# Pednault's Place Theater Build



## mpednault

Let me catch you all up to speed with my build. I've been stock piling materials for several weeks now and am slowly making progress on the framing.

My first theater design was in 2009 for a new home I had designed (architect by trade), but we didn't build it. Fast forward 3 years, bought a newly constructed home in January of 2012 and put in a couple of provisions for my dedicated theater during the build. My dad builds homes for a living (and built mine), so I got the chance to add some dedicated electrical outlets and coax to the closet under the central stairs which will be my future AV/Media closet.

Pay no attention to the color scheme as I haven't decided on ANY of the colors yet.


Xray view facing the screen:


I'm moving this water pressure tank next weekend so that it's out of the theater:


Framed the entry door:


I'm using 2x4's spaced at 24" on center and will be using one layer of 5/8" drywall for the walls and soffits (more on this later). I'll be using a million and a half tubes of acoustic sealant anywhere I can. I built the wall parallel to the existing stairwell wall and held it off by 1". And also built the return wall which creates the storage space behind the back of the HT. I'll be picking away at the other two walls over the course of this week. I plan on holding the walls along the concrete foundation walls by at least 2" to allow for the water inlet pipe run back to the storage room. I'll be wrapping the new pipe in insulation so that it doesn't create noise within the wall.

The finished room dimensions will be approximately 12'-2" x 19'-8" x 7'-3" before acoustic treatments. I've fully decoupled the walls using the room within a room concept. The only attachment points to the pre-existing structure will be at the sill plate that rests on foam sill sealer and the tops of the walls which will be held utilizing RSIC-DC04's fastening thru the existing drywall into the floor trusses. The existing ceiling is 5/8" drywall with engineered floor trusses with the cavities filled with R19 fiberglass batts. Since I'm building a "fish-tank" I'm hoping I can watch movies and play my video games while my wife and son sleep two stories up. We'll find out since, once I get the first layer of drywall up in the room, I'm going to do some serious, full range, high SPL testing. If I find that my methods are not sufficient I will add another layer of 5/8" drywall with Green Glue between the staggered layers. If that still doesn't function, I'll just have to adjust the maximum volume setting on my Onkyo! :heehee:

I'm new to posting here but have been an avid reader/researcher of both this forum and AVS. So I'm familiar with the methods used for sound isolation and the like. I haven't set a budget on this build as I will pick away at it as funds allow. So far, I've got a stock pile of all the 2x4's I'll need with only the riser and stage lumber to purchase. I've got seven 3" can lights for the soffits, black Lutron dimmers, black outlets, electrical boxes, wiring, 200' of CL2 speaker wire, PVC electrical conduit which will create a raceway around the soffit for future low voltage runs, RG6 subwoofer cable, a 7.1 HDMI wall plate for the AV closet, High Speed HDMI cable for the PJ, all the R13 insulation I'll need for the walls and soffits and probably a bunch more of miscellaneous items I'm currently forgetting.

Every trip I make to Home Dustpan :rofl: from now on, I pick up at least one 50lb bag of sand since I will need 30 of them to fill my stage. I'm currently at 8. It's less burdensome to lug one or two bags down every couple of days rather than trying to do it all at once. BTW, that's over 1500 pounds of sand...

I've got some 3/4" MDF left over from subwoofer builds (I install car audio as a part time job) which I will use to make backer boxes for outlets/lights and such. I'm going to mount my PJ within a hush box which will have an exhaust fan dumping the hot air into the adjacent storage space and keeping as much of the PJ's noise out of the HT.

I'm framing the soffits in such a way that actually makes them more like roof framing. They will not touch the existing ceiling and will hang from the new wall framing at the perimeter of the HT utilizing Simpson Strong-ties. Therefore, it will be decoupled from the rest of the house. Any penetration into the HT drywall will receive a backer box of MDF and sealed with acoustic sealant. The soffit and the main ceiling cavities will be filled with fiberglass batts as well.

I'm going to build an 8' x 8' riser and push it to the back and one side of the HT. This will allow my in-swing door to fully open 90 degrees and will allow for the most seating. My seating plans are to get a reclining sofa for the front row and I'm still battling my decision for the back row. I've found some real theater seats locally on craigslist, but I'm sure they aren't all that comfortable. But at only $150 for two rows of 4, I may just buy them and see if I can squeeze both rows on my riser 8'x8'... Since the theater will be used by only me 60% of the time and by me, my wife and one son 25% more, with only the remaining 15% being for family gatherings and parties, the sofa will be the money seat while the back row(s) are "filler" seating. I may have just talked myself into buying those seats while typing this! :heehee:

Actual shot of one of the seats I might buy:


If you haven't noticed already, I tend to ramble on and type too much but it's mostly due to me keeping a running list of things I need to do or decide on or even things I need help with.

And before I get bombarded with "what are you doing for HVAC" questions, let me give you a bit more information. I live in Maine. My basement is 8 to 10 degrees cooler (even more so in the winter) than the rest of the house and currently has no heat source besides the earth below and surrounding it. I've got 2" of rigid insulation under the slab and 8" thick concrete walls around the perimeter. We, here in Maine, don't have central forced air, ducted HVAC systems because we don't usually have the need for cooling. When and if we do, we use window AC units to cool our homes. The adjacent room to my theater will be a game room / bar area which has two windows that can easily take a window AC unit if the need arises. As for heat, the adjacent room will get one of the infrared Edenpure fake fireplace heaters and that's it, no heat in the theater other than warm bodies and lighting (my equipment will all be within the AV/Media Closet). If I find that the air is too stale in the HT, I will simply open the door and run a small room fan to circulate the air. When it's just me in the theater most of the time I can't imagine it getting uncomfortable over the course of under 3 hours and if it does I'll figure out a way to manage it then. For now, there is absolutely zero plans for any venting or cooling for my HT. My initial plan was to use two dead vent systems, (one for supply and one for exhaust) and although it would be a royal PITA, I've designed the framing to allow for me to add them in if I need them, only needing to cut away the drywall. Go ahead, you can say it now... "We told ya so". Yeah, yeah.

:hsd:

List of currently owned equipment:
Denon X1100W
Xbox One
Wii
Klipsch Reference RF-62 II (LCR)
Klipsch S-10 (Surrounds)
Dayton B652's (Front heights, for now)
TubaHT (I might build another one later)
Behringer NU1000DSP Sub Amp
Epson 8500UB (traded it for the Panny I won, hopefully no hard feelings from HTS)
DIY 46x108 (117.5" diag.) 2.35:1 AT Screen


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## bpape

If you want to be able to use the Soffits for can lights without penetrating the shell, hvac runs, etc. - they should be build AFTER you do the drywall.

Bryan


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## mpednault

The cans will go in after the drywall but wouldn't it be best to build backer boxes behind the drywall?


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## bpape

Better to not break the shell at all and avoid having to build backer boxes.


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## mpednault

How am I supposed to install can lights without breaking the drywall shell? The soffits' drywall is the shell in my build.......


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## bpape

That's my point. If you do the room and drywall THEN frame the soffit, putting cans in the soffit does not pierce the shell.

Bryan


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## NBPk402

bpape said:


> That's my point. If you do the room and drywall THEN frame the soffit, putting cans in the soffit does not pierce the shell.
> 
> Bryan


How do you get the wires in without piercing the shell?


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## bpape

Well, sure, you'll have that one small hole for the Romex. But, that can be caulked and is a LOT better than 6-10 6" diameter holes, figuring out how to do backer boxes, having to poke holes in the boxes anyway for Romex, etc.


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## mpednault

Well, actually my soffits are integral to my wall and ceiling framing, therefore the drywall of the soffits is part of my rooms shell. I'll post up a detail of my soffits to give you guys a better idea of what I'm doing. My ceiling framing utilizes 2x4's that span across the ceiling. My framing plan will illustrate this better once I post it up. Framing my soffits and ceiling of my HT this way will 100% decouple all of the rooms framing from the existing house walls/drywalled ceiling. I won't be using clips/channel to hang my HT ceiling drywall because it will be attached to the 2x4's that span across the 8' distance between my soffits. I tried to explain that the best I could but the detail drawings will depict it best.


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## bpape

That's fine, you're just trading isolation physically for cutting a bunch of holes in the shell and having to build/decouple backer boxes.


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## mpednault

Actually I won't have to decouple the backer boxes since they will be screwed into my wall and soffit framing and won't make contact with the existing ceiling. My basement already had a 5/8" drywall ceiling that my new ceiling, walls and soffits won't be physically touching... Basically my room could stand on its own if you took it out of my basement. I will have a dozen isolation clips to support the top of the perimeter walls and of course the bottom plates rest on the slab but that's it for attachment to the existing house. I got two more bags of sand today, four sheets of drywall and the rest of the conduit I needed. This week I'll finish framing the walls and then next weekend my dad will be over to help me move the water tank, finally. Once that's done I can start on the soffit framing and roughing in the electrical.


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## ALMFamily

Looking forward to seeing more pictures - curious to see how you are doing the soffits. I did mine as Bryan described - I just hated the thought of drilling holes after I spent all that time / money worrying about isolation. 

Subscribed!


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## bpape

The drywall from the existing ceiling should be removed before doing yours to avoid creating a triple leaf which can actually make bass transmission worse rather than better. The only layers of mass you want are the floor above and the ceiling of your room. 

Bryan


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## mpednault

I can't. It has to be a fire rated ceiling so I must maintain its integrity.

Should I add a layer of drywall with green glue to the existing ceiling and then do my room ceiling as I've designed? Essentially adding mass to the "middle leaf"... 

