# Calgary, AB Family Theatre Room Build



## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

Hello,

After about 8 years in our house, we finally decided to get after fixing up the basement. We have 3 kids and we watch a lot of movies as a family, and this is my opportunity to build a theatre area that we can all enjoy. The basement is about 1200 sq ft and it will include a bedroom, bathroom, theatre area, kids play area, wet bar and storage area.

I thought I would post my progress here on the forum as I am definitely not an audiophile and and as a newbie, I would welcome any feedback on equipment and setup. My plan is to install an 110" screen as well as a 55" to 60" flat panel behind it. I have sourced most of the equipment, except for the TV and the Blu Ray Player. Here is my equipment list so far:


Sanus VFR-2136, 70.5" Custom A/V Rack, with cooling
Yamaha RX-V3900, Existing A/V receiver, will be used to power main floor TV, speakers
Marantz SR-7007 Digital A/V Surround Receiver
Stewart 00920-2110H 110" Cima Tiburon Above Ceiling Elictriscreen
Epson ProCinema 6010 Reference Series 3D Capable Projector
Monster HTS5100 Signature series high current power line conditioner
Definitive Tech IWSub Reference Series in-wall powered subwoofer with amplifier
Definitive Tech SR-8040P On-wall, bi-polar surround speakers (2 pair)
Definitive Tech Mythos XTR-60 Low Profile, on-wall, L,C,R speakers
URC MRF-350 RF Base Station for universal remote
URC-780 Universal RF Remote Control for upstairs
URC-MX-880 Universal RF Remote Control for theatre
Gaming - PS3, XBox 360, Nintendo Wii (all existing)
2 x Apple TV, one for Theatre, one for main floor, both existing
2 x Shaw Cable box, one for Theatre, one for main floor

Here are the plans for the basement. The theatre area measures about 20' long x 14' wide. Just a note the arrows on the stairs show going up the stairs, so the landing of the stairs is in the wet bar/play area:










And here is a picture showing the actual theatre area:










As you can see, there is a window right where the screen is going to go. We debated covering the window and using a fixed screen, but in the end we decided not to. Also, as you can see from the right side of the picture, I will be having a bulkhead run down the right side of the room. In order to balance things out and build the screen in the ceiling, I will be building a bulkhead straight across in front of the window.

In the next couple of posts, I will go through some of the construction items for background purposes. Again, I am always open to feedback as I am definitely a newbie when it comes to setting up a home theatre.

Thanks.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

Pre-Construction

Before I started the actual construction of the basement, I had a few things to take care of. First, 8 years and 3 kids later, we had a lot of accumulated items in the basement. We spent 3 or 4 days just clearing out and recycling old stuff.

Second, I wanted to create wiring cabinets for all the phone, cable and internet wires I had run throughout the house over time. I knew that this day would eventually come, so I always left an abundance of wire and it eventually turned into quite the mess. I was not too worried about it, as I knew that one day I would be cleaning it up.

Here is a picture before the cleanup:










And here are a couple of pictures after the cleanup:



















I wanted this done before I started the basement as I knew I would be adding more cable, phone and internet. Also, I still have to clean up the left side of the electrical panel and will complete that when I patch in all the basement electrical.

Demolition
When I purchased the house, the basement had exposed concrete floors and the walls were framed and insulated with metal studs on 2' centres, and batt insulation. I've never been a fan of metal studs, and the job was done very poor - some studs were not even attached. My first big job was to tear down all the exterior framing.

Here is a picture of the framing before demolition:










Since I did not want all the insulation to end up in a landfill, I ended up filling my joist cavities with it. I know this is not the ideal material for sound proofing, but again, I did not want to waste it. I will go back later and add additional soundproofing insulation where necessary.

In addition to tearing out the existing framing, we also moved the rough bathroom plumbing from the storage area to the new bathroom area indicated in my plans.

Floor Installation
Since this will be our main family area, I decided that I wanted a nice, warm floor. We live in a fairly dry climate, but basements still get that damp, cold feeling. I decided to use 1" XPS insulation on the floor, covered with 3/4" T&G plywood. The XPS was glued to the floor and the plywood was glued to the XPS. I used Tapcon screws in some areas to even out adjacent sheets of the plywood. 

Here are some pictures of installing the flooring:



















Here is a picture of the finished floor in the theatre area as well as my first of many loads of 2x4's for framing:










Next, on to framing...


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Yay!! A New build! :yay:

Subscribed and following along!

One question - unless there is something I am not seeing, it looks like you are entering the theater room via the bathroom - is that right? Or, is there no wall dividing the play area and theater area?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I agree, new builds are always fun to see. Looks like a promising space to work with. I have to ask was the electrical panel always located that close to the hot water heater and the other water line I see with the pump?? seems much too close to be code.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

ALMFamily said:


> Yay!! A New build! :yay:
> 
> Subscribed and following along!
> 
> One question - unless there is something I am not seeing, it looks like you are entering the theater room via the bathroom - is that right? Or, is there no wall dividing the play area and theater area?


