it would be so much more difficult. Even the kids have helped out. Didn't quite anticipate drywalling turning into a family activity but it's made the process much more enjoyable.

Now that football is done, I hope to finish GG and drywall this weekend.

Thanks


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

2/7/09
We finished the first layer of drywalling last night.





































Afterwards, I began to worry about my utility light and smoke detector outlet boxes and how much sound might leak through. I decided to take down a sheet of drywall to address the outlets.










Verifying that I had enough room between the joists, I began to build boxes out of 3/4" scrap wood, 5/8" scrap drywall, acoustic caulk and GG.



















Nailed, screwed and glued



















Test fit looks good










While waiting for my boxes to dry, I snapped a couple of pics of my doorway. The extension allowed me to run the drywall right up to the door, leaving barely any gap. A small bit of caulk and no sound transmission through the door framing.



















Thanks


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

2/7/09
With my outlet boxes now dry, I installed them with adhesive and screws. I fed the wires through small drilled holes in the top of each box. I will fill these holes with acoustic caulk.




























I had a bit of trouble feeding all of the wires through the small hole in the last pic. Grabbed my rubber handled needle nose pliers and saw a FLASH, heard a POP, pretty sure there was a puff of smoke, too. Of all of my OCD issues, ******** out about electrical safety is pretty high on the list. While waiting for my outlet boxes to dry, I turned the circuit back on to work on something else and forgot. I image all of you are very careful about electricity, just use my incident as a reminder to double check your breakers. Among the many things I've learned during this project, this lesson will not be forgotten.

After completing the boxes, we started the GG and 2nd layer of drywall.



















By the way, that GG is some sticky sh...stuff.

Thanks


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

2/22/09
My wife and I finished up the second layer of drywall last week. I was concerned about the roughness of the cut outs around my utility boxes and possible sound leaks. So I took Bigmouth's advice and picked up some rope caulk and spray insulation to fill in the gaps. Thanks Big.

Here are a couple of pics of the gaps



















I added rope caulk and spray foam and got this



















Used a serated knife to cut off the excess and its good to go


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

2/22/09
After caulking all of the seams of the drywall, I started on my soffits. The first layer is 1/2" plywood, then GG and 5/8" drywall. Since I'm attaching the soffits to my Hat Channel, I used Ted White's suggestion and installed extra Whisper clips on the parallel perimeter channels.























































Soffits turned out pretty good...



















...except for this










I plan to box in the pipe but I haven't quite figured out how to finish the soffit near the pipe as the pipe box will connect to the soffit somehow. Any suggestions? Once I finish this, I plan to hire for the mud and tape. After that, its on to Dricore, stage and riser, and paint!

Thanks


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

3/16/09
I finished my soffit framing by working my way around and down the drain pipe. Took a bit of noodling (actually, just standing there with pen and napkin wondering how in the to finish) but I came up with this...























































From the seating area looking to the screenwall









From the screenwall looking to the seating area









Building soffits took longer than I thought it would. New lesson learned. Don't buy 2x2s until you're ready to use them. With all of life's other demands I knew I would only be able to work on the soffits on the weekends. I didn't want to spend part of my work time at a jam packed Lowe's so I stopped by during the week for soffit material. I've read a number of posts about wood warping if left sitting for a few days. I had the lumber guy get the forklift and bring down a new pallet of 2x2s. They were straight as an arrow, bundled in sets of four. Didn't matter - withing hours of cutting the straps the 2x2s started to twist and contort nearly to the point of being unusable. I wanted square soffits so it took a few trips back and forth to get fresh 2x2s. Lesson learned.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

3/16/09
I spent some time on my projector box and lighting plan. The front and rear soffits are built completely inside the room so I don't need sound isolation boxes for my recessed lights. My screwed together soffits came in handy here as all I had to do was pop off the side or bottom.




























I ordered my sconces and grafik eye late last week so lighting is progressing.

For my projector box, I used Makeit57's work as inspiration:









The one variation is that I want to make the front panel and protruding portion of the bottom panel out of fabric panels for improved ventilation. Since they should be relatively lightweight, I plan to attach the panels with velcro. Seems like something is missing as I look at my work. What do you think?


















The outlets in the rear of the box from left to right are for the rope light, projector/fan (if needed), and future star ceiling. The conduit is for LV. I'm a bit concerned about having two dimmable outlets near my projector outlet as a future owner may plug the projector into the wrong outlet. Any suggestions on how to deal with this? Warning labels for each outlet? Lutron has an outlet solution that replaces a standard outlet and plug so that only what you intend can be plugged in, but its like $65 per outlet.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

3/18/09
I finished getting all of the drywall up except for the face of my soffits before running out of green glue. When calculating my original order, I did not account for the soffits. The entire shell of the room is DD, GG and decoupled other than the upper right side so I really only need to use GG on that portion of the soffit but like the rest of this overbuild, I'll use it on all the soffits.