Oooor, should I leave the existing ceiling then apply channel on clips to hold my HT ceiling and build the soffits as most do (after the shell is drywalled)? This still creates a triple leave though... Except the channel will bridge the gaps between the existing drywall attachment points to the floor trusses...

What are my options to optimize isolation and maintain the existing ceiling?


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## bpape

You can't make YOUR ceiling the fire rated one?


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## mpednault

It won't be rated if I'm using the room within a room construction method (whereby no physical attachment to the existing ceiling)... Fire rating my HT would require some rather interesting details to maintain the integrity of the fire rated assembly, which would in effect reduce my isolation efforts more so than to not remove the existing drywall. Would the existing ceiling still be considered a middle leaf if the framing, ceiling and walls of my HT (the first leaf) are not physically touching it? I mean I know the vibrations excite my HT drywall/framing but won't my completely isolated construction methods reduce the likelihood of exciting the existing drywall ceiling to the point where it doesn't become a "drum"? Wouldn't adding mass to the existing ceiling and keep my existing design approach therefore achieve the vibrations contained within the shell and if those LFE's make their way to the existing ceiling it has too much mass to be effectively a middle leaf?


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## bpape

You can add mass to the middle leaf. Not going to be any better isolation overall though it will lower the resonant frequency of the structure so less can try to get through easier.


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## mpednault

What other options do I have if I'm to keep the existing ceiling in place? Just do channels/clips for my HT ceiling attached to thru the existing ceiling and build my soffits within the shell?


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## bpape

Clips and channel still form a 2nd air cavity. The ONLY way to do it and only have 2 layers of mass and 1 air cavity is to add to what you already have with more layers. Or (not sure why fire standard is SO strict here) you can pull down the drywall, do clips and channel on the ceiling, then put it back up with multiple layers. Not completely decoupled but better. Will this work?


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## mpednault

My local AHJ has been forcing homes built using open web floor trusses that are constructed out of 2x lumber to maintain a 1 hour fire rating between the floors that the trusses are supporting. The explanation given was that the wood truss will burn faster than traditional floor joists using thicker 2x's (instead of making webbed trusses out of 2x4's or x6's with air space) and therefore a fire rated floor/ceiling assembly is required.

Out of my options, which one would you go with?

Option 1:
Build as I've designed and hope that the LFE's don't create a "drum" out of the existing ceiling. Maybe add another layer to the inside shell of my HT to add mass before anything enters the first air cavity...

Option 2:
Rip down the existing drywall and add channel/clips and put back DD + GG in it's place. This option would mean I would need to either do the entire basement ceiling or figure out how to detail the wall edges to maintain the fire rating. I'm a PM at an architecture firm, so I could figure out the detailing, just not sure I want to do this though.

Option 3:
Add another layer of 5/8" with GG in between (stagger the panel joints) and that will then be my new HT ceiling. I would frame the soffits after the shell has been fully drywalled. I would put backer rod and sealant along the seam of the wall and ceiling drywall since the top plate of my new walls would be held ~1/2" below the new ceiling drywall.


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## bpape

In any of the cases above, any cavity must have insulation in it. If it doesn't, it will ring regardless of the amount of drywall you put on it. I would assume that would mean existing drywall will have to come down - at least part of it to blow in insulation. Then more a matter of as long as some is coming down, do you want to pull it all down and use clips or is that not even an option?

If you're going to have 3 leaves, really doesn't matter how you do them but making them denser will help some.

Bryan


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## mpednault

The space between the existing trusses are filled with fiberglass batt insulation. Should I use a more dense insulation such as Roxul within my new isolated ceiling so that it's tight to the existing and new drywall?

And thanks for all the info and help.


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## mpednault

And my HT walls are already built and in place so I don't want to remove them to remove the ceiling. I think I'll just build it as designed and put Roxul within the ceiling "joists" which will essentially create a sandwich of 5/8" drywall being the "bread" with the meat/cheese being the insulation.


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## mpednault

Finally got the tank relocated! All four walls are up and I've prewired the receptacles. Next is to attach the top plate using DC04 clips. I didn't take any pictures because there's not much to look at, imagine the tank out of the corner...  I feel a huge weight off my shoulders having that tank moved! Now I can focus on the actual room!


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## mpednault

The tank is now in the storage room!










I put pipe insulation around the large pipe coming in from the well and attached the outlet PEX pipe with plastic clips at each stud. I plan on spray foaming the holes that the Romex goes through so that it doesn't vibrate and create noise.

I also made the top plate connection using DC04 clips.










I had to add some blocking in some locations to allow me to bolt through to the existing floor trusses above. I'm impressed with the results. The walls are now very solid and I did the "tap test" by banging my fist on the HT wall studs and the existing stairwell walls and was impressed by the difference when putting my ear against the studs for comparison. If I banged on the existing stairwell wall studs and placed my ear against the adjacent stud in the same wall it would ring, but when I kept my ear on that same stairwell wall stud and hit the closest HT wall stud it was MUCH more subdued.

I started building my integrated soffit framing by using Simpson Strong-tie system parts and pieces. I was able to do pull-ups from the center of the 2x6 cross "beam" without it flexing or giving any signs of failure. I weigh 225 pounds so I'm comfortable with my soffit as designed!

Next up is to finish the soffit framing and the electrical rough in. Also need to order putty pads for the electrical boxes. Anyone know where I can get them the cheapest?


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## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> The tank is now in the storage room!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I put pipe insulation around the large pipe coming in from the well and attached the outlet PEX pipe with plastic clips at each stud. I plan on spray foaming the holes that the Romex goes through so that it doesn't vibrate and create noise.
> 
> I also made the top plate connection using DC04 clips.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had to add some blocking in some locations to allow me to bolt through to the existing floor trusses above. I'm impressed with the results. The walls are now very solid and I did the "tap test" by banging my fist on the HT wall studs and the existing stairwell walls and was impressed by the difference when putting my ear against the studs for comparison. If I banged on the existing stairwell wall studs and placed my ear against the adjacent stud in the same wall it would ring, but when I kept my ear on that same stairwell wall stud and hit the closest HT wall stud it was MUCH more subdued.
> 
> I started building my integrated soffit framing by using Simpson Strong-tie system parts and pieces. I was able to do pull-ups from the center of the 2x6 cross "beam" without it flexing or giving any signs of failure. I weigh 225 pounds so I'm comfortable with my soffit as designed!
> 
> Next up is to finish the soffit framing and the electrical rough in. Also need to order putty pads for the electrical boxes. Anyone know where I can get them the cheapest?


Good progress mate!

For putty pads, I got mine from The SoundProofing Company and they were fairly priced. Also, if you call to order them, they apply a discount if memory serves.


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## mpednault

Thanks ALM for the feedback!

I just started reading through you build thread and have come to realize that we have (had in your case) VERY similar builds!!! You had to move a tank, no kidding! You went with a Panny PJ (I'm looking into the 8000U) after thinking about the Epson 8350. You have the same ceiling height and interior dimensions (within the soffits) as me and have figured out a DIY solution for Fiberoptic star ceiling (which I will be copying, BTW). You also ran three dedicated 20A circuits to your AV closet. Your room, although oddly shaped, is about the same size as mine. And finally, you had kids and a wife to "deal with" while you made construction noise downstairs! There will probably be more in your thread that I find similar to mine as I read through the rest of it!


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## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Thanks ALM for the feedback!
> 
> I just started reading through you build thread and have come to realize that we have (had in your case) VERY similar builds!!! You had to move a tank, no kidding! You went with a Panny PJ (I'm looking into the 8000U) after thinking about the Epson 8350. You have the same ceiling height and interior dimensions (within the soffits) as me and have figured out a DIY solution for Fiberoptic star ceiling (which I will be copying, BTW). You also ran three dedicated 20A circuits to your AV closet. Your room, although oddly shaped, is about the same size as mine. And finally, you had kids and a wife to "deal with" while you made construction noise downstairs! There will probably be more in your thread that I find similar to mine as I read through the rest of it!


You know, it is quite funny that you mention that as I remember thinking as I was reading about your tank move that it sounded exactly like what I had to do and the steps that I took to make sure there were no rattles. 

And, kudos to you for trying to read that monstrosity - I see it just hit 89 pages. :yikes:

Where are you planning to get your star ceiling kit from?


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## mpednault

I've only gotten to page 34 thus far, starting this morning!

I might go with this kit: http://www.wiedamark.com/400ledstarceiling.aspx


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## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> I've only gotten to page 34 thus far, starting this morning!
> 
> I might go with this kit: http://www.wiedamark.com/400ledstarceiling.aspx


Looks like a good unit - mine did not have the color wheel. Only difference in mine was that the wiring had different sized filaments in there so you had "larger" and "smaller" stars and it had 480 strands. I have seen where people put filaments together though to create a larger star or even a comet.


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## mpednault

Well I also looked into this one: http://www.wiedamark.com/328ledstarceiling-1.aspx

It has less fibers but 3 various sizes and the illuminator also has a "crystal" inside to help them shimmer more like a star...


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## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Well I also looked into this one: http://www.wiedamark.com/328ledstarceiling-1.aspx
> 
> It has less fibers but 3 various sizes and the illuminator also has a "crystal" inside to help them shimmer more like a star...


I guess it depends on if you wanted different sizes. If so, I would go with this one. I can tell you I like how the different sized stars look on mine - and so does the rest of my family.

