My basement home theater project (pics)

[picky]

dkp: Welcome to your Hell, "Mudpuppy"! [] Been there / done that / bought the T-Shirt! LOL

[dkp]

You'd better be nice, Glenn. Remember, I met your mother and I don't want to have to give her a bad report!!!!!!! [6]

[michael hurd]

Dkp..... mudding can be tedious for sure, make sure to go around and mark all the spots that need a tad more with pencil. I just did a bathroom for my brother Dave, and it turned out great. Do one side of the corners at a time, this is the easiest way I have found. Those corner trowels?? I don't really like them. Butt joints need to go wide, most of mine are at least 18 - 20 " wide, maybe more. Hanging the board so that it is as straight as possible is a real help. Easy to do in new construction, where you can make sure the walls are plumb and straight, but renovations may require changing out a few studs and / or shimming the low studs up with panelling strips or 1/4" ply.

I find that putting an extra coat of primer on all the seams helps to blend in the texture better. ( sometimes the seams are too smooth compared to the paper ) Give the drywall 2 full coats of primer to seal, and lightly sand the primer with 220 on a foam block to knock down the texture..... this results in a super smooth finish after painting. I had a few screws show after the first coat of primer, I simply applied a little compound and scraped it smooth, then applied the second coat of primer.

I use a wooster brush for the paint.... worth every penny! For the roler cover, I find either a 5mm or 8 mm nap works fantastic for me. If you are using latex paint ( most likely ) keep the temperature down if you can, this gives you more working time, as the paint dries slower.

Keep moving as fast as you can applying the paint. I load the roller about every minute, you can hear the difference in sound when it is loaded or almost empty. I backroll constantly, and when done, you can't see a roller mark anywhere, honestly it looks as if the room was sprayed, the texture is that even.

[DrWho]

But Trey... Yours seemed to straighten you out good!

Isn't that the problem? []

[dkp]

Michael-thanks for your words of wisdom on this project. When I drywall, I generally start with an 8" knife for the first coat or two, move to a 10" and then the last coat or two a 12". I have had pretty good luck using a lamp with a 100 watt bulb (and all other lights off) to find any uneven spots. That, coupled with the 12" knife and looking for daylight seemed to really make a big difference in the room I just finished down here. I do use a corner trowel, but I apply the mud with a 3" knife and just use the corner trowel to finish the corner. After the corner trowel, I go back over it with the 3" knife, pushing the outside of the mud towards the corner, which makes for easier sanding. Butt joints are about 2 knife widths, which would be 24" roughly.

I hear you on the issue with plumbness and straightness. I have had my lumber for a couple of years down here (project derailed with birth of 2nd daughter, and pushed way back when the third came). Anyway, during that time many of the studs warped significantly and is causing some issues as I am mudding. There was just not much that could be done, unfortunately. I thought about swapping them out, but didn't want to spend the extra cash on something that I already purchased. I guess I'll find out if that was a mistake or not when the paint is applied.

The extra coat of primer on the seams is probably a good idea-I typically slop it on pretty thick anyway, but your point is well taken. However, I had not thought of sanding the primer after application so thanks for the heads-up on that!

I'll continue posting pics as I go along. The drywall is basically complete. Two layers on the ceiling; first was 1/2" and 5/8" over (under, since it's upside-down) that. I have put five coats of mud on the walls and four on the ceiling. It's looking good in most areas, although I have a couple of problem areas, but I knew that we were looking at problems in these spots from the get-go, so nothing unexpected thus far, which is always good news!!!

We have a couple of estimates on carpeting and will probably place the order tomorrow. I was surprised to hear that it could be in by the latter half of next week, which means that I need to stop typing and get back to mudding!!! []

Thanks for all of the helpful comments, Michael. I really appreciate the advice!

-David

[michael hurd]

David... when sanding the primer, I don't typically sand until it is flat at all.... I just take the top off the texture, that is all. To do a room 12x 12' should take all of about 10 minutes to lightly knock down the texture of the primer. I did ZERO sanding in my corners. I used a steel 3" wide knife for the first 2 coats..... and also used it to knock down any high spots at the edge. Same with all the screw holes after scraping full with compound, let them dry. I don't sand them at all, just run the 6" wide knife at a very low angle to literally shave off any excess ( very little after it was scraped flat when applied )

I only sanded between the 3rd and 4th coats, and after the 4th coat of mud, some seams required a slight scrape before sanded again. Then again, I do bodywork as well..... so you get good at seeing the imperfections requiring attention.

[InVeNtOr]

i use to remodel houses with my dad and he would have me sand the joints. i outsmarted him. i got a 24" 2x4 and put sand paper on that. just a few passes with that, and it was good. it also helps if you don't put that much mud on in the first place.

[colterphoto1]

DrWho-I'm thinking that you need to start DJ'ing for wedding parties. You might meet the future MrsWho there, if you play your cards right...

-David

Forget about meeting anyone at weddings, I photographed 180 of them with not a hint of MrsPhoto.[*-)]

[formica]

But Trey... Yours seemed to straighten you out good!