While waiting for my GG, I'm pondering the finish of my soffit face. My original plan calls for a drywalled face with stained wood molding for rope lights. Now, I'm wondering how a finished face of stained wood with the wooden molding would look? Yes, I'm a long checklist away from "finishing", but now I can see the room taking shape (instead of just sketchup or my imagination) and it has me wondering...

Here is the eventual screen wall from the seating area. There is 39" of depth behind the planned screen. Even though I already have a 16:9 screen, I planning for a AT scope screen at some point









Here is the right side of the room - this is the one soffit that completes the shell of the room









Here is the rear of the room









Here is the left side...









Looking around the room, I'm very glad guam suggested this orientation. Thanks for that. I think it will be much better than my first orientaion - you can see it below


















Thanks


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

3/18/09
Here are a couple of pics to better illustrate my point about the proximity of my dimmable outlets to my pj outlet. The pj box will be 10"x24"x24". I think I'll use labels of some sort. I don't think it is a big deal. I can always change to something else if the risk of plugging the pj into a dimmed outlet becomes a big deal.










Close up


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

3/18/09
I'm currently gathering estimates for drywall finishing (I don't want it to look like I did it - unless the quotes are ridiculous) so we're nailing down our room colors.

These are samples for our current finalist for carpet. The top swatch is the seating, the next two are paints colors I like, while the two below that are colors my wife likes the most. The bottom swatch is a rough approximation of the natural/maple type stain we will use on the trim. Its actually a paint chip, but close enough at this point.









Bought some extra tubes of green glue from a local. He had four tubes left over and I needed four more tubes for my soffits - nice. Back on track.

Now, I'm waiting for estimates to come back for the mud & tape job. Is there any reason why I can't/shouldn't start laying down the dricore while I wait? I guess there could be a lot of mud spilled?


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

3/23/09
We just got our first quote for the mud, tape and texture for the drywall. Looks like I will be learning a new skill. The first contractor wants $1417.00 plus we have to supply the corner bead.

He left the quote with my wife. I called him back to discuss. After informing him that the quote was inconsistent with our expectations, I told him not to worry because I'm sure he's busy with many other jobs and it won't hurt to loose this one. He asked if we've gotten another quote. I told him not yet, but I'd do it myself before I paid anyone that amount to do such a small area.

He started to backpedal like a cornerback in a 2 deep zone. Gave me some stuff about how he prices jobs using a blue book for materials in my area (he's a full 15 miles away) and sometimes the book is off. He offered to rework the numbers and give me a call back tomorrow. I told him his quote wasn't off by 10-15%, but that it was off by nearly 3X my expectations and now intentions. I also mentioned that I know guys sometimes price jobs high because there small or the buyer doesn't know any better or something like that. Also, that people deserve to be paid fairly for their work. We will not be hiring this guy. If I can DIY the rest, I can DIY this, too, maybe, I think...

Well equipped from many months on AVS as well as basic common sense, I left only one stone unturned...what was the $17 in his $1417 quote for!


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

3/25/09
I put up some drywall corner bead and took some time to tidy up a bit. Not a lot of progress but every bit helps.



















Still working on the mud and tapping...had a another "pro" stop by Monday night, but he hasn't called back. What a waste of time for all. I'm this close (fingers about an inch apart) to deciding to do it myself. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

In a bit of good news, my sconces came today and the QS is due next week.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/2/09
After tetering on the edge to doing it myself as well as interviewing and researching 6 different finishers to mud, tape and texture, I settled on hiring this step out. Since the beginning of my HT planning and research I intented to hire out this stage - see post #2. Oman got me fired up and seriously considering doing it myself. But we found a great guy with solid references, BB certification and a great quote. He's getting started...

HT front









HT back









Over the next week, I plan to prime, paint, install the sconces and dricore and tinker with these...










You guys have mentioned tips and tricks for installing the GE. Any suggestions here?


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/6/09
The drywall finishing is complete. I'm glad we decided to hire out this step. It took 4 days...


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/6/09 - looking back at these colors, I don't know what we were thinking...
Paint time. My wife and I were excited to get started.
Walls are Faded Clay.
Ceiling and soffit bottom are Rootbeer.

Primer going on...


















Ceiling and soffit trim


















Walls and soffit face


















Another coat of each should do it.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/08/09
Got another coat of paint up tonight instead of starting the Dricore. That's 3 total coats - might be enough. Tried to get a few pics to show the shine or lack there of with the eggshell finish on the walls. I'm not the best with the camera so...

HT front viewed from riser area









HT rightside









HT rear viewed from screen wall









HT leftside









Hello Beasty!!


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/11/09
Sconces are up and subfloor is going down.

After living with the paint for a few days, I must say it hasn't grown on me like I'd hoped it would. My wife really likes the colors but I'm convinced we should go darker. When see shes the sconces up, I'm sure she'll agree. Its only paint, but it will be a slight pain to do it again.



