This might be a good point to get your family excited about the room - ask them which they like. Also, the panels are super easy to do - I had my 12 and 9 year old help me build mine.

I still remember the first time I took them in after the panels were up and working - it was one of the handful of times where my whole family was really giddy about the room.


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## ALMFamily

Oh - and I created a "Big Dipper" in one spot with the larger filaments - the kids still look for it from time to time...


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## mpednault

I'm definitely thinking about doing a couple of "constellations"! My 3yo son has one of those "Moon In My Room" moons and I got to thinking that I could get one and modify it a little bit and use that too!

I stopped by Lowe's on my way home tonight to grab a couple more pieces of lumber and they had bags of sand outside on pallets with a clearance sign on them. Normally priced at $3.69 a piece and were marked down to $2.48. I didn't want the ones outside since they were all wet (not damp, but fully saturated). 4 full pallets of wet sand... So I went inside to see if they had any that were dry and they only had the other brand, and regularly priced. I asked the manager if he would honor the clearance price since I wanted dry sand and he did! So I grabbed 10 more bags and will swing by on my way home tomorrow to get the rest of the bags I'll need for my stage. I like finding deals!

Since I work at an architecture firm as a Project Manager I was able to order a bunch of carpet and fabric samples today which should arrive soon. I'm getting the entire GoM FR701 collection, a bunch of different carpet samples and some other odds and ends to check out. Helps when you're in the profession. I was able to tile my entire upstairs half-bath with "samples" I had coworkers and other friends in the industry order for me!

As my dad always said growing up, "It's not what ya know, its who ya know!"


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## mpednault

Picked up the theater seats yesterday and I brought home my GoM FR701 samples to pick out colors.


Pardon the mess!







I forgot to take a pic of the carpet but it's the one pictured below which has blue tones in it and the field color is called black but actually has dark blue/purple in it. My plan is to carpet the floor with this and a cheaper solid black for the riser and stage to save on cost.










I've also got about 60% of the soffits built.


Looking up from the HT door.


Along the left side of the HT.


From second row (knealing).

Next up is to finish the soffit framing, build backer boxes for the electrical boxes and lights, install the conduit to the PJ and to the stage and then I can insulate!


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## Owen Bartley

Looking forward to seeing the final ceiling. The shallow soffits look cool, a little different than the typical standard framed ones. So they're decoupled from the ceiling, and attached directly to the joists with the strong ties? I don't think the strong ties are visible in the pics above, but hey, if you can hang on them, they're good. I can't remember if you planned to have some rope lighting up there, in addition to the stars?


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## mpednault

The existing ceiling is going to remain. The framing is held 1" down from the existing drywall and is supported at the top plate using DC04 clips bolted thru the existing drywall ceiling into the existing floor trusses. The soffit was then "hung" from the wall framing using 2x6's which create the perimeter of the inside of the soffit and I used the Simpson screws with hex heads at the connection points. The soffit joists are held tight to the underside of the wall top plate so that there is in effect a 2.5" gap between the top of the soffit frame and the existing ceiling. The intermediate soffit framing is 2x4's so that's why you see a gap between the top plate of the wall and the top of the soffit framing. I will the frame the ceiling with 2x4's across the room @ 24" O.C. with batt insulation within the spaces and then I will hang my new ceiling drywall from them. I had purchased and might add the Simpson support angles at these new ceiling "joists" for piece of mine, but like I said, I can do pull ups without it flexing...

I'm going to do the DIY star ceiling, following ALMFamily's design, and the seven 3" can lights within the soffits. I'll add rope lighting to the risers edge and might add some below the theater seats so that people can get to their seats without having to turn on the other lights.

I temporarily pushed both rows of theater seats into the room to see how they fit and check for clearances and I MIGHT be able to use both rows AND a couple of recliners for the first row... But I'm going to finish up the room with the drywall before I can truly decide. It is TIGHT, but might be feasible. It also might force me to change my screen size to accommodate but I'm okay with that. We'll see.





I might go down to 3 seats at the back, centered in the room and then 4 for the middle row and offset them so that the people in the back row are looking through between the people in the row in front of them. They are aligned in the picture but I'm going to look into offsetting the rows and putting the back row on a 8.75" riser (need to study headroom further) and the middle on a 4.375" riser with the potential for a couple of recliners on the floor.


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## Anacrusis

I also am looking forward to seeing the final ceiling. I am still debating on adding a star ceiling in my theater.


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## mpednault

Got the rest of the soffit framing up tonight as well as some of the conduit. No pics. It's boring... Time to start building the backer boxes for the can lights and put blocking in for the surrounds. Then some more wiring.

I've decided to go with the Epson 8350 since it's been on my watch list for a long time and is an LCD PJ. I'm concerned my wife is sensitive to the RBE and want to stay away from it. I know I'll have to manually zoom if I want to watch 16:9 content but most of what we'll be viewing will be new blurays in 2.35:1 or thereabouts. The idea is that since 4k is fast approaching I can get into the 8350 now for under $1k and then when funds allow and I feel the need to upgrade I can do so at that time. So I should be able to get into a 125" diagonal 2.35:1 DIY screen and the 8350 for under $1500. I think that's a sweet deal that I can't pass up!


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## mpednault

So in thinking about the design of the star field ceiling as ALM has it, I'm concerned about the MDF panels "ringing" and have thought about placing sound deadener typically used in car audio to dampen the effects that the LFE's will have on these loosely laid panels at the ceiling level. Normally you only need to adhere about 25% of the overall panel size in the material but I'm going to go to like 50% and a thicker (80mils) instead of the "standard" 50mils used in car audio. I'm hoping doing so will reduce the panel resonance. Obviously I would have to apply the deadener prior to drilling the holes for the fibers. Thoughts?

Also, we decided on a different carpet:










It's the Joy Carpets "Damascus - 1755" in black. There is some slight blue cues in it as well so it will tie into the room nicely. This will be placed as the main "field" in the room while the stage and riser will be covered in a standard black carpet.

Tonight, I'm buying the rest of the insulation I need for the ceiling cavities and the MDF to start constructing the backer boxes.


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## Owen Bartley

OK now I get the ceiling plan, sounds like it will work very well. You've gone above and beyond most others with your isolation work. Oh, I love the new carpet choice, I think that will look amazing.


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## mpednault

Thanks Owen.

So I decided to try making my own putty pads out of the Duct Seal found in the electrical dept at my local HD. I used gloves, a plastic bag and a cardboard tube I had laying around to flatten out the thick puck that you get. This stuff is sticky! This was a trial and I think next time I'll see if aluminum foil will work better since it stuck to the plastic bag and was hard to seperate. Overall I think it should work out well and they are only $2.48 a piece plus I have $5 off when you spend $50 coupons. So in all I can make 20 for $48 after tax and a little bit of DIY labor.







I also used the foam-in-a-can to make sure my wiring doesn't create unwanted noise within the walls.



I also ran my conduit which comes down from above the soffit framing, along the stair framing and into the "hidden room" below the stairs. I can access the end of the conduit from the hidden room and this will allow me to make a nice, clean finished equipment room. More on this later.



The picture doesn't show the plastic ties I used to fasten the conduit to the framing...

I'm getting about 15 to 20 minutes a night to work on the room and about 2-4 hours on the weekends. My schedule is dictated by my better half. 

Her = :foottap:
Me = :crying:
My son = :hissyfit:


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## Owen Bartley

Now THAT sounds more like the life of someone with kids. LOL. But that's it, you just work stuff in when you can and do it bit by bit. The soffit conduit looks good and I'm sure you'll be happy you did it sometime down the road.

Oh, by the way, nice DIY pads.


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## mpednault

What is a good, cheap acoustic sealant that HD carries? I can't find anything that's called "acoustic sealant". Latex? All Purpose? Silicone? Acrylic? Poly? I want to use it around the perimeter of the framing where it meets the concrete and around the perimeters of electrical boxes... I don't want to wait for it to ship or drop the $ on the GG sealant.


----------



## mpednault

Watching the World Series at 5 feet away from my 60" Sharp AQUOS LCD and I'm very comfortable and enjoying it this large. I moved my recliner to put my eyeballs at 5 feet away from the screen. This is a 16:9 panel so I'm curious how this can translate to a good screen size for my HT. So would it be safe to say that doubling the screen size and viewing distance will produce the same viewing experience? So a 120" diag. 16:9 screen is what I should shoot for? I'm looking to build a 2.35:1 screen and manually mask for 16:9... So I would size it to 120" for 16:9 and let 2.35:1 be more immersive.


----------



## mpednault

And we've started insulation folks!!!



The JM plastic wrapped insulation is within the stair wall and the 23" wide OC paper faced insulation is in the HT wall so that each wall has insulation. It's getting much quieter in the HT now! I got 2-3 hours to work on the room tonight while the kid, the wife and the neighbor watched The Croods upstairs.



Notice the plywood blocking for the rear surround...


----------



## mpednault

Got nothing done this past weekend (other than receiving more stuff) due to everyone in the house being sick but I'm slowly recovering. I plan on getting back downstairs this week and weekend to finish up the wiring and the insulation.

After that it's drywall...

As I approach getting to a "finished" shell I'm thinking more and more about acoustic treatments. It's basically the last piece of the puzzle I haven't figured out or have a full plan for. My thoughts were to line the entire front wall with 2" of mineral wool. Then make "super chunk" corner bass traps using triangles of 4" thick mineral wool stacked in all four corners (24"x24"x~34"). And then place 3"x24"x48" panels at the first reflection points on the walls and ceiling as a starting point and then figure out what to do from there, if anything.