Hello ALM,

Thanks for the response - glad to have you along. There is no wall dividing the play area and theatre area. The light gray lines are ceiling detail, showing bulkheads. You are right, it does look confusing. So you would come down the stairs toward the bottom of the diagram, turn left to the play area and walk through to the theatre area. I have some movies made from the plans that I will try to get small enough to post.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> I agree, new builds are always fun to see. Looks like a promising space to work with. I have to ask was the electrical panel always located that close to the hot water heater and the other water line I see with the pump?? seems much too close to be code.


Hi Tony,

The picture is somewhat deceiving. That water tank was actually about 3 ft in front of the electrical panel - so there was a 3 ft space between them. Same with the water meter. Since that picture was taken, I have replaced the 2 hot water tanks with an instant hot water heater, and the water meter has also been properly secured (I also had to replace my existing furnace and add an additional one - but that's a whole other story). Here is a picture of the modified utility area (during construction, so there is a little bit of material that is not there now).


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I checked with a friend who has been an electrition for years and he said the electrical panel must be a min of 30in from the hot water heater or any water lines. 

Are you planning to put insulation in the ceilings as well above your theater? Having a blank slate to work with is awesome.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> I checked with a friend who has been an electrition for years and he said the electrical panel must be a min of 30in from the hot water heater or any water lines.
> 
> Are you planning to put insulation in the ceilings as well above your theater? Having a blank slate to work with is awesome.


Hi Tony - thanks for checking with your friend. I will double check my measurements and code here in Calgary to be sure I am within code. I have pulled a permit, so everything will be inspected.

When I tore down the outer walls I took the R12 batt insulation from the walls and put it in the ceiling above the theatre. That gave me 2 layers of R12. I will go back later and fill the cavity with additional insulation as well as sound proof insulate the interior walls. I will be spray foaming all interior ductwork as well (to reduce heat/cold transfer) which should cut down on the noise transfer to other levels.

So design opinion guys - I purchased a Sanus CFR2136 AV Rack. My original plan was to put it behind a door from the theatre area to the Media Centre closet shown in my plans. I am now thinking that I am going to build it into the wall instead so that it is always visible. Any opinions either way? My concern is that the rack may look too industrial, although the lights should temper that a bit.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Spray foam is a great choice for the exterior walls as it kills two birds with one stone (insulation and vapor barrier) just remember that any walls you do spray foam the must be covered with drywall as the foam off gasses badly in case of a fire. 
Can you get the spray foam yourself and do it yourself? if so where does one get it from? I have a wall I want to do in my basement as well but dont want the cost of having someone come in and do it if I can do it myself.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> Spray foam is a great choice for the exterior walls as it kills two birds with one stone (insulation and vapor barrier) just remember that any walls you do spray foam the must be covered with drywall as the foam off gasses badly in case of a fire.
> Can you get the spray foam yourself and do it yourself? if so where does one get it from? I have a wall I want to do in my basement as well but dont want the cost of having someone come in and do it if I can do it myself.


Well, unfortunately here in Calgary they do not recognize spray foam as a vapour barrier, so you are still required to install one. I personally don't agree and may remove it after inspection. There are a couple of areas that I won't be covering with drywall (joist cavities in utility room). There is a fireproof coating they put on in that instance that allows it to be exposed.

I am not sure about a do it yourself kit for sprayfoam. My hunch is no, but I could be incorrect. I was actually surprised at the cost - it was cheaper than I thought, so one wall may not be that bad for you.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

SpinalTap said:


> Well, unfortunately here in Calgary they do not recognize spray foam as a vapour barrier, so you are still required to install one.


that is odd, they obviously dont watch Mike Holmes LOL


> I am not sure about a do it yourself kit for sprayfoam. My hunch is no, but I could be incorrect. I was actually surprised at the cost - it was cheaper than I thought, so one wall may not be that bad for you.


Thanks for the info, I will look into that in the new year.

Do you already have the equipment listed in your first post for your theater room?


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> Do you already have the equipment listed in your first post for your theater room?


I have the AV stand and I ordered the screen. Definitely looking for suggestions, if you have any.

Thanks.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Im a huge supporter of Onkyo for several reasons, but what is your budget for a receiver?


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> Im a huge supporter of Onkyo for several reasons, but what is your budget for a receiver?


The Marantz is coming in around $2,000. I don't mind spending more if it can be justified.

What are your thoughts on the speakers? Again, I am a newbie and these were recommendations made to me. I'm not trying for a top of the line theatre system, but I do want something that is impressive.