I got the Dricore installed today as well. Now its on to the riser and stage and then carpet. Well, first a bit of backtracking for the re-painting then on to those steps. Here are a few pics of the Dricore install.

I'm about halfway finished here









Notice the drywall dust on the edges of the panels. Despite several cleanings, remnants of drywalling remain









Not your everyday worklights, but they get the job done









Measure twice, cut once or you'll get these. Two wasted panels.









Dricore installation complete


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/12/09
We started our repaint earlier today. We decided to paint the ceiling and all of the soffit the same color. The new color is a darker brown called Labrador. Haven't decided what to do with the walls yet, but we really like the ceiling now.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/12/09
After dinner I settled in with the GE. Despite planning all of my steps in advance, I was still a bit nervous about the install. Kept hearing the Mission Impossible theme song as I began stripping wire. Turns out that it wasn't that bad. I took my time and plodded along step by step for 3 hours.

Here's the first pigtail









All of the grounds pigtailed and test fitted, so far so good









All of the neutrals pigtailed and test fitted, still looking good









Ground, neutral, hot, and loads all installed









And...it works - THANK GOD!


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/12/09

So, if I wired everything correctly last November, then we should have...

...lights!


















Here's a couple without the flash


















In this next pic, if you look closely, you can also see the entrance controller that I wired









I haven't programed anything yet, despite playing with the lights for over 20 minutes. I'm not quite finished with the install though. I did not have a screw driver small enought to wire the IR port. I'll have to get that done at some point.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

4/17/09

The repainting is complete. We found a color that we both liked named Antique Red. Here are a few pics.



















This is the look we were after originally. It was more than worth it to take a few days and repaint now.

Here are a couple of before and after shots:
Before - HT Front









After - HT Front










Before - HT Back









After - HT Back









We really like the new paint. Now, its on to the riser and stage.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Well I finally got through all that..:whew:.Obviously a lot of time has passed since your last update..:bigsmile:

It's all looking very nice and I do like your final choice of colours..:T
Your projector mounting seems to be offset a fair way..
I realise you have a kink in the room, but it doesn't seem to line up to the front wall..Is that just an optical illusion in the photo?


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Sorry about that Prof. But, I do have quite a bit to catch up on:yes:. Maybe I'll add the other updates in smaller pieces and hopefully folks will enjoy reading it:reading::snoring:

IC box for the center can light required shifting the pj box, but just a couple of inches. The projector is actually centered on the screen wall. The width of the room at the seating area is about 13.5' due to a bump out on the right (facing the back wall). The width of the room at the screen wall is 11'. I think the possible optical illusion comes from the 15" soffit on the left in the pic?


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

:T..Just keep the pics coming..


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

5/4/09
With the nice weather and kids springs activities in full effect, I haven't had a lot of time for the HT. But, I did manage to make decent progress on my riser. Now, I'm waiting for my lights to arrive to finish it off and move on to the stage. Here are a few pics.

Beginning to lay out the pieces









Test fitting









Test fit looks good









Left side nailed and ready to lift into position









Right side nailed and attached in the middle









Not bad for two weeks work


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

5/10/09
While waiting for a few more bits to finish the riser, I started laying out the pieces for the stage. It took me quite some time to figure out what I wanted to do. I still need to connect everything but I like the look so far. I've seen this stagefront in many builds but Sandman, NeoOiler and Sunset Knoll come to mind as I type. I plan to have an access for the sump on the left and a small section in the middle for subs that will be filled with sand. With the subfloor there is no need for sand in the entire stage. I'm hoping to use just a few bags.

Layout starting to take shape with a few scraps here and there...









Working out the kinks in the curve...one of those moments when I realized I didn't know what I was doing.









It all fits!









I plan to screw it together sometime this week.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

5/15/09
I got my stage framing done last night. Allowing for sump pump access, an isolated sub platform and that big fat pillar made the task more complicated that it should have been, but I like the way it turned out. This process has been documented a number of times before but I took lots of pictures to catalog experience - so I'll share them.

Starting to connect the pieces









Right side and sub platform connected (didn't get that middle support stud quite as straight as I thought)









Then, I realized I hadn't put down the roofing felt. Not a big deal, but I started moving things around to fit the felt in and pieces started getting scattered and mixed. I stepped back, looked down at the mess and said aloud, "KJ, what are you doin'?" It made me laugh so I snapped a pic.









Order is restored. Back on pace.









With the base connected, I turned my attention to the front.









To get the curve for my stage top I used ebr's method from the Farm House Cinema. I clamped my curve front to OSB and used the edge of my jig saw for the 1.5" overhang. Worked great.


















I unscrewed the curve front to attach the step supports, added facing to the step, screwed it all together and there it was...a stage (the framing at least).



























Not too bad.

The sub platform has clearance on all four sides. Should I choose to add sand, I'll only need a few DRY bags. Thanks for the warning JeffC.