Thoughts?

Premature? Should I wait to do any treatments until I can test the rooms response? Obviously the cheapest solution is best considering my non-existent budget...

Brian!?!


----------



## mpednault

Wired up the outlets and the light switches. Finished up the wall insulation and half of the soffits. Next up, finishing the soffit insulation and then it's onto drywall! I'll be sure to post pics of the drywall going up! It will be a momentus occasion!


----------



## mpednault

I haven't taken any pictures since progress has all but screech to a halt but I've got the front wall and the soffits all drywalled. Well at least hung, not taped or mudded yet. I'm taking some days off from work in January and will spend at least two full days in the HT. Don't give up on me yet HTS!


----------



## bpape

HT projects all tend to go through phases like this. You'll get there.


----------



## mpednault

Woohoo! Just had Christmas at my moms and she got me some Klipsch surrounds! Now all I need is my center and to finish this room! Also got a $100 gift card to HD so that'll help cover the carpet and pad. Goin to work on the room this week since I have about 5 days off from work. All I have left to buy for equipment is a PJ and to make my DIY screen!


----------



## mpednault

Found an RC3 center for sale locally on the Klipsch forum so hopefully I've got all my speakers. I'm still going to save up for the RF62 II to use for a center but this will cover me or the time being. 

Going to work on the room tomorrow morning! And I will post pics!


----------



## B- one

mpednault said:


> Found an RC3 center for sale locally on the Klipsch forum so hopefully I've got all my speakers. I'm still going to save up for the RF62 II to use for a center but this will cover me or the time being. Going to work on the room tomorrow morning! And I will post pics!


As a owner and fan you may want to look into the RF-64. It's big but very nice I match mine with some RF-63 for L/R only because I thought RF-83's would be to big and heavy for me to move with out having help. Nice work so far.


----------



## mpednault

I think it makes sense to pick up a third RF62 II for use as my center for several reasons, but one of the main reasons is price. I can get a brand new one from my local dealer for $350. And I'm assuming you meant the RC64...?


----------



## mpednault

My kid got strep throat this week so once again the build all but screeched to a halt. I managed to hang a few more sheets of drywall and got the rest of the basement cleaned up so now I can focus on the HT exclusively when I go down there to work. I also picked up my entry door which is a solid core 2 panel style to match the rest of the doors in the house.

Some of my electrical boxes aren't sticking out far enough into their holes in the drywall. Is there a way to fix that so that the outlets line up nicely with the cover plates?


----------



## MrAngles

mpednault said:


> My kid got strep throat this week so once again the build all but screeched to a halt. I managed to hang a few more sheets of drywall and got the rest of the basement cleaned up so now I can focus on the HT exclusively when I go down there to work. I also picked up my entry door which is a solid core 2 panel style to match the rest of the doors in the house.
> 
> Some of my electrical boxes aren't sticking out far enough into their holes in the drywall. Is there a way to fix that so that the outlets line up nicely with the cover plates?


Personally I just use longer screws. A lot of people use extension rings like this though.


----------



## mpednault

Yeah I found those after doing some research. Think I'll pick some up this weekend. Thanks!


----------



## mpednault

Went downstairs yesterday to find an inch of standing water in the basement! THANKFULLY we didn't lose anything since all the stuff in storage is in plastic totes. The HT materials are all okay since I had the small stuff in boxes on a bench and the I've dried out the lumber that was laid down. Running a dehumidifier for a few days to dry out the rest. Found out the drainage systems outlet pipe that supposed to be exposed to daylight had backed up due to ice build up. With this years winter in Maine we've had snow, freezing rain and then unseasonably warm temps which caused a deep melt and high surface water table. All of this compounded to a clogged pipe and all the runoff went above and below my slab!


----------



## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Went downstairs yesterday to find an inch of standing water in the basement! THANKFULLY we didn't lose anything since all the stuff in storage is in plastic totes. The HT materials are all okay since I had the small stuff in boxes on a bench and the I've dried out the lumber that was laid down. Running a dehumidifier for a few days to dry out the rest. Found out the drainage systems outlet pipe that supposed to be exposed to daylight had backed up due to ice build up. With this years winter in Maine we've had snow, freezing rain and then unseasonably warm temps which caused a deep melt and high surface water table. All of this compounded to a clogged pipe and all the runoff went above and below my slab!


Ugh - sorry to hear that mate. Glad though there was no real permanent damage - this really has been a crazy winter to this point...


----------



## MrAngles

Very lucky for this to happen before putting flooring down or anything like that. Any ideas on how to keep that from happening in the future?


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## mpednault

I know it! I was very thankful not to have had the flooring down!

Well it wasn't the ice that initially caused the problem, the pipe had been buried by grass so it wasn't flowing well enough to begin with. Our house was built in 2012 and I never knew where the pipe was nor thought to even ask. Now that I know where it is I can keep an eye on it year round and make sure it's clear.


----------



## Owen Bartley

Water is my biggest concern for when we eventually do the basement. It is dry now, and has been for the 5 years we've been here except for a tiny spot that weeps a minute amount in heavy rain. I'm hoping to spray foam and take care of that but you never know where water could come from.


----------



## ALMFamily

Owen Bartley said:


> Water is my biggest concern for when we eventually do the basement. It is dry now, and has been for the 5 years we've been here except for a tiny spot that weeps a minute amount in heavy rain. I'm hoping to spray foam and take care of that but you never know where water could come from.


If you can see where it comes it, I would opt for a concrete sealer - I had a crack in my foundation and sealed it one tube of that and I have had no issues since...


----------



## Owen Bartley

Thanks Joe. It was actually "fixed" by the builder while we were still under warranty, with that thick, heavy rubber stuff that you drill out and inject. Seemed to do the trick except for a tiny tiny bit that still comes through under heavy rain. Anyway, sorry for the derail, I'll look into some additional sealer.


----------



## mpednault

No problem derailing my thread.

Honestly my build has stalled yet again due to my architect registration exams. I'm taking one in two weeks so I'm focused on studying. I'll probably finish hanging drywall soon though and then caulking EVERYWHERE. At least that's what's next on my to-do list.

I bought some plywood to build some shelves in the storage room this past weekend so that I can get stuff up off the floor that isn't in totes. That's priority at this point. And I'd like to use up the rest of my lumber to make more work space which means framing the rest of the basement walls. So much to do, so little time.

I'm tentatively setting my finish date on the HT a year from now so that I'll be ready for Super Bowl XLVIIII (notice the 4 I's?).


----------



## ALMFamily

Good luck on the exams - we will still be here when you are ready to get going again!


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## mpednault

Took my exam this morning. Its been too cold in the unfinished, unheated basement to work. I've got a few space heaters to help. I plan on working on the room this weekend. Trying to get my mom to watch my kid so I have more time to work. I should be able to finish up hanging the last pieces of drywall and start sealing all the gaps and joints with caulking.


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## ALMFamily

Hope the test went well!


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## mpednault

Woohoo!!!

This build just got a swift kick in the pants!

Thank you Sonnie! I've now got a MAJOR piece of my room's puzzle! Now to research this Panny and figure out how to use it in my room.

Should I go with a 120" DIY spandex screen or this 106" Accuscreen HERE?

Soffit placement should put it at about 14 feet from the lense to the screen...


----------



## BD55

Congrats on the PJ!!! Looks like it came at perfect timing too!


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## ALMFamily

Odd - I do the newsletter and I have not got my copy yet!

Congrats and enjoy the new projector!


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## mpednault

I have gmail and it was in my "Promotions" folder. I don't know when it arrived since I hadn't checked that folder until I got into work. It doesn't alert me to emails received in that folder so I found out about me winning by seeing someone post it in the giveaway thread. I confirmed I am subscribed to the newsletter but didn't know it would get filtered in the promotions folder.

It's funny because last night I thought to myself, "If I won, I wonder if Sonnie pronounced my name correctly when he "said it outloud"." :rofl:


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## phillihp23

Congrats...enjoy!


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## mpednault

Thanks guys!

I've been meaning to borrow my dad's space heater so I can finish up down there. The basement won't be heated until the family room is complete and I get a fireplace installed, hence why I haven't put in a lot of time lately in the room. This has given me motivation to get back at it!


----------



## jtl

Congrats on the new projector.....well done!


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## mpednault

Guess where I'm headed!?! Downstairs for a few hours of work on the room! I'll post pics later on! Oh and the projector is on a Fedex truck now! Can't wait!


----------



## mpednault

Got the OSB cut for the storage room walls. The battery died on my screwgun so I wasn't able to hang all of them but at least they're cut and in place now. Soon I'll build the shelving units out of the scrap OSB and some 2x4's. Most of our stuff is in plastic totes but the shelves will keep what we don't have in the totes up off the floor and more organized.










Entry door opening is framed out and all the insulation is in. I couldn't decide on what size door to get and had already framed the walls, hence the additional jack studs at the opening to accommodate the smaller door I picked.










These three Lutron dimmer switches that are right inside the entry door will control the room cans in the soffits, the 3 cans over the screen and the riser lights and rope lights within the tray.










I got a couple more sheets of drywall hung and cleaned up a bit too.



















X marks the spot! Behind this layer of drywall and the X is plywood blocking for future front height speaker brackets. I put electrical outlet boxes with monoprice in wall speaker wire from the closet to each speaker location. I've got monoprice speaker plates that I'll have to paint black for each of the 7 locations I've got in place. If I decide to go with rear surrounds later on I've prewired for ceiling speakers to be installed in the soffit.



















