sam9s Home Theater - Civil Construction - PHASE II

[sam9s]

HI Friends,

As you must have seen from my Home Theater Phase I thread, I have taken initial steps in to my Dream Project. First thread was dedicated towards Equipment discussion, here we shall have the actual HT civil and interior discussion.

Before we start lets have the Final Equipment LIst for the complete Home entertainment HUB (few Hardware is still yet to be purchased.)

Equipment List for a 5.1 HT system.


1. EPSON 2030 3D 1080p Full HD Projector.
2. Screen 120' 16:9 - (Yet to be purchased).
3. DENON AVR X1000
4. Panasonic BD-60 Bluray Player
5. WD TV Live Media PLayer
6. Roku Stick - for MHL HDMI on Epson 2030 (Yet to be purchased).
7. C2D - HTPC with GT440
8. FRONTS : Polk Tsi 300
9. CENTER : Polk TSx 150C
10. REAR : Polk Tsx 110B
11. SUB : Polk DSW 550
12. 2 Recliner front seating
13 3 seater soft back seating.

Civil Details BASIC

1. Room Length : 15' feet
2. Width : 12' feet
3. Height : 8 feet' (false ceiling would be @ 8') actual height is around 9'
4. No natural lighting, only two door, one for entry and one for exit
5. A pantry cum mini office cum computer lab will be adjacent to the main theatre room (check 3D Model below)
6. Still planning if I would also add a tiny bar as well.

Civil Details INTERIORS as planned

Interior colour scheme would be shades of beige

1. 3 Walls :: Thin Carpeted on Thin MDF boards on 3 walls (left, right and back)
2. Front wall (i.e screen wall.) :: Will be painted in dark brown color. sample below.

3. Ceiling :: will be false ceiling with gypsum boards, it can plain or something like square boards as we have in offices. This is yet to be decided, I am inclined towards square gypsum board false ceiling, something like sample below.

4. Flooring :: Will be in three layers, first a vinyl sheet(thin), then a foam sheet and finally thick carpet.

5. Equipment Rack :: Equipment rack will be hosted in a separate Equipment cum Online UPS/Inverter room, with a small separate space for the Genset.
Equi[pment rack will host 7 shelves with all my A/V gear. One rack will have my laptop with sliding mount. The top rack will host manual high quality switches to indivisually controll all the electronics, including lighting of the room. With two main DP switches to power on and off the entire built in one go. (one for all lights and one for equipment)

5. Lighting :: 6 spot lights on roof. 3 spot lights on front wall screen. 2 mini spot lights on rear speakers. 4 spot lights on 4 wall posters (huge 3' by 4' posters). Step lights on raiser and finally spot light on my Equipment rack.
Apart from this there woulds also be few more mini lights covering other aspects (details later in the thread)

What kind of lights, shade make, is yet to be decided. Will need fellow members input here.

6. Automation :: Have decided to use Z-Wave technology to automate as much as possible in my HT. This would be the last phase ie. Phase III

3D Floor Plan.

Below are the screen shots of 3D floor plan, that would give you an idea of what I am planning.

Below is a video of the same 3D floor plan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIIYS91EhVk&feature=youtu.be

Below are the actual pics of construction.

Current Status:

The room walls are erect, and conduits for mains, spk and lighting have been laid out. Plastering is going at present.

Stay Tuned for More updates and details. ... Suggestions are most welcomed .....


Regards
Sammy

 

[sash]

1. What kind of roof is that? Is it prefab? Details please.
2. Ensure the door opens outside. Otherwise you'll get into trouble with the door possibly touching the speakers when opened etc.
3. Pay a LOT of attention to the door. That is where most of the sound leakage happens to the outside. The door must be really thick.
4. Warm white (yellowish) lights give a nicer feel than cool white.
5. Consider an exhaust fan. Things can get really stuffy in there.
6. I urge you to consider acoustics again. Ethan Winer's articles are great. Generally bass is better tamed using thin hard materials (thin ply that can vibrate) and higher frequencies by softer materials.