I still haven't fully worked out how the sump pump. I'm loosely planning on a hinged access panel of 2 layers of plywood/OSB with GG. The backup system will sit on top. I'm not convinced that the sound won't be intrusive when the pump operates, but to the extent that I can muffle/minimize it, I want to do it. Any suggestions/thoughts here?

In my excitement to finish the framing I did not cut out the curve for my lower step. Any suggestions for how to do this now? I recall reading about tracing the curve on paper, then cutting the curve with the paper as a template. I might try this.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

5/20/09
I made some progress on my stage. I decided to address sump access, sub platform and drain access before dealing with the stagefront curves. I chose this direction, in part, because I hadn't quite figured out how I was going to cut the curves.

For the sump area, I started with caulk all around the base of the framing. Then I made a hinged top out of OSB and used a GG sandwich with DW on all sides. I used plumber's putty where the sump pipe exits the stage and around the hinges. I decided to use my leftover integrity gasket to fill any gaps and eliminate wood on wood vibrations.














































After carpeting, I'll add a pullring to open the door.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

5/20/09
Then I went after the isolated sub platform. I'd planned to line the platform with leftover vapor barrier. My OCD woundn't let me carry the sand through the house in its manufacturer's packaging alone, so I put each bag in a hefty bag. I decided the hefty bag was as good of a lining as the vapor barrier and went with it. Four bags of sand later and the platform was complete.



















I took some scraps to make blocking for my drain access door, added a little velcro (you don't need much), a handle and...




























Now it was time for the curve. I tried the suggestions I received and ended using my top curve clamped to a sheet of OSB to get the rear curve of the step. Then, I went old school (some would say no school) and took a tape measure to mark the distance from the rear curve to the step front (accounting for the overhang). It was a bit tedious and very low tech, but it worked. I think I got a little seasick from all of the waves in my jig saw cuts, but the carpet will clean it up.



















I'll finish the ends, filled with insulation, and screw it down later.

Quick question. I screw fell into the gap between my sub platform and the rest of the stage. I have about 3/8 to 1/2" of space and I want to get it out before carpet. How do I get it. Is there some sort of skinny, flexible magnet type tool?

5/28/09
I finished my stage - stuffed it with insulation and screwed the top down



















I also retrieved that escaped screw - thanks 10X










Then, I returned to my riser as my step lights arrived.
































































My rear step light housing is missing a piece necessary to connect the bulb. The replacement shipped today, but won't arrive until next week. Plenty of other things to do until then, though.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

5/31/09
I had some time this afternoon to work on my riser so I grabbed my hole saw and started my conduit runs. I have, what is now, a funny story about this. But, the progress pics first.

The hole saw aftermath









Conduit going in









The holes at the top of the pic lead to my equipment room









Time to secure everything









All done









Now the story...After cutting one of the holes, the plug got stuck in the saw. I decided to unplug the saw before attempting to remove the plug. While reaching for the plug, my shoe got stuck and I sort of stumbled sideways (from a sitting position), no big deal. But the case of the hammer drill was quite hot and nearly touched my inner thigh. As I jerked the drill away from my leg, my finger hit the power switch briefly and gave the drill a start. I was turning my head away from the plug and toward the drill at this time and hit myself in the chin with the saw rising from near my thigh, starting to spin. Quickly pulling the drill away from my face, but now well aware of the potential to burn my leg with the case, I tried to stop the drill in the middle (away from my face, but not near my leg). The saw caught a piece of my dangling shirt and began to twist it tightly, pulling the saw toward my chest. Luckily my finger was now off the switch and the drill was starting to slow. When it finally stopped, my shirt was twisted so tightly, that it had started to rip as I was holding the saw away from my body.

Finally, I did what I should have done in the beginning. I put the drill down, stood up, and unplugged the drill. I realized all of that happened in about 3-4 seconds. Sweaty from my mini-struggle for survival, I wiped my brow then chin only to notice an dab of blood from my chin The last thing my wife said before I started cutting was, "be careful, don't hurt yourself." "No worries here dear, I have it all under control" was my response. My neighbor said, "The next time you need to drill holes, just let me do it for you, Scarface." Its just a scratch but that was funny. I am lucky and I am an idiot!!


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

5/31/09
With that behind me, I started to stuff and close the riser.














































This is as far as I got before I ran out of sheet goods. You may have noticed the four LV boxes on the face of the riser. My original plan was to order 1 four gang custom plate from Datapro. That was until I saw the price. Realizing no one would see the plates behind the front row of seats, I opted for 4 single gang plates, cables and S&H from Monoprice for 40% of the cost of the Datapro plate alone.

I plan to finish up next weekend.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

6/9/09
I checked a few more items off the to-do list this weekend. I finished the riser and all of the HV wiring and outlet trim (including the equipment room). I also picked up a solid core door for the HT entrance. We also had to room measured for carpet.

Riser's done. Is it weird that it bugs me that the top is two different colors?


