I'm using black Leviton Decora outlets and covers throughout the room.










I ran monoprice's "high quality" CL2 rated RG6 cable for the subwoofer amp connection to the stage along with speaker wire to the LCR locations. I ran an HDMI cable from monoprice, CAT6 and pull string within the conduit that runs from the closet to the PJ's future location. I've got plywood blocking installed along with the wiring and boxes for the side surround speaker locations.

This weekend I plan on putting up more drywall of the pieces I have left to finish up the soffits. I'll need ten more sheets to complete the room. I'll be hanging the ceiling insulation once I get the drywall so that I can do both installations at the same time so that the insulation doesn't sag and rip at the staples. Then its on to caulking EVERYWHERE at all the seams, the top and bottom of the walls and the outlets. Some of the outlets need extension rings, so I'll pick those up this weekend too. And I need to buy a 3" hole saw to cut the holes for the can lights.

I still have to add the blocking within the soffit for the PJ box to hang from. Once I get it in and the drywall done I can start thinking about how I want to get the PJ up there. I might just build a "hushbox" although make it more like a shelf with vertical supports on either side of the PJ and leave the front and back fully open so it can easily transfer air for cooling. Of course I'll take pictures so you'll see what I'm talking about.

Because funds are a bit tight right now, I'm going to have to wait on the rest of the drywall. But I've got enough hung that I can finish up the front of the room and start building the stage. I've got all the lumber I need to construct the stage and the riser, except for the plywood (I do have 3 full sheets of 3/4" T&G for the stage though). I've got a bunch of sand, roofing felt and plastic sheeting for the stage as well. So as soon as I get the front of the room sealed up I can start building it. I bought a roll of carpet pad a while back too.

I've got the ten sheets of drywall, rope lighting, carpet, plywood for the stage and riser and the DIY screen materials left to buy which is not too bad. Oh and one more RF-62 II for my center. It's coming together! :T


----------



## ALMFamily

Wow - that is a LOT of progress. Well done mate and thanks for the pics!


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## mpednault

Thanks but I've got lots left to do!

Oh and btw, I passed my exam! Only 5 more to go!  stupid architecture profession getting in the way of my home theater construction!


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## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Oh and btw, I passed my exam! Only 5 more to go!  stupid architecture profession getting in the way of my home theater construction!


Congrats!


----------



## mpednault

Thank you. My wife got a promotion today! I picked up a part time job at Tractor Supply doing assembly work (putting together wheelbarrows and lawn mowers) and running the fork lift. That should help financially to finish up the basement projects and still keep gas in our boat this summer! So we've been getting a lot of great news and a steady stream of good luck recently! It's a welcomed, nice change of pace!!!


----------



## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Thank you. My wife got a promotion today! I picked up a part time job at Tractor Supply doing assembly work (putting together wheelbarrows and lawn mowers) and running the fork lift. That should help financially to finish up the basement projects and still keep gas in our boat this summer! So we've been getting a lot of great news and a steady stream of good luck recently! It's a welcomed, nice change of pace!!!


Wow - that is a great day. Tell your wife congrats too!


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## phillihp23

Congrats on the positive movement in your life.


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## mpednault

I'm not religious at all but I believe in "paying it forward". We got about a foot of snow and freezing rain overnight last night and on my way to plow my grandfathers driveway, I saw a couple shoveling their 50' long driveway by hand! I turned around and offered to do a quick plow through. They said they had someone coming to do it but they were late. So they asked how much I would charge and I said, well I plow for my family, I don't do it for work or anything. I plowed out their driveway real quick. They were clearly late for work and the wife got her young son out of the car to wave to me. As I backed out she yelled, "Happy Valentines Day!" 

It's moments like that that humble me and I appreciate the "lucky" moments more. The projector is scheduled to arrive early next week! The wife and I are out for a Valentines Day lunch while the kid is at daycare. We'll be stopping at Home Depot for some stuff and then I'll be working downstairs some more.


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## B- one

I plow for where I work so I take care of my drive as well. I clean out the two neighbors drives it's all shared and they always park in the way! Try to be nice and that's what I get. Congrats on the good luck as of late may it stick, looking forward to the rest of your build and enjoy the projector!


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## mpednault

Picking up more drywall on Monday! Got the plywood shelving done this morning so after I get the stuff organized and put away I'll be back in the room to finish hanging drywall and sealing up all the gaps and outlets! Stay tuned for pics!


----------



## mpednault

I applied caulking to the studs before hanging the OSB to the storage room side of the wall to keep it from making noise when the HT sounds are cranking.




























Got the first level of shelving built. Still need to screw the bottom brace to tie the three legs together and I'll be adding another row 24" above that row for extra storage.










After that's done, I'll be framing out the "lobby" walls and door openings and the knee walls around the family room and then I'll be done with framing. 

Has anyone on here used the Lavolta LED strip light kit that PE sells for their step lights at their riser or ceiling light tray?
Lavolta LED Kit


----------



## ALMFamily

I did not - I got my led strips from a place called HitLights.


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## mpednault

Sorry I haven't posted about the PJ yet! I received it last week and plugged it in, connected my AppleTV and projected on my office wall to test it. It works flawlessly! Thanks again Sonnie and HTS!

As for my rooms progress I was able to hang one sheet of drywall this week. I've just been too busy with work (I'm working full time and picked up a part time job), pulling together two business plans for two separate businesses I'd like to start and normal life stuff like having a kid and a nagging wife (I love you honey!).

Top that with having to plow when the snow falls and having to maintain my vehicles myself, I don't know how I'm surviving! Hopefully this madness will slow down enough for me to get back downstairs to work on the room!


----------



## mpednault

It's been a month since my last confession. I come here to state that I've yet again seldom worked on my room. I did however manage to hang more drywall and will be picking up the last two sheets to complete the room this weekend. As well as the tape and mud. Once that's done I can start framing the stage and riser!!! Wish me luck!


----------



## NBPk402

mpednault said:


> It's been a month since my less confession. I come here to state that I've yet again seldom worked on my room. I did however manage to hang more drywall and will be picking up the last two sheets to complete the room this weekend. As well as the tape and mud. Once that's done I can start framing the stage and riser!!!
> 
> Wish me luck!


I wish i was that far along!


----------



## mpednault

Light 1 of 7 all wired and installed! Going to be painting the trim satin black later on. All the holes are cut, just need to find time to finish wiring them. I still have to tape and mud the walls among everything else on the list! But progress is progress in my mind!


----------



## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> View attachment 47871
> 
> 
> Light 1 of 7 all wired and installed! Going to be painting the trim satin black later on. All the holes are cut, just need to find time to finish wiring them. I still have to tape and mud the walls among everything else on the list! But progress is progress in my mind!


Nice!

I remember when I got my first lights up - I sat in there for an hour playing with them... :heehee:


----------



## mpednault

Hate to say this but I'm actually dreading it. I'm not an electrician and although I took a course in home electricity way back in 1997 (high school vocational) I'm still nervous about something bad happening. Anything with high voltage/power that can turn out disastrous makes me very nervous. I'm sure it will be fine since I triple checked all my wiring, it's just always in the back of my mind. Even if I had hired an electrician it makes me concerned. As I age I get more and more worried about this stuff!


----------



## NBPk402

mpednault said:


> Hate to say this but I'm actually dreading it. I'm not an electrician and although I took a course in home electricity way back in 1997 (high school vocational) I'm still nervous about something bad happening. Anything with high voltage/power that can turn out disastrous makes me very nervous. I'm sure it will be fine since I triple checked all my wiring, it's just always in the back of my mind. Even if I had hired an electrician it makes me concerned. As I age I get more and more worried about this stuff!


Same here... I feel comfortable doing low voltage but not electrical.


----------



## mpednault

My connections and wiring are perfect, but there is always that "what if".


----------



## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Hate to say this but I'm actually dreading it. I'm not an electrician and although I took a course in home electricity way back in 1997 (high school vocational) I'm still nervous about something bad happening. Anything with high voltage/power that can turn out disastrous makes me very nervous. I'm sure it will be fine since I triple checked all my wiring, it's just always in the back of my mind. Even if I had hired an electrician it makes me concerned. As I age I get more and more worried about this stuff!


I had no prior experience with mine, and mine was just fine. I am sure you will good - lights those babies up!


----------



## mpednault

Before:









During:










Sheen is due to wet paint:








After:

















I'll be installing and testing them out today. I haven't cut the holes for the 3 at the screen yet because I want to create this effect:








Credit to HTip for his great looking HT.

How do I figure out the placement of the lights to get that effect?


----------



## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Before:
> View attachment 47938
> 
> 
> 
> During:
> View attachment 47937
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sheen is due to wet paint:
> View attachment 47936
> 
> 
> After:
> View attachment 47935
> 
> 
> View attachment 47934
> 
> 
> 
> I'll be installing and testing them out today. I haven't cut the holes for the 3 at the screen yet because I want to create this effect:
> 
> View attachment 47933
> 
> Credit to HTip for his great looking HT.
> 
> How do I figure out the placement of the lights to get that effect?


Nice job on the painting!

You are going to have to get the type of baffles that allow you to direct light I think...


----------



## ALMFamily

ALMFamily said:


> Nice job on the painting!
> 
> You are going to have to get the type of baffles that allow you to direct light I think...


Although it does appear that Philip was able to get that effect without them - I would post in his thread to see how he managed it. I used the baffles to direct the light.


----------



## mpednault

Thanks!

I think you're right. Hadn't thought about those! I PMed HTip to see if he can give me some pointers.