Thanks for your help Tony.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

do you have any friends or family in the US just across the boarder? if so you can get Onkyo receivers for much less. I highly recommend this Onkyo 5009 Its got every option you need and is a very solid receiver.
For speakers this SVS package would be hard to beat. They have a Canadian dealer as well here but you will need to contact them to see if they have the Ultra series available yet.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> do you have any friends or family in the US just across the boarder? if so you can get Onkyo receivers for much less. I highly recommend this Onkyo 5009 Its got every option you need and is a very solid receiver.
> For speakers this SVS package would be hard to beat. They have a Canadian dealer as well here but you will need to contact them to see if they have the Ultra series available yet.


I'm in New York in early December, so I could make that work. Why do you think that would be better than the Marantz, for example?

As for the speakers, since this is a family room and not a dedicated theatre room, I am also looking at design versus performance. That's why I like the Def Tech's. They are very sleek and won't be too obtrusive in the room. But still certainly open to options.


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## doublejroc (Feb 5, 2011)

IMO, if you're gonna spend that kind of money I would also look into the option of running separates.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The onkyo has much higher power output, it has THX certification giving you some very useful processing modes. It has the very best HQV Vida video processor and ISF video adjustments. It also has the top of the line Audyssey MultEQ XT32 auto room correction. The Marantz dose not have any of the above mentioned things.
I understand the speaker dilemma, we all make sacrifices to make things work.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

doublejroc said:


> IMO, if you're gonna spend that kind of money I would also look into the option of running separates.


Alright - first confusing term for me. Not sure what separates mean.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I disagree with going with separates, Its simply where you get a receiver (without any built in amps) and you buy external amps. The issue I have is that with separates you can get in this price range dont sound any better and you loose most features that you get with a receiver like the Onkyo 5009 that can also be used as just a processor and you can hook up external amps to it if you choose.


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## doublejroc (Feb 5, 2011)

When I added an external amp to my Onkyo, the sound improved. And I like the idea of less strain on my AVR.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Trust me the 5009 has more then enough juice to power most speakers. It can easily do 110 watts per channel all channels driven 20-20,000hz. It weighs over 60lbs most of that weight is all power supply and amps.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> I checked with a friend who has been an electrition for years and he said the electrical panel must be a min of 30in from the hot water heater or any water lines.
> 
> Are you planning to put insulation in the ceilings as well above your theater? Having a blank slate to work with is awesome.


Hi Tony, just thought I would update you. I checked with the City of Calgary and the only requirement for electrical panels is that you leave 1 meter in front of them. There are no restrictions for plumbing, etc to the side of the panel. You could run water lines right next to the panel if you wanted.


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## jgourlie (Jun 16, 2012)

Nice a fresh build here in Alberta....can wait to see how it progresses....


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

SpinalTap said:


> Hi Tony, just thought I would update you. I checked with the City of Calgary and the only requirement for electrical panels is that you leave 1 meter in front of them. There are no restrictions for plumbing, etc to the side of the panel. You could run water lines right next to the panel if you wanted.


Wow, thats scary. given the issues with water and electricity not mixing I am surprised. Pin hole leaks in copper pipping is common in Alberta due to the hard water we have.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry, just catching up after a bout with the flu.

As far as the AVR, I cannot recall asking how you were planning to use the room - are you planning for movies, music, or a mix? If a mix, what percentage? The reason I ask is that when asked about Onkyo, the first thoughts that come to me are a vast array of extras (Tony mentioned these above) as well as a beefy amp section. When asked about Marantz, I tend to think a more musical application.

If I were to go with the Marantz, I would definitely take the suggestion of running outboard amplification though. Matter of fact, I personally would do outboard amplification for my L / R at the least. As double stated, the less strain on my AVR, the better. That said, outboard amplification is always something that can be added later.

Keep in mind this will be somewhat dependent on your speakers. For example, Klipsch speakers are very easily powered and would require no outboard amplification at all.


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

ALMFamily said:


> Sorry, just catching up after a bout with the flu.
> 
> As far as the AVR, I cannot recall asking how you were planning to use the room - are you planning for movies, music, or a mix? If a mix, what percentage? The reason I ask is that when asked about Onkyo, the first thoughts that come to me are a vast array of extras (Tony mentioned these above) as well as a beefy amp section. When asked about Marantz, I tend to think a more musical application.
> 
> ...


Hi Alm - thanks for responding.

The room will be 95%+ for movies. In terms of speakers, I listed the Definitive Tech - not sure what the general thought is on those.


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

SpinalTap said:


> Hi Alm - thanks for responding.
> 
> The room will be 95%+ for movies. In terms of speakers, I listed the Definitive Tech - not sure what the general thought is on those.


With this is mind, I am with Tony and feel the Onkyo would probably be the best match.


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## bamabum (Dec 7, 2012)

How do your deftechs sound?


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## SpinalTap (Nov 23, 2012)

bamabum said:


> How do your deftechs sound?


I have not installed them yet - still in the framing stage.


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