Random HV wiring/trim stuff


















I didn't have a double gang outlet faceplate in brown, but I didn't want to run out to get one. So, I left a place holder that I hope will remind me later...









Currently, were "testing" four stain colors and 1 paint color on a piece of oak trim. Why so many colors? By now, it should be clear to the casual visitor to my thread that it takes me a bit of noodling to make some (okay, most) decisions. Picking colors for the room is at the top of that list. My in laws were in town for the weekend and my wife's grandmother passed by as we were holding a sample of carpet to the different colors of trim. In like 2 seconds she pointed at one of the stain colors and said, "That’s the one". I said, "maybe, but you have to think about the color of the walls and chairs and blah, blah..." She responded, "That’s the one." But, I still don't know which one I like best.

Next up will be staining/painting/installing trim and doors, carpet and final inspection. Despite not starting actual construction until October '08, I pulled the building permit in July '08. So, the permit's 1 year expiration is quickly approaching. I probably could have waited a bit to pull the permit, but I think I'll squeeze in under the deadline.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

6/11/09
I snapped some pics (with flash) of our door & trim stain "testing" to document the process as we finalize the room's color scheme. The pool of candidates consists of 4 stains (2 coats each not yet finished with flat poly) and 1 paint color (its actually the ceiling color which is flat finish - would be flat enamel finish on trim). Each pic includes the wall, carpet, chair and prospective trim color. What do you think?

A









B









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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

7/7/09
I made a little progress to get ready for the carpet install. I figured out the height transition between rooms and installed the door casing and trim.

After many test cuts, I found the angle to cut a 1x6 piece of PT lumber to make a ramp. The blade could only cut half of the piece at a time so I flipped the piece to finish the cut. Then, I used tapcons to secure the piece and added a piece of 1/4" plywood with a contoured top edge to simulate the gradual curve of a threshold.

Here is the gap between the HT and the rest of the basement









Here is the ramp









Here it is in place with tapcons









Here are a couple of trim shots. I like the look - very much what I had in mind months ago during planning. My wife used Minwax English Chestnut (choice C from post #181) 2 coats with sanding and finished with 2 coats and sanding of satin poly.

I still need to finish the riser step area and doors, but I plan to do it after the carpet.




























My very first coped corner. I like the results of the technique much better than trying to mitre wierd wall angles.









Carpet is next and then the final inspection. Hopefully, I'll have pics of the install later tonight. After that, I start the screenwall and equipment room.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

7/7/09
The carpet is in. Check this out:

Before









After









Before









After








































































I'm so happy.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

7/11/09
I passed my final inspection and closed out my building permit yesterday. I worried about this far too much. Like some of you stated, the inspector didn't care about the cosmetics. He was only interested in the code compliance of the room. Even then, the inspection took less than 5 minutes. Permit off the window and on to other things.

I need to review my HT Construction Timeline spreadsheet, but my To Do list looks loosely like this:
- finish the trim at the riser steps
- get the doors stained and hung
- install the crown moulding and rope lighting
- finish the LV wiring install
- build minimalist screenwall with rear access and AT screen
- order the pieces of gear I do not yet possess, yet crave.
- on wall acoustic treatments

When you cope the crown moulding, how do you account for the rope light? Drill a hole or cut off a piece of the "uncoped" piece?


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

7/12/09
Crown is up! That was harder and took longer than I thought it would. Making sure you make the correct cut is a constant worry. But, my son helped me and the second pair of hands made the job easier. I'm on more friendly terms with the coping saw now - lots of practice. Lots of touch up painting to be done but the hard part is over. Here are a few pics:

One of a few coped corners - not too bad I don't think









Scarf cut









Front of room









Back









Sidewall









I need to get some rope light up there. Getting closer...


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

7/24/09
Made a bit more progress as we finished the trim at the riser steps, stained and hung the doors and finished the crown and rope lighting.

I took a shot at giving the base trim a more finished look at the riser. I started with a piece of 1 1/4" x 6"inner corner accent trim and kept cutting away until I had something that fit the scale of trim. A "real" finish carpenter may grimace at my amateur attempt but I like it

Here's the before:









Here's the after:









My wife stained and finished the doors and I installed them. The entrance door sticks a bit - going to need some sanding. The wierd thing is when I cut the bottom and top down, I also planed the side and it fit perfectly.

Anyway, here's the entrance door









Here's the door to the eq rack and utility room









Made a mistake when finishing the moulding. Picked up couple of tubes of white caulk to seal the inside of the crown to prevent light leaks. The next day while prepping to install the rope light, I noticed I could see right through the cured caulk - it was as clear as glass. I'd used clear drying caulk to block light. We took a brush and painted the caulk so it wasn't a big deal.

Drill a hole in my projector box for the rope light outlet









The light laid in the crown easily enough but it didn't look the way I wanted on the ceiling:









I figured I'd have to use the clips and screws that came with the light to straighten everything. Since the crown was already up I started to attach the clips to the drywall. I realized that gently pushing the rope to the base of the crown channel held it there for the most part. Here and there, I used the clips to hold down the lights but it went pretty smooth and I got the look I wanted.




