----------



## mpednault

Decided to just go with my gut and installed the screen lights. Yay! This felt REALLY good to get to this phase in the project.

Seeing how the trim looks:

























Wait, is that a...............no.....it can't be.....!!!! Is that framing for a STAGE!?










I put two layers of 30# asphalt roofing felt between the framing and the slab. I used recycled PT 2x lumber from my moms old house and Simpson Strongtie screws. We tore her old deck apart and I saved these for this exact use. I also caulked the joint between the drywall and the slab. I taped all the seams and will be mudding throughout this week. Since 80% of all the drywall in the room will be covered with fabric wrapped panels, I'm only doing a single coat of mud and sanding it down to make it relatively presentable. I'll be painting the ENTIRE room SW ProMar 200 flat black. The only exposed drywall will be the ceiling which has already been taped and mudded. I did this intentionally since my finishing skills aren't sufficient enough to create a nice smooth drywall finish. PROGRESS FEELS SO GOOD! LOL


----------



## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Decided to just go with my gut and installed the screen lights. Yay! This felt REALLY good to get to this phase in the project.
> 
> Seeing how the trim looks:
> 
> View attachment 47955
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 47956
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 47957
> 
> 
> 
> Wait, is that a...............no.....it can't be.....!!!! Is that framing for a STAGE!?!
> 
> 
> View attachment 47958
> 
> 
> I put two layers of 30# asphalt roofing felt between the framing and the slab. I used recycled PT 2x lumber from my moms old house and Simpson Strongtie screws. We tore her old deck apart and I saved these for this exact use.
> 
> I also caulked the joint between the drywall and the slab. I taped all the seams and will be mudding throughout this week. Since 80% of all the drywall in the room will be covered with fabric wrapped panels, I'm only doing a single coat of mud and sanding it down to make it relatively presentable.
> 
> I'll be painting the ENTIRE room SW ProMar 300 flat black. The only exposed drywall will be the ceiling which has already been taped and mudded. I did this intentionally since my finishing skills aren't sufficient enough to create a nice smooth drywall finish.
> 
> PROGRESS FEELS SO GOOD! LOL


Great progress mate - looking good!


----------



## mpednault

Time to select the paint brand, line, sheen and color for my room!

All of the walls will be covered in fabric wrapped panels for which I've already selected the 3 colors for. Refer to the post where I show pictures of the seats and the GoM fabric selections for those colors.

The carpet is going to be a cheap black commercial grade carpet throughout the room but we'll be buying a custom carpet to overlay onto that with. I'm posting from my phone so I'll have add the link to the carpet we might go with later on today.

The ceiling is going to be black and needs to be non-reflective and as smooth as possible so that I can install a glow-in-the-dark star field kit: http://www.theglowpatch.com/XVR-Star-Ceiling.html

Since the walls will be 100% covered with panels I don't need to worry so much about the finish other than painting it so that the white drywall doesn't show through. With that said I think the easiest and most effective approach is to paint the entire room (walls and ceiling) with the same paint. Since the ceiling will be the only exposed, painted surface, that will determine which paint I go with...

I'm hoping to test a few in the room with actual paint and not just swatches. Keep in mind, my cousin is a regional sales manager for SW so I get his discount on their paint. Plus, I've never used anything but SW paints and my firm only specifies their paint for all of our building projects...

Sooooo, what brand, line, sheen and color should I try out?


----------



## NBPk402

mpednault said:


> Time to select the paint brand, line, sheen and color for my room!
> 
> All of the walls will be covered in fabric wrapped panels for which I've already selected the 3 colors for. Refer to the post where I show pictures of the seats and the GoM fabric selections for those colors.
> 
> The carpet is going to be a cheap black commercial grade carpet throughout the room but we'll be buying a custom carpet to overlay onto that with. I'm posting from my phone so I'll have add the link to the carpet we might go with later on today.
> 
> The ceiling is going to be black and needs to be non-reflective and as smooth as possible so that I can install a glow-in-the-dark star field kit: http://www.theglowpatch.com/XVR-Star-Ceiling.html
> 
> Since the walls will be 100% covered with panels I don't need to worry so much about the finish other than painting it so that the white drywall doesn't show through. With that said I think the easiest and most effective approach is to paint the entire room (walls and ceiling) with the same paint. Since the ceiling will be the only exposed, painted surface, that will determine which paint I go with...
> 
> I'm hoping to test a few in the room with actual paint and not just swatches. Keep in mind, my cousin is a regional sales manager for SW so I get his discount on their paint. Plus, I've never used anything but SW paints and my firm only specifies their paint for all of our building projects...
> 
> Sooooo, what brand, line, sheen and color should I try out?


I like the star field idea too... Won't the stars be distracting though when you are watching a movie since you can't turn them off? The other thing is how will they react to light from a projector?


----------



## ALMFamily

ellisr63 said:


> I like the star field idea too... Won't the stars be distracting though when you are watching a movie since you can't turn them off? The other thing is how will they react to light from a projector?


I leave my LED star ceiling on throughout a movie - I never notice it at all unless I look up at it.

Not really familiar with SW paints, but I would say any flat black should do the trick.


----------



## NBPk402

ALMFamily said:


> I leave my LED star ceiling on throughout a movie - I never notice it at all unless I look up at it.
> 
> Not really familiar with SW paints, but I would say any flat black should do the trick.


What I was wondering is since they are glow in the dark... Will the light from a projector light the little stars up even more.:T


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## ALMFamily

ellisr63 said:


> What I was wondering is since they are glow in the dark... Will the light from a projector light the little stars up even more.:T


Aaaaahhhh - that's a good question...


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## NBPk402

I just found this at the glowpatch site...

"Question: 
Will your star kits work in theater rooms?
Answer:
The XVR bedroom series has been designed for bedrooms only and needs to be in darkness with no interfering light. They will not work in a theatre room, you would need to use a fibre optic system. I have customers that set up my bedroom stars in their theatre rooms and listen to music under the stars before or after movies and in that way provided the room is dark from all other light the stars will work perfect. A new XVR version that is LED powered will be available later this year."

I will wait to purchase until the Pednault has completed his, and see what he thinks about it. It def appears to be the least expensive route to get a decent night sky. :T


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## mpednault

The way he answered that question is rather interesting. It sounds as though he thinks someone wants to see the stars WHILE the projector is on (which is not the case, for me at least).

So lets break his response down.

The XVR bedroom series has been designed for bedrooms only and needs to be [topic 1]in darkness with no interfering light. They will not work in a theatre room, you would need to use a fibre optic system. I have customers that set up my bedroom stars in their theatre rooms and listen to music under the stars [topic 2]before or after movies and in that way provided [topic 3]the room is dark from all other light the stars will work perfect.

Topic 1.
He states that the kit is for the darkest room as possible with no interfering lighting. What is darker than a dedicated HT with no light and no PJ on? I don't know anyone with a flat black ceiling, dark colored fabric paneled walls and a mostly black carpet in their bedroom... Do you? 

Topic 2.
This is the key to having this work for me and this application. The star kit is for my guests and myself to view before or after the movie and during music listening sessions. NOT WHILE watching a movie. The fact that he states this, means that the stars will lose their luster and sparkle while the PJ's light washes across the ceiling, which I'm 100% okay with.

Topic 3.
With the lights and PJ off in my dedicated HT, you won't be able to see your hand in front of your face! What a PERFECT setting for his XVR kit (with the PJ and lights off, or at least dim)!!! Refer to Topic 1....

So hell yes I'm going to give this kit a try! One of my coworkers used one of his kits in a child's room and said that they were awesome, easy to apply and for the quality of what you receive in the kit, its worth the price for the effect given. I truly wanted to go with fiber optics but with my already low ceiling height and almost $0 budget, I couldn't justify the expense considering this kit is available in this level of quality and price-point.

I'll be sure to write a review for both HTS and back to the company as I want him to realize it has a use in the HT world, given the customer understands the effects the stars create in a dedicated HT.

Now, back to paint! I'm concerned that just going with any old flat black isn't going to give me the results I'm after. Certainly the quality of the painted finishes is 99% dependent upon the level of the preparation and what the paint is covering. So I'm going to have to hire someone to come in and remud and sand the bajesus out of the ceiling to ensure that it's as smooth as a babies behind. Then and only then would any old flat black would do the trick...


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## mpednault

Oh and one more thing, if they don't work for some reason in my HT, I have a 4 year old who would LOVE to have them in his bedroom!


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## NBPk402

What if you wrapped some pegboard with black fabric (and glued it to the pegboard), and then attached the star dots to that... By doing it this way you could have fabric on all the surfaces and not have to worry about paint.


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## NBPk402

mpednault said:


> Oh and one more thing, if they don't work for some reason in my HT, I have a 4 year old who would LOVE to have them in his bedroom!


I really like the idea, and if it works out nicely for you I will most likely also do it. :T


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## mpednault

Fabric is more expensive than paint... Plus I'm going for a certain look. I think I'll rework the sketchup model to show the finished room.


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## NBPk402

mpednault said:


> Fabric is more expensive than paint... Plus I'm going for a certain look. I think I'll rework the sketchup model to show the finished room.


Gotcha. :T


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## mpednault

About to go pick up my HD order for the rest of the drywall and the corner bead for the outside edge of the soffit. I'll be finishing up the stage framing today and will start laying the sand within the spaces inside plastic sheeting. I'm hoping I also have enough time to start building the PJ shelf and finish up the curved soffit that goes above the screen which will match the stage arch.