 

[vasishta.sushant]

Excellent. May I suggest some automation related stuff. To begin with Logitech Harmony One. And some consideration for the bass traps/sound insulation (knowing that this would be a dedicated room for the purpose).

 

[sam9s]

1. What kind of roof is that? Is it prefab? Details please.
2. Ensure the door opens outside. Otherwise you'll get into trouble with the door possibly touching the speakers when opened etc.
3. Pay a LOT of attention to the door. That is where most of the sound leakage happens to the outside. The door must be really thick.
4. Warm white (yellowish) lights give a nicer feel than cool white.
5. Consider an exhaust fan. Things can get really stuffy in there.
6. I urge you to consider acoustics again. Ethan Winer's articles are great. Generally bass is better tamed using thin hard materials (thin ply that can vibrate) and higher frequencies by softer materials.

1. What kind of roof is that? Is it prefab? Details please

Initial Plan was prefab, but that was landing to be too expensive (for what ever reasons, coz seriously the kind of material they use does not look as if it can be that expensive). So took the risk with brick construction for walls. Since RCC roof is absolutely not allowed, had to go with alternative. This roof is nothing but simple thick cement sheets laid out evenly and sealed in corners again with cement. All joints also are first sealed with drops of "Tarcole" and then with cement. All walls are usual brick cement walls.

Next step will be to have false ceiling, that would cover everything from corner to corner giving the room its proper appearance. What type (square gypsum or plain) is yet to be decided.

2. Ensure the door opens outside. Otherwise you'll get into trouble with the door possibly touching the speakers when opened etc.

Entrance door will open inside and exit door near the front left speaker will open outside, coz that would touch the speaker. Entrance door does not have any such issue.

3. Pay a LOT of attention to the door. That is where most of the sound leakage happens to the outside. The door must be really thick.


mmm ok good point here. What kind of door do you suggest. The walls are one brick 4" walls if that is of any importance while doing the door. As of now no no door have been installed. Any idea about what kind of material shall be best for doors and dimensions ...???


4. Warm white (yellowish) lights give a nicer feel than cool white.

Yes all lights will have that yellow tint matching the room ambiance (beige)

5. Consider an exhaust fan. Things can get really stuffy in there.

Okie I haven't really given a thought on this. How much imp is this aspect as I already have laid out the conduits and pipes. Getting a exhaust fan now might be a bit tricky, not to forget drilling a big hole in the wall that is already plastered ...

However I would like to add there would be a 10' exhaust fan in the Equipment room as that can go really hot.

6. I urge you to consider acoustics again. Ethan Winer's articles are great. Generally bass is better tamed using thin hard materials (thin ply that can vibrate) and higher frequencies by softer materials.

Ok not doing any acoustics as such except laying a vinyl sheet for flooring, plus since almost the entire room will be carpeted, a certain amount of acoustics will automatically happen, correct me if I am wrong.

Please I am open to suggestions here as I have no idea how to get this done. Base traps and all. Is it expensive??? I have not kept any separate budget for acoustics and all.

 

[sam9s]

Excellent. May I suggest some automation related stuff. To begin with Logitech Harmony One. And some consideration for the bass traps/sound insulation (knowing that this would be a dedicated room for the purpose).

micasa verde Z-wave will use Android as the main control centre so my tab or phone will be the main unit to auto control everything.(including lights). I will see if that does not suffice my requirement. I shall then can invest in Harmony One.

For bass traps and all yes as I mentioned in the above post I have not idea how to go about it so every suggestion is welcomed on this.

 

[manoj.p]

What's that small room behind the screen for?

 

[sud98]

Entrance door will open inside and exit door near the front left speaker will open outside, coz that would touch the speaker. Entrance door does not have any such issue.

One option is to have two doors for the entrance. One that opens outside and the next one that opens inside as currently planned. This will prevent sound leakage to other rooms esp. if you can manage a passage.

 

[sam9s]

What's that small room behind the screen for?

Thats the Pantry cum mini office cum computer lab .... I know lots of cums for a small room but will see how to utilize the space as best as I can. The room size is 4.5x11.5 feet.

 

[sam9s]

Entrance door will open inside and exit door near the front left speaker will open outside, coz that would touch the speaker. Entrance door does not have any such issue.