In the last pic you still see some unevenness in the lighting to the right of the projector box. I had 2 1/2 feet too much of rope and just doubled it up for now. Anybody know where I can get 4 feet of rope light?

My To Do list now looks loosely like this:
- (COMPLETE) finish the trim at the riser steps
- (COMPLETE) get the doors stained and hung
- (COMPLETE) install the crown moulding and rope lighting
- finish the LV wiring install
- build minimalist screenwall with rear access and AT screen
- order the pieces of gear I do not yet possess, yet crave.
- on wall acoustic treatments


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

8/5/09
Small update:
- We finished our minimalist screen wall framing
- I think I have a plan for hinging my screen
- I’m expecting chairs any day now (possibly today)

After lots of input in my “screen wall design” thread, I decided to build this plan:









I picked up some 2x4’s and screws (why do I continue to buy screws – I probably have enough to build an entire house) and assembled the pieces. Here they are in the paint shop just before a coat of Model T black by my wife and daughter.









After a little time with a level and some string, I got this. Do you think there is enough room for me to slip by – I may have to turn sideways and think skinny.









I decided to forgo the middle support pieces as the framing is significantly sturdier than I thought it would be. I performed a number of tug and lean tests to determine if the framing could support a 33 lb screen. I didn’t do a Ted White “hanging by hat channel” test, but I’d guess the collective framing will easily support ~100+ lbs or so.

So, now, I’ve narrowed my hinged screen design to two choices. The first uses hinged wooden framing to support the screen with both supported by lift supports when needed. This will work (I think) but the framing support will add weight and push the screen an inch or so away from the false wall.









After reviewing a DIY hinged screen link provided by dc_pilgrim, I decided I could hinge the screen directly to the false wall to save weight and minimize screen protrusion. I’d planned to build a screen after seeing guam’s DIY work, but I’ve recently become smitten with Seymour AV’s new fixed frame screen. The challenge here is figuring out how to attach the hinges and lift supports to the aluminum frame.









I think I’m fairly close to a successful plan either way. What do you guys think?

Getting closer…..


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

8/5/09
The chairs are in! All set up and ready... I wish the room was already complete. I've got work to do.

The flash makes the chairs look slightly lighter than they really are. Despite being a bit larger than our original choice, they fit the room well. The power recline is smooth and the seats are comfy. I haven't had a chance to test out the BKs yet.



















Gotta get to work on that screen.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

8/6/09
The 13175 row of four is 4" wider at 116" than the Ovations I'd planned for. When I switched my order, I was concerned enough about the width difference that I strongly considered 3 seats for the front row, even taped the dimensions on the floor. But we decided to take a chance on two rows of four reasoning that if a front row of 3 looked better, we could sell the extra seat.

Here's a pic of the tape job. The outer blue is the current 13175 config; the inner blue is the 13175 in 3 seat config; and the white is the Ovations in 4 seat.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

8/17/09
A lot has happened since my last update. We made our DIY scope screen using Seymour AV’s AT fabric and the staple method. Final viewable width is 111.5”. I took lots of pictures to document the process.

I began with 1x3 poplar mitered at the corners.









Added a bevel to the inside edge









Laid the pieces out in the garage for a test fit









Then wrapped and stapled them in velveteen from Hancock fabrics









My stapler worked just okay. The hammer was needed to finish up









I used metal brackets to secure the corners



























Here is the finished frame









Building the frame was a fun family project that turned out well.

8/17/09
While waiting for my screen material, my low voltage wiring bits for the riser I/O panels arrived so I finished that install up. Didn’t get a pic of the subwoofer outlets or the CAT6, VGA, USB panel. I plan to paint the outlet covers dark brown, but with the 1st row chairs in front of them, I may leave them like this:








Maybe not – those covers look really bright in the pic

Chris at Seymour AV was very helpful and suggested that I beef up the screen frame as much as possible (since I’d planned to use lift supports – more on the past tense in a bit). Back to the hardware store and I added these:








Subsequently, I replaced the 4” outer brackets with 6” brackets to add more support

Confident the frame would hold, we added the screen material. After wrapping the frame with velvet went so smoothly, I thought the screen material install would be easy as well. It took considerably more patience to install the material without any ripples. We redid the stapling four times to get it right and got this:









So, we added two hinges to the minimalist screen wall and new screen


















And got this:








Level, centered, light weight with free movement. I was pumped.

With the screen in place, I anxiously installed my lift supports bits. I don’t have any pictures of the next series of events but the lift support plan did not work. As explained here in post #61 http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1139467&page=2 I made a number of construction mistakes that I feel compromised the lift idea. But, it seems the hinge selection and the DIY 1x3 frame were weak points as well as the span bowed and twisted when I connected the lift supports. I still think a more robust frame with a piano hinge would be successful. I may revisit the lift support idea at some point as I planned for my screen wall to work with or without them.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

8/17/09
With my screen undamaged I decided to work on my false wall panels. Picked up some pine 1x2s and 1x4s. I couldn’t find enough straight 1x2s so my son and I ripped the 1x4s.