Isn't that the problem? []

If anybody needs tricks on fixing those type of problems, apparently I'm the guy to see ... []

[dkp]

Update: Well, the mudding is now 99% complete. I have a few spots here and there that I need to do some work on, but I'm basically finished. The screen wall, front right side wall and the front portion of the ceiling have all had one coat of paint applied. I will be painting the area surrounding the riser tonight and nearly done with the last little bit of mudding (by the stairs). I can't believe how good the paint is looking thus far! Wow! It is great to see all those late nights finally paying off. I have a substantial amount of work ahead of me, but it's great to see things coming along so nicely.

Up next: After I get done with the above, I need to put the tile down. I'm hoping to get that done by the weekend and get the carpeting ordered and installed early next week. I can hardly wait to get this thing finished!

-David

[picky]

That's Great David! Now, you just need to post more pictures!!!!! []

-Glenn

[IndyKlipschFan]

formica.. hahhahaa yes to some, it is just urine.... to you, it is bread and butter... hahahhahahahaha

[dkp]

Update:

Paint: One more coat on a couple of walls (I'm finishing up the corner bead where the ceiling above the stairs meets the basement ceiling-that needs a fair amount of mud) and some minor touching up and I'm done. My wife has been painting the baseboards, door trim and the trim (rings) around the canned lights. It's looking really nice!

Projector hush-box: The hole was cut into the drywall where the box and mount will go; the projector has been mounted so I just need to get the box done and then paint it. BTW, the hush box will be constructed with 3/4" mdf and lined with carpet padding for insullation (sound).

Tiling: I started last night and got about 2/3 of the way through. I will finish this up tonight.

Carpet: Installation scheduled for Tuesday! EDIT: MONDAY!!!! [<)][Y]

Screen: Mounted, plugged in & ready to go (although Iwill probably place some decorative covering around it this fall)

Pictures: I haven't taken any lately, but I'll try to get some uploaded here soon!!!

[dkp]

Carpet update: Installer is sick so we postponed until he's better (we cannot have him around our daughter w/an illness) Massive frustration!!!!!

[DefaultName]

The pictures were very useful. It will certainly help new users on how-to's with their (and mine) projects.

______________

Gary

McIntosh MC207 Power Amplifier - Get the MC207 Power Amplifier catalog by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

[dkp]

Thanks, DefaultName (nice name, lol). I keep telling you guys I'm going to post more pics, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. The carpeting is scheduled to be installed in the morning [H], so maybe this weekend I can get some more posted.

[dkp]

Wow, I just scrolled back through this thread and didn't realize it's been so long since I've posted pictures!!! [:$] Sorry for the delay, but I've been covered in mud, primer & paint for the last month!!! I have a ton of pics to post, so I'll start with the ones that follow the timeline with the last ones I posted.

[dkp]

The next few will show the walls after being covered with primer.

[dkp]

The next pics show the basement as it is presently. You will notice that I still have a LOT of projects to do, but my goal was to get the theater operational before the nice weather hits, and finish the smaller projects on rain days and this fall/winter. We are housebound from about October until nearly the end of May (the end of the flu & RSV seasons) and again when it gets too hot outside due to some health issues with our youngest, so I did not want to take away any of the time we have available to spend outdoors right now. The trim for around the doors has been cut and painted and just needs to get nailed up; crown molding was in the plans, but there are a few issues to work around; hushbox needs to get constructed; etc etc etc.

The carpeting was installed last Friday during the day so I started moving my equipment down there in the evening. Here's a pic of what I started with.

Yes, the everything was dusted and cleaned thoroughly before being put into the new rack!!

[dkp]

LOL, the t-shirt hanging out of the hole where the doorknob will go (on the black door) is to keep the light out of the room! The red paint at the bottom of the stairs needs a final coat of paint. I'm not sure if I've posted this yet or not, but we have plans to put in a bar on the tiled area. The bar will be L-shaped with the counter beginning at the bottom of the stairs. So when you come down the stairs and turn to your right you will have two barstools on your right facing the door to the bathroom/laundry area. The counter will then turn to the right 90 degrees and head directly towards the door to the bathroom/laundry area. There will be a sink on the wall (not yet built) that encloses the stairs along with a couple of cabinets, an alcove for a microwave and a small refrigerator (at floor level). We've yet to finalize the design, but our discussions have centered on using glass block for the base of the bar.

You will also notice that the front of the room has a plethora of speaker wire and miscellaneous cabling. Originally, my plan was to build a combination center speaker stand/audio rack/seat at the center of the front wall. However, I later came across the audio rack that you see pictured and prefer the vertical orientation. The original plan was to design the rack to allow additional seating for the room when not being used as a theater. So the plan will be changed somewhat to use the "box" as a center speaker stand but to also allow for seating and some storage. Your thoughts on design, etc are more than welcome.

You may also notice the black vent on the ceiling located between two of the canned lights, along with the ductwork on each side of the projector. The black vent is a cover over the air intake for the hushbox. The right duct is the exhaust from the box and is vented out the rear of the house, the same way a clothes dryer is vented. Each duct has an inline fan that is powered by the Monster Power strip. I am able to switch both the projector and these fans on when the projector is being used. I tested this out and there is some fan noise at the front of the room, but it seems that most of it is coming from the end of the ductwork in the hushbox. When the box is finished the noise level should be very modest. The other fan is located at about the mid-point of the riser and the sound is barely audible.