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## NBPk402

Sounds good! At least one of us is making some progress on their HT.


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## mpednault

Got too busy to pick up my order so I will have to tomorrow. I'm trying to get as much done as I can now before the weather gets nicer and I'll want to be outside or at the lake instead of working on the room. So that's why I'm doing as much as I can, when I can. Once summer hits this thread will most likely die an agonizing death! LOL


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## ALMFamily

mpednault said:


> Got too busy to pick up my order so I will have to tomorrow. I'm trying to get as much done as I can now before the weather gets nicer and I'll want to be outside or at the lake instead of working on the room. So that's why I'm doing as much as I can, when I can. Once summer hits this thread will most likely die an agonizing death! LOL


One thing I have done with my current project which has really helped - I try to do something every day. Even if it is something as minor as putting up a couple of wall plates, at least I can tell myself that I worked on it that day. It really helped me to feel like I was always making progress.

Which reminds me - I really need to update my thread!


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## mpednault

Does anyone know whose HT this is?





































I think this is the same HT as well...











I'd like to track down the build thread for that HT since the screen wall is very similar to the layout I'd like for my room. I can't find the thread!


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## NBPk402

mpednault said:


> Does anyone know whose HT this is?
> 
> View attachment 48097
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 48098
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 48099
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 48100
> 
> 
> 
> I think this is the same HT as well...
> 
> 
> View attachment 48101
> 
> 
> 
> I'd like to track down the build thread for that HT since the screen wall is very similar to the layout I'd like for my room. I can't find the thread!


Here ya go... http://www.avsforum.com/t/1202525/spaceman-theater-build/210


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## mpednault

Hahaha! I forgot that it was spaceman's! Thanks! I had saved some pictures of a bunch of different HT's for ideas for my room. So I didn't know whose it was. Thanks!


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## mpednault

Can I officially call it a room now? It has a door!









And for those inquiring minds, this is what the inside of a Jeld-Wen "solid core" door looks like.









16 bags later, we have sand in 4 bays of the stage!










Only 4 bags (1 bay) left to go. I might need 1 more bag to top them all off. I'm leaving 3 bays on either side without sand but will put fiberglass batts in there instead. The riser is getting the batts too which is coming up next after I put down the plywood on the stage.

I picked up the metal corner bead for the outside soffit edge and some mud and tools to start in on finishing up the drywall. I held the stage 3/4" off the wall so I can insert backer rod in there so I grabbed that too. This weekend I plan on framing the rest of the basement walls for the other rooms and framing the riser. Progress!!!


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## NBPk402

Our solid core door looked like particle board when we shortened it, but it was def solid. Is your solid inside?


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## mpednault

I should explain a but more. I cut the bottom off the door to fit my opening and the cut edge is what you see there. The end (vertical part of the door) is the solid piece of wood you see in the pic. The inside of the door is a composite material that's basically particles of wood glued together. It is solid just not what I was expecting I guess.


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## NBPk402

mpednault said:


> I should explain a but more. I cut the bottom off the door to fit my opening and the cut edge is what you see there. The end (vertical part of the door) is the solid piece of wood you see in the pic. The inside of the door is a composite material that's basically particles of wood glued together. It is solid just not what I was expecting I guess.


That is like ours was when we cut it but yours looks like some of it fell out... Did you reseal it with veneer or anything?


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## mpednault

I'll paint it eventually. And it's solid, none of it fell out, that's just how it was.


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## HTip

Great project you are doing! Sorry I didn't respond to your PM. I've been really busy and time on forums was cut short because of that.

Now to answer your question about the placement of my lights. My ceiling was layout in such a way that It was symmetrical and I placed the lights exactly in the middle of each tile. The effect on the screen was a bonus and not planned, but turned out nicely. When we changed construction of the bass traps and the fixed screen, we had to change the position of the lights and this time the lights were also positioned exactly in the middle both in length and width of the tile.

Good luck with the build. Keep up the good work :T


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## mpednault

Thanks!

I got the door knob installed today and the neoprene gasket around the frame. Shuts nice and tight! I also got the rest of the sand I needed. Next up will be to put the stage plywood down and then build the riser. After that it'll be the drywall finishing.

Baby steps!


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## mpednault

I was laying in my recliner listening to some tunes and it dawned on me that I could do something............ The kiss of death.










Yup, that's an unpainted, tilted into place sheet of drywall................










Yup, that's Cap on display in the HT!!!!!!!!!!

If that ain't motivation, I don't know what is!!! Time to get this room done!


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## bpape

.... And progress comes to a halt.


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## mpednault

Ahahaha! Thanks Brian but actually this has put more motivation in me to finish! The only thing slowing me down is my work and family which are obvious time consuming life stuff. My ultimate goal is to be able to watch this years Super Bowl!!


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## mpednault

Alright guys. I'm about to start planning out my acoustic treatments and the ideas I've had impact how much and where I'll be painting. So before I buy paint, I want to figure out my acoustic treatment plan. I know I should get the room done and then measure without treatments but I'd like to be proactive and at least figure out the start of my plan.

My finished room (before treatments obviously) is 12'-3" wide x 19'-9" long x 7'-3.5" ceiling height. The soffit drops down to 9" below the 7'-3.5" ceiling so it's at 6'-6.5" above the floor.

The soffit is 26" off the wall on all sides except for its distance from the front wall. The inside dimensions of the soffit are 7'-10" wide x 11'-10" long.

The AT false wall will be placed on the stage at approximately 4'-0" into the room as measured from the front wall.

The stage is resting on two layers of 30# roofing felt and is made out of 2x8 PT framing, sand filled and will have a single layer of 3/4" T&G Advantech sheathing (glued and screwed) and then covered with 8lb. carpet pad and carpet. The riser will be built using the same framing and sheathing as the stage. The floor will be covered with the same pad and carpet as the riser and stage.

My plan is to paint the ceiling flat black and place my glow stars up there. The soffit will get a crown moulding which will double as a tray to hold the LED strip lighting. I'll line the inside with aluminum foil to reflect as much light up as I can. Here is the LED kit I'm going with (2 strips) HERE. I'll be painting the soffit and the trim the same flat black as the ceiling.

Now as for the walls, I'm planning on doing bass traps in all four corners using stacked 2" Roxul AFB from floor to ceiling with the short sides of the triangle being 24". Basically cutting the 24" x 48" boards into equal triangles and then stacking them... I'll place the insulation triangles within 2x3 wood frames that are screwed into the walls. I'll wrap the resulting bass traps with an AT fabric of some sort.

I'll line the entire front wall with ductliner, along the side walls from the front wall until it reaches the backside of the false wall framing and then along the entire length of each side wall, up to 48" (4" above ear level at the MLP). How thick should I do the front wall? How thick should I do the sides until it reaches the false wall? How thick should it be from the false wall all the way back to the back corner bass trap?

From there I'll be placing my DIY custom printed acoustic panels (24"W x 36"H) at the points along the side walls using the mirror trick. I'm thinking two per side. I've also got one large DIY custom printed acoustic panel (49"W x 21"H) that will be centered on the back wall. How much Roxul AFB should I place inside my DIY panels? 2" thick? 1" thick? Or wait until I measure?

Would all this treatment make my room too dead? I'd like to prescriptively approach... Or should I just paint my entire room black and take measurements and then treat as I need?

I should add that I'm going with 7.1 with front heights hung from the ceiling and pointed at the MLP. I'll tow-in my Klipsch RF-62 mains at the MLP and directly center the third RF-62 (center channel). This puts my front speaker's tweeters at 44" (36" tweeter height + 8" stage) above the floor which is spot-on to the MLP ear height (44" for me  ).

The surrounds will be placed 100° back from the MLP with the tweeters at 26" above ear height (5'-10" above the floor).

The false wall will be framed using 2x3 studs wrapped with AT fabric and my DIY spandex screen (122.5" diagonal 2.35:1) will be made to hinge up so I can access the speakers. The TubaHT will be on the stage but it's final position will be based on measurements. I'm going to need to get a spike kit for it since it dances across the carpet without them.


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## bpape

The sides I would do 3-4" thick. The rear, as thick as you can tolerate. Use a membrane on the rear one to minimize absorption in the rear to keep the surround field a bit more lively but grab the bass in the back to prevent cancellations off that wall and boom for seats close to the wall.


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## mpednault

Thanks Brian. What are people using for the membrane material? I've got 6mil plastic sheeting I could use or is that not thick enough?


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## bpape

It can be anything from that to FSK to pond liner to MLV pending what frequencies you want to start blocking at, how quick you want it to roll off, and how much bass enhancement you want to try to get from the damped membrane.

MLV will roll off the fastest, cut off the lowest, and give the most bass absorption gain in terms of frequency extension.


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## mpednault

I'm going to put up the four side wall DIY art panels, the one rear DIY art panel and the four corner bass traps and then measure using a mic and REW. Then I'll see what I need to do in addition to those treatments. I ordered my Behringer iNuke 1000DSP today and the soffit LED strip lights. A friend is coming to finish the drywall before I paint. This weekend I'll be laying the plywood on the stage and starting the riser.


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## mpednault

First coat of mud is on the walls and soffit! Tomorrow will be another coat and then on to sanding. Picked up some black paint for the ceiling and will be deciding on a wall paint color soon. Oh and I ordered some fabric from Magna fabrics in Jersey. Larry was a nice guy and tossed in some samples of other fabrics I might be interested in. Going with the GoM Anchorage line for the walls and bass traps and am trying to find just 3 yards of GoM FR701 in black for the false wall, but all of the places have at least a 5 yard minimum order. No sense in ordering 2 extra yards but if I have to, I'll just bite the bullet.