I made the side framing first.









Then, I cut and laid out the top and bottom panels in the garage.









Here is a panel being made.




































Test fitting in the HT









Everything sanded and ready for paint









My wood shop is now a paint shop. All pieces ready for speaker fabric from JoAnn’s. The clerk’s name was Ann. I thought of a few jokes but kept them to myself.









I do not have any pics of the fabric install as my wife finished them all while I was on grill duty…Yes. A few dabs of Velcro later and we had this:



























The screen wall just disappears. If I look hard enough in full light, I can see the seams. But, in movie lighting, the screen just floats. Yes!

My To Do list now looks loosely like this:
- (COMPLETE) finish the trim at the riser steps
- (COMPLETE) get the doors stained and hung
- (COMPLETE) install the crown moulding and rope lighting
- (COMPLETE) finish the LV wiring install
- (COMPLETE) build minimalist screenwall with rear access and AT screen
- order the pieces of gear I do not yet possess, yet crave.
- screen wall and in room acoustic treatments


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

8/24/09
Since I’ve put my screen lift project on hold and after not being satisfied with my first attempt at a DIY rack, I decided to spend some time on my screen wall acoustic treatments. Originally, like many others, I’d planned to use OC703 and fabric as it is the best combination of affordability and acoustic performance that I could find. But, mindful of the need for ongoing access with the frequently running sump pump and the electrical panel, I decided to use something that wouldn’t likely stir up a bunch of nasties when I started rustling around back there. After reading about it in Jamis’ build, I thought that acoustic cotton would fit my needs as it practically matches OC703 for acoustic performance and needs no fabric covering. But, it is quite a bit more expensive than I’d hoped.

I chose acoustic foam as it had the right compromise of acoustic performance, aesthetics, and price for me. Though it is not the same material, I got the idea from Sandman’s thread. Each wedge panel is 12x12x3 (12x12x1 on the ceiling) and the bass traps are stacked 12x12x24 pieces. I used 3M spray adhesive on all but the lower left bass trap. It is friction fitted above the corner of the sump pump access. Enough words, here are pics for reference.

A shot from the lower left (facing the screen) along the rear wall to the right side bass trap









The right side with the pillar treated









The left side with the breaker panel, sump equipment and removable bass trap









The treated ceiling









The ceiling bass trap – got the tip from guam


















Here is a pic of the false panels going back on. You can see the opening on the lower left side that I use for access when the screen doesn’t need to be lifted.









With everything back in place, the finished screen wall looks like this










I installed some accent lighting for zone 5 on the GE and got this









No real acoustic impressions yet as I’m waiting for gear to start arriving, but I think it looks pretty cool. I'll add a little velvet to hide the panel gaps where the screen hinges. Aside from a few other finishing touches, the construction of the room is basically complete. I still need a rack and in-room acoustic treatments but I may live with the room for a while before deciding what to do. I also need to decide on a remote control system and a projector.

My To Do list now looks loosely like this:
- (COMPLETE) finish the trim at the riser steps
- (COMPLETE) get the doors stained and hung
- (COMPLETE) install the crown moulding and rope lighting
- (COMPLETE) finish the LV wiring install
- (COMPLETE) build minimalist screenwall with rear access and AT screen
- (EFFORTING) order and install the pieces of gear I do not yet possess, yet crave.
- (COMPLETE) screen wall and in room acoustic treatments


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

8/27/09
I'm quite motivated by the fact I can't watch movies in there yet. And, after a flurry of UPS and FedEx activity, I'm a little closer...need a rack!!


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

9/8/09
I took some of the scrap from my failed DIY equipment rack and decided to build a DIY center channel stand. I couldn’t find a reasonably priced stand that would support my 35lb center. Its 28” tall to the top of the shelf.










My wife painted it and I put it in position and got this




































Still trying to figure out how to take good pics The tripod does help.

I’ll upload and post a couple of rack pics later as I don’t see them on my photobucket page – they must still be on the camera.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

9/8/09
Here are a few rack shots with everything in place except the satellite box. I planned to organize the wiring with hook and loop velcro, but I had lots of zip ties left from the rope lighting so I used those as a stop gap.




























Top to bottom:
Media Player: Oppo BDP-83
AVR: Sony STR-DA3400ES
Sat RCV: <empty>
Power Center: MonsterPower HTS2600
ButtKicker Amps: ButtKicker BKA 1000N (2)
7-Channel Amp: Emotiva UPA-7


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

9/20/09
My surrounds came about a week ago. I got them unboxed and installed quickly and without issues. I ran the auto calibration and found the results sounded pretty good.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

9/20/09
The new bulb for my old projector came as well - which is good since I haven’t picked a new pj yet. It would be very bad if the room wasn’t basically complete because I find the picture very watchable. Here are a few pics (if I ever figure out the camera, I’ll be better able to show you what I see, but not now).