One option is to have two doors for the entrance. One that opens outside and the next one that opens inside as currently planned. This will prevent sound leakage to other rooms esp. if you can manage a passage.

How am I then going to provide entrance to the Pantry room just behind the screen wall. Idea is the exit door is also kind of an entry door for the pantry room via a tiny gallery.

 

[sam9s]

Friends ... UPDATE:

Taken the advice form sash and decided to install an exhaust fan in the room. This is how I have planned, instead of putting it somewhere that would directly throw the air out, seem better to install just left of the Equipment rack, so that the cool air (coz of AC) is thrown inside the equipment rack room,........... there will install another exhaust inside the Equipment room, that would eventually throw the air completely out, maintaining the airflow and keeping the equipment room cooler as well, in extreme summers.

Check out the screenshot.

Below is the exhaust I am planning to install.

Bajaj Ventilation Fan 200 mm Maxima DX White: Buy Online @ Snapdeal India

would spray paint it to match the interiors.

Suggestions ...... on this or any other aspect. I see less response, friends request you to participate to help me get the best out of my HT, thanks.

 

[MJ23Bulls]

Hi,
Having two doors with different opening orientations might sound fine. However, for safety reasons, all the doors should be oriented towards opening towards inside. If the speakers' safety is to be looked into, then that one particular door may be shifted to a little to its side so that it doesn't hit the speakers when opened towards inside.

 

[sam9s]

Friends UPDATE :::

Wall plastering has been completed and now, from tomorrow flooring would be started.

I need suggestion on certain aspect from my fellow members here ............

Initially what I was planning to do was to have thing MDF boards on my walls and then on it have wall to wall thin carpet.......... Question is if I have to omit the MFD boards and directly put wall carpet on the walls, what do I need to apply on plastered walls before I past the wall carpets .....

Wall putty,
Primer
Or Wall putty and paint is necessary

I am sure I can not directly put wall carpet on plastered walls can I ???. Any idea whats the cost of putting wall putty ..??

 

[sam9s]

mmmm so no suggestion on the above ... .

Anyway decided to go with JK White cement on the plastered walls, then would decided if I should go for MDF boards on walls and then wall carpet, or directly wall carpet.

Worker has started working on the flooring today. tomorrow EOD I think flooring should be completed. Mean time also installed a green stone slab in the pantry today. Havent exactly decided how would I design the pantry since I am also planning to make it a small computer lab as well. Will probably divide it in to two partitions and use the outer one as computer lab and inner one as pantry. ...let see

 

[manoj.p]

just go with wall carpet with padding. No need for MDF.

 

[sam9s]

mmm ok atleast someone cared to suggest. I was hoping MDF will add an extra layer for sound proofing. Since the HT is on terrace, do not want to disturb the neighbours below. what do u say

 

[sud98]

Wont it make better sense to buy some of those anutone or similar acoustic boards at the points of reflection.

 

[manoj.p]

MDF alone won't do it. You would need to use fiberglass insulation+plywood+green glue+plywood to make it sound proof.

Besides, MDF is prone to growing mold. You don't want that as your walls.

 

[sam9s]

^^ errrr I am not talking about 90-100% sound proofing, fiberglass, green glue would give me 95%+ sound proofing. I am just trying to get some sound proofing as compared to nothing. Thats the objective.

Yes MDF is prone to mold thats a good and valid point, OK so would not go for MDF.

Just tell me if I want to achieve just a basic sound proofing. I probably should not call it shound proofing at all. What I mean is something better than leaving it just like that. Bare walls you know.

I see you have mentioned plywood as well, Would that make some difference ..... is it reliable if I will put carpet on it ???.

 

[sam9s]

Wont it make better sense to buy some of those anutone or similar acoustic boards at the points of reflection.

Thanks sud, I dont know much about this. at what point of interior decoration should I be concerned about these boards, and how to apply them infact where to apply them.....sorry this is all new to me. If one can guide me I probably can go with it ..... plus cost as well how many would I need and so what could be the cost.....

 

[sam9s]

UPDATE ::: Friends walls and flooring done ...