# Is this a good layout?



## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

All,

I am about to do a garage conversion to a home-theater room. This garage conversion is not your typical keeping in the garage doors panels and insulating it and ripping it apart as it’s not permanent. Mine on the other hand is permanent build. I will be removing it all and also the foundation of the driveway as both the driveway and garage never existed. I will be building a detached garage here in the near future, but that is another topic  .

As for the layout here is my idea, but keep in mind that this garage does have a washer and dryer in it, but I will be sheet rocking that area and closing it off. 

I am still debating if I want to have double doors / study doors going into the theater room, or just a solid door due to keeping the sound isolation (to not go into living room or other parts of the house), so maybe you can tell me what is best?

I am looking to do 7.2 since I already own all the speakers, probably a little over kill, but I already got them so why not use it  . Please let me know what you guys think?

Note: I know my mockup is a little cheesy then what you see from other software / cad applications that others have posted, but this software I used seem to be easy and right to the point. The other one that I tried to use from Google seems like it would take a much longer learning curve to do, so I opt out of by not using it. ~ But everything you see (as for furniture / screen layout is by scale).







































……………. I hope my contractor is not going to give me this expression on his face:









………………..Because if he does, I am going to be like this!!!!!!!!!!


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## Ted White (May 4, 2009)

Looks good! The double door will be problematic with respect to sound isolation. Also, keep in mind that ventilation and ducts will allow sound out. As will recessed ceiling cans. 

Doors, ducts and lighting are the biggest compromises to isolation.


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

Ted White said:


> Looks good! The double door will be problematic with respect to sound isolation. Also, keep in mind that ventilation and ducts will allow sound out. As will recessed ceiling cans.
> 
> Doors, ducts and lighting are the biggest compromises to isolation.


You are right about that. There will be ac / heat vents and cans in the room (you read my mind) so I have to know that I cannot shut the room off from the rest of the house, but I can make it little better. 
With that being said, I will be looking into green glue and putting in a regular solid door going into the HT room from the living room. Also I may also have an exterior door behind the sofa. That way if I need anything come in our out of there, it will be easy access  

Thanks for the heads-up:T


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Agree with Ted. Double doors are pretty tough to get any sort of reasonable sound isolation. A good thick solid wood door with seals is your best bet short of a purpose made acoustic door ($$$$)

I would also make one other recommendation. I would go ahead and close off the area to the left in the front to keep better symmetry. That area can be used as a lobby if desired. You could do the double doors into the lobby area for a nice look for the balance of the home and then do the isolation into the theater area itself.

Symmetry left to right is important.

Bryan


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

bpape said:


> Agree with Ted. Double doors are pretty tough to get any sort of reasonable sound isolation. A good thick solid wood door with seals is your best bet short of a purpose made acoustic door ($$$$)
> 
> I would also make one other recommendation. I would go ahead and close off the area to the left in the front to keep better symmetry. That area can be used as a lobby if desired. You could do the double doors into the lobby area for a nice look for the balance of the home and then do the isolation into the theater area itself.
> 
> ...


I like that suggestion!! 

Something like this? :


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## Ted White (May 4, 2009)

Additionally, that new design would allow the Lobby to act as an airlock. That means the door system will isolate much, much better


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Yup. That's it. 

We'd want as much space as possible in the 'theater' area in terms of narrowing both the lobby and laundry to as narrow as you can while still being usable.

It also allows you to put the door to the laundry in the lobby area instead of into the theater area reducing potential sound leaks even more.

Lastly, watch your door location. Try to keep it out of the reflection zone for the front/primary row. You're not going to avoid some reflections on the door most likely but putting it so that they're reflections to the less often used seats would be a good thing.


Bryan


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