I'm going with Ultratouch denim insulation in all of the treatments. I don't feel comfortable with fiberglass possibly entering the room and the stats I've read on it's sound absorbtion are outstanding, even compared to fiberglass. Not sure why people aren't using the denim instead of fiberglass...


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## mpednault

Been almost two months since my last update! Well, I'm glad to say that I'm on vacation next week and my plan is to get down in the basement and do some more work on the room. I still have to mud and sand the drywall. I plan on doing that and also start the riser construction. I've bought some hardware to hang my PJ from the soffit and might find some time to get that installed.

I'm sticking to my useable room date of Super Bowl XLIX (February 1, 2015)!!! I won't have time to get the rest of the basement (family room/bar area) done by then, but at least we'll be able to use the room (hopefully)!


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## mpednault

Got the framing members cut for the riser today. Also put up the metal corner bead around the outside edge of the soffit for a nice sharp edge. I had a lot to clean up and organize so I wasn't able to get much done but I told the wife whenever it rains I want a few hours to work on the room.

Next I'll cut and lay the plywood on the stage and riser and then finish up mudding and sanding the drywall. Hey progress is progress, even if a small amount.


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## bpape

Yup. Lots of things that need to get done. Some days it doesn't look like you did much and others it looks like huge progress. All gets you to the same end.


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## mpednault

No pics to show but I've got the plywood screwed down on the stage and riser. I have two coats of mud on the walls. I'll be heading down there this weekend to sand it, then the final coat of mud goes on and then some more sanding. Then I'll paint the ceiling and walls. Then the wood trim goes up and gets painted. I'm pushing to have the walls and ceiling painted before the end of this month.


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## mpednault

Wow! Has it really been 5 months already!?! And it's 2015!?! And the Super Bowl is only 18 short days away!?! Guess I won't be meeting my deadline... It's been bitter cold here in southern Maine and I just haven't wanted to bundle up and head down to work on the HT. With that said, I plan on finishing up the remainder of the outside walls complete with insulation so I can get some heat down there. I just ordered the spandex for my DIY AT screen this morning! I'm hoping to lay down the carpet pad and carpet this weekend! We shall see!


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## Heath Cunningham

Time flies when you're having fun


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## mpednault

Just a little teaser...


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## mpednault

So I've made leaps and bounds of progress in my room. I'll be posting pictures this weekend. I've made my own movie theater poster acoustic panels, corner bass traps, have an 8" riser, 8 real theater seats, a 108" 2.35:1 DIY acoustically transparent screen (2 layers of white milliskin) on hinges so I can get to the Klipsch LCR and TubaHT sub behind the false wall on the sand-filled stage. I've got 42" high wainscoting at the sides of the room which has denim insulation inside and will be covered with fabric. I'm putting up glow-in-the-dark stars on the flat black ceiling and color changing LED strip lighting behind the crown molding around the inside of the soffit. I still have a ton of work to do to get it done for my sons 5th birthday party but I think I'll make it!

I owe a huge debt of thanks to this forum.


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## mpednault

PICS!!!!!!!!!! Sorry about the quality of these. I took them with my iPhone. I'll take better ones with my Canon DSLR once I get the trim and wall panels done. I've got to paint the door, install the trim including the wainscot cap, the soffit trim at all three corners of the soffit, the door trim and the base trim around the room. Then I'm going to finish the screen, hang the PJ, install the speakers and then I still need to hang the drywall in the AV closet and finish that room before I can terminate the connections at my AVR. BUT I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Almost forgot to mention that I bought a Dell ChromeBox today and will be installing Kodi on it to use in the HT! I can't wait to get it all up and running using my Harmony Smart Control!!!


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## NBPk402

Looks great! I'll bet you will like Kodi too. :T


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## mpednault

Got the LED strip lighting up in the soffit!


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## bpape

Sweet!


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## NBPk402

Looks great! Are you also running them on a dimmer?


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## mpednault

The control unit has a built in dimmer. Next up, movie poster acoustic panels!!!









Then finish the false wall, touch up paint and hook up all the equipment. I can see the finish line!


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## mpednault

Movie poster acoustic panel number one almost done!








It pays to have a dad who builds homes for a living! This finish nailer is awesome. The clamp is mine from my speaker building days.








Poor mans acoustic panel! This is pillow stuffing that's temporary until I get my order of Roxul. The panel is mounted using industrial Velcro so I can easily take it off the wall to replace the insulation.








I'll be adding a decorative crown moulding around the edge for a nice finished look!

Sorry for the bad cellphone pics. I'll be taking final pictures with my canon once the rooms done.


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## phillihp23

"I'll be taking final pictures with my canon once the rooms done."

Done? There is no such thing in the HT hobby.


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## mpednault

Ha! I knew someone was going to say that!


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## mpednault

Yup, I pulled the ultimate carnal sin of the HT world. I hooked up the PJ! The screen is sitting on a Klipsch box! I still have to touch up paint the trim, build and install the false wall panels, mount the screen, vacuum and clean the room and calibrate using Audyessey and mess with the Behringer DSP settings for the sub. I'm enjoying this movie too much!  I'll be taking much better pictures of the entire room within the next few weeks as I button up those remaining items.


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## Todd Anderson

How could you NOT give yourself a short preview!

Looking forward to some updated pictures!


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## mpednault

Got my AVR back from the repair shop today so I'll be hooking it back up, rerunning Audyessey and start messing around with the settings and adjusting my sub amp this weekend. I'll clean up and take some good shots with my good camera. I still haven't finished the false wall panels but I'm hoping to work on those a little on Sunday. I've got all the materials just not much time.


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## mpednault

I've been too busy to get back into the HT to finish up. We've watched a few movies already! I've noticed a null at my MLP and will need to take measurements to confirm it. It's all by ear but when I move to another seat the bass fills back in. I'm wondering if the MLP is within the "no-no" zone for bass nulls within my room. I need to pick up a mic so I can run REW. Also, my surrounds don't seem to be placed far enough back from the MLP as the effects don't sound like they're behind me. I plan on adding some rear surrounds to see if that'll help. I've got front heights hooked up and although they add a small amount of effects to movies, I'm thinking rear surrounds would be better in my room.


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## Todd Anderson

Getting the subs right isn't easy, but in my opinion its key to making the whole HT experience sound dialed-in.
What's EQ-ing your subs?

As for the surrounds, have your calibrated your speakers (distance and level)?

You're close, finish line is in sight!


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## mpednault

Took some pics using my phone so you guys can see where I'm at thus far. Still have some touch up painting to do, one more coat on the door, put up the glow stars, finish and hang the false wall panels and add one more layer of milliskin spandex on the screen.









































































Todd; I've run Audyssey and have an iNuke NU1000DSP to EQ my sub. I haven't touched any of the settings on the amp yet but I've set the XO on the AVR to 80Hz and setting all the speakers to small.


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## Todd Anderson

Picts look great!

Get REW up and running and play around with sub placement. You'll get it dialed in.:hsd:


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## mpednault

I need to get a mic first! Also, I don't have many options with sub placement... I built a 24" wide x 36" deep x 36" tall subwoofer! I've got about 40" of floor space between the false wall and the front wall and can only place it between the left and center or between the right and center. The only other options I have is to rotate it. And don't even say to pull it off the sand-filled stage! There's no way this monster is coming out of hiding behind the false-wall!


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## fschris

mpednault said:


> I need to get a mic first! Also, I don't have many options with sub placement... I built a 24" wide x 36" deep x 36" tall subwoofer! I've got about 40" of floor space between the false wall and the front wall and can only place it between the left and center or between the right and center. The only other options I have is to rotate it. And don't even say to pull it off the sand-filled stage! There's no way this monster is coming out of hiding behind the false-wall!


Its better to have a couple Subs than one massive sub. Can you go for 2 subs or 4 subs? maybe 15 inch drivers.


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## mpednault

I've been messing around with the PEQ in the iNuke and have gotten the null marginally handled at the MLP and it's much more tactful and robust than it was before. I boosted 20Hz and 30Hz by 3dB's and put my LCR's XO at 60Hz. It's much more blended now and my mains can handle it. My sub doesn't sound good above 60Hz so this worked out well for now. I've adjusted the gains properly so I'm no longer clipping the signal.

My next steps are to finish the false wall panels, treat the entire front wall (behind the LCR/sub) with linacoustic and finally install the insulation board inside the acoustic panel posters. I also need to add an uplight being the rear seats to shine on the Avenger's poster. And I still haven't finished the AV closet and the family room so those are next on the list to finish. Since it's summer now, those projects won't happen until fall when it gets cold out. For now, we're enjoying the HT as is.

I plan on picking up a mic soon so that I can properly calibrate my system. The PJ is calibrated using the Disney WOW disc and it looks incredible. The only issue is that since I built a 2.35:1 screen and the PJ doesn't have automatic zoom, I have to manually zoom and adjust the picture when switching from 2.35:1 and 16:9. I wish I didn't have to sell the AE4000 that I won in the HTS contest but funds were tight back then. I picked up an 8500ub for a great price but wish I had found another 4000 instead.


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## Todd Anderson

Great update... sounds like it's coming together!


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## mpednault

Just placed an order for a calibrated UMIK-1 from Cross-Spectrum Labs!


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## Todd Anderson

mpednault said:


> Just placed an order for a calibrated UMIK-1 from Cross-Spectrum Labs!


Great call!


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