Here is standard def









Bluray









High Def


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

9/20/09
Here are a few pics of the room. Nearly everything is complete. But, now that I’ve decided to place the pj on a shelf, I need to figure out how to cover the bottom of the pj box.























































Time to go watch a movie or football or anything


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

10/7/09
I actually decided on a new pj last week and picked it up Monday (got the "UPS exemption" email and jumped into action). Installed it just before MNF and I haven't had much sleep since! I'll post some pics and screenshots later tonight.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

10/7/09
Oh yeah. I picked up a JVC RS25. It will replace my 5 year old 720p Sony. It did not stay in the box for very long.














































Here are a couple of pics of the new RS25 and the outgoing HS51


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

10/7/09
Here are some screenshots of the RS25 in action. I used a tripod, but any suggestions on how to take good screenshots are welcomed.













































The picture is good enough out of the box that I haven’t tweaked any of the settings yet. Now I need to decide on a universal remote to control everything. Any suggestions?


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

There you have it guys and gals. A definitive pictoral build.

Right now, I'm researching and deciding on universal remotes. The equipment rack is in another room so I need RF. I ran CAT6 to the equipment rack from the screen wall, projector box and the GE QS. I'm not sure what bits I need to connect everything together, but I'm looking at the Harmony 900 among others.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I'm jealous, Thats a great job on the screen :T
For a remote have a look at the Harmony 890 unless you want a touch screen these are the best for the money.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Thanks Tony. The screen, like most of the build, was a lot of fun because the whole family helped out. The DIY instructions came from Seymour AV's website.

I'll take a closer look at the 890 as well - I've read where some like it better than the 900 because the 900 loses the macro abilities of the 890. Advanced macros aren't really important to be but I'm still researching...


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

I'm jealous too..... :hissyfit:

But happy for you that you finished your dream HT :T

DId you connected your buttkickers??? ...What do you think of them???


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Awesome job KJ..:clap:
It looks a very professional theatre..very well thought out and put together.:T
I'll be interested to hear your final evaluation when everything is calibrated..


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

Thanks guys.

They say the room is never really complete but most of what is left is just little detail items. Like the projector box cover and selecting and integrating a universal remote. I also need to consider in room/on wall DIY acoustic panels at the first reflection points.

But, I plan to live with the room as is and tweak and callibrate the equipment for a while before deciding on panels. The goodies in the Oppo box will come in handy here. The package included both an audio and video test/setup disk. Only one problem though - it's hard to tweak with the whole family using the room whenever we can. A good problem to have, right?:bigsmile:

I did indeed connect the BKs. They add another dimension to the experience. Before I installed a pj, I set up and decided to test the speakers and the BKs. The kids and I sat through a few chapters of Godzilla and U-571. After the Godzilla demo, my son turned to me and said, "Whoa, this could get a little scary - even without the picture!" My wife said, "This doesn't feel anything like an amusement park ride - I like it.":yes: My daughter said, "Lets LISTEN to another movie." We all dig them.


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## kjlewie (May 24, 2008)

I'm just a little giddy at the moment. Even though it took considerably longer than I thought it would (like 4 hours), I got the Harmony 900 set up; programmed and working the way we want it to. Yes:yes:.

I still have to tweak the GE QS page to select scenes and to mount the main blaster in front of my rack instead of sitting on a box, but the remote and RF is working as expected.

Speaking of the QS, I thought that it wasn't working with the 900 (primarily because the web set up said the 900 couldn't control it). As I was flipping through my QS manual:reading:, my son walked in. He picks up the remote, presses a couple of buttons and turns up the lights! Then he says, "Didn't you tell me not to read in the dark?" or something. "How did you do that?", I asked. He knew he had me so he clears his throat and says, "Dad, it so simple, 'Devices, Lights, +Brightness'.

He'd never seen the remote before and walks in and teaches me something new in 3 seconds. I felt so old...and grateful.

It also felt good when my wife took the 900 for a brief testdrive by pressing the 'Watch TV' button.

No more running to the equipment room to pause the movie or change the channel.:sn:


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

kjlewie said:


> As I was flipping through my QS manual:reading:, my son walked in. He picks up the remote, presses a couple of buttons and turns up the lights! Then he says, "Didn't you tell me not to read in the dark?" or something. "How did you do that?", I asked. He knew he had me so he clears his throat and says, "Dad, it so simple, 'Devices, Lights, +Brightness'.
> 
> He'd never seen the remote before and walks in and teaches me something new in 3 seconds. I felt so old...and grateful.


Aint it the truth!!..My 10 year old grand daughter can pick up just about any remote and know how to work it in seconds!!.:huh:
It's quite scary really..:yikes:


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