My dedicated HT room - almost done

[ThA tRiXtA]

I have finally made some significant progress on my new dedicated home theater, and snapped a few pictures before I finally close up the walls.

This past weekend I finished installing two layers of sound blocking insulation in the ceiling and am ready to start the drywalling. Getting so close now I can taste it.

I have received much help over the last while from various members here, too many to name so in short, thank you all. Couldn't have done it without you.

Just a bit of background on the room... it is roughly 19 x 12 feet with unfortunately low ceilings of about 6'8". The low ceilings are due to a poorly thought out HVAC duct that runs from the front of the house to the back and splits into a "Y" two thirds of the way down the room. I considered boxing it in but in the end I decided it would look like hell and be a nightmare to drywall in, so I framed the ceiling in flat across the entire room.

I effectively created a "room within a room" kind of idea where no perimeter wall contacts any of the foundation and partly due to the ducting overhead I dropped down the ceiling framing so no drywall will be fastened to the floor joists overhead.

The left hand wall and the ceiling will have a double thickness of drywall, because the neighbor attached to the left side of my townhouse hates my face and I wanted to block as much sound transfer as possible. The ceiling will have two layers of drywall as it is in my basement and I wanted to cut down on the rest of the house being disturbed from any movies playing.

I used 2" PVC for wiring conduit throughout the room. All speaker wires, HDMI and sub cables will be ran in wall.

In some pictures you can see some chunks of blocking, the biggest one to anchor my flat panel TV mount to the wall securely. I'm not taking any chances LOL.

Any comments, suggestions or criticisms are welcome. Let's get on to the pics!!

To start, here we have a picture of the basement just after I bought the house and before I started tearing all the old framing and insulation out... the original builders did a piss poor job on the framing and insulating, I had no choice but to tear it all out. Note the duct work I mentioned above with the split in it.

Here is a picture of the same far wall you saw in the first picture, but after I reworked it. It is the wall where the TV will be. You can see the section of blocking I mentioned above, with a conduit into the middle of it for the HDMI cable.

This is the left half of the right hand 19' wall. At the very top of the picture you can see the HVAC vent I plumbed in. Works well, keeps my room nice and cool, almost too cold some days!

This is right half of the right hand 19' wall. On the very end is the basement's only cold air return back to the furnace that I installed. I hope the 2" conduit doesn't restrict the return flow too much!

Here is the wall that has the entrance to the room. You can see through the door, that is the set of stairs that comes down into my basement. One mistake that I made here is that I planned for a 36" wide door, and framed in a 12" section of wall on the right side of the door. That whole wall is only about 11' 8" so it seriously impacted the placement of my two rear centers for my 7.2 setup... you guys said it won't be a huge deal. I hope not. You can see the conduit lead to two wiring boxes for the two rear centers. Not very much room to play with! The section of conduit heading straight down is for the rear sub.

Here is the left side of the left hand 19' wall (this is the wall that is a shared foundation wall with my neighbor.) The entry door frame is slightly visible on the left edge of this picture. In the middle under the blocking is the conduit and wiring box for the left surround.

Here is the right half of the left hand 19' wall (the shared foundation wall.) Nothing too fancy to see here, but throughout the series of pictures you will see 6 octagonal wiring boxes, each of those are wired for a wall sconce... 3 sconces per each side wall. The double box to the right of the door frame in a previous picture will house 2 independent dimmer switches... dimmer 1 will control sconce 1 and 2 and 5 and 6. Dimmer 2 will control the two sconces (3 and 4) in the middle of each side wall.

This is a close up picture of the input / output wiring boxes that feed the rest of the room and you can also see the zone 2 speaker wires I have already fished in to put music throughout the house. You can also see an unterminated drop of RG6 coax for the digital cable. The blocking you see is for a large power bar / surge protection unit. Below it is the 14/2 dedicated circuit to power the HT. My audio rack will sit directly in front of this and all the wires out of the back of the receiver will go straight into the wall behind it.

This is a closeup of the TV wall mount blocking and the in wall HDMI cable drop. Below it you can see the wiring box for the center channel.

Shot from the doorway looking in...

Things I wish I would have done and will do differently in my next house:

- Full height ceiling. I have the feeling I will feel like I am in a cave after I am done. I really, really wish the previous owner of this house sprung for the bigger foundation.

- The next house I will buy will have a wider and bigger basement. Granted this is only one wing of my current basement and it was the only logical place to build the room, I'd like a longer room so I can build a false wall at the far end which will serve as a climate controlled closet for all my amps / receiver / players etc. This current room is also going to be a tight squeeze to get around my 4 seater reclining couch. The couch was designed for home theater use, as it has built in wedges with drink holders and a storage cubby but unfortunately I had to remove those sections to be able to fit it in the room. At that, I will only have 18" of space between either end of the couch and the wall. Hopefully I don't enjoy too many a waistline-expanding beer after the room is done or I won't be able to get to my couch any more...

Long story short, The next house I buy will have the space allowances for at least a room that is 18' wide and 25' long.

- Choose a better location for the entry door. Unfortunately I really didn't have much of a choice in this house for the door because of the desired speaker layout and the laundry room conflicting with other possible doorways, but I really should have thought more before I started the rough framing.

- Last but certainly not least, buy a single home, not a town house so I can crank my system and not worry!

Thanks for looking guys. Cheers.

Rob

 

[TLS Guy]

Very nice work. You are doing it right. The only thing I would comment on, is surge protectors. HT done right is a big investment. UPS systems I think are cheap insurance and pay dividends. I have zero to minimal confidence surge protectors will give the required level of protection.

One other thing. I see you have partially blocked your egress window. That is a major code violation. Apart from not being a good idea, will give you problems if you decide to sell the house, as it will fail mechanical inspection. Hopefully you will never have to use this window, but if you do you will likely be cited by the fire Marshall, to add to the rest of your misery.

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

Very nice work. You are doing it right. The only thing I would comment on, is surge protectors. HT done right is a big investment. UPS systems I think are cheap insurance and pay dividends. I have zero to minimal confidence surge protectors will give the required level of protection.

One other thing. I see you have partially blocked your egress window. That is a major code violation. Apart from not being a good idea, will give you problems if you decide to sell the house, as it will fail mechanical inspection. Hopefully you will never have to use this window, but if you do you will likely be cited by the fire Marshall, to add to the rest of your misery.

Hi TLS Guy,

Thanks very much for your feedback and comments. Coming from you and knowing the dedicated studio you designed, please know I appreciate them and do not take them lightly.

I was going to upgrade from my monster power bar that I already owned from when I first got into home theater. I was hoping to get a rack mount model or something of that nature.

I made a thread regarding just that, but the majority said since I already owned it that I might as well keep using it. I paid a pretty penny for it (obviously the name on it caused some of that) but it was the biggest and best model the audio store had in stock.

What would you suggest in terms of protection equipment? I still need to pick something up to protect my rear sub which will be on it's own in the back of the room.

In regards to your second comment, perhaps I am misunderstanding your statement or maybe you can't see what I have done around that window... the pictures are admittedly not that great and don't really show what I did there.

I foresaw it being a problem if I did block that window whatsoever, so I actually framed a 2 foot "pocket" so to speak around it so in reality it's access is not impeded in any fashion. The pocket goes the full height right up to the ceiling joists, minus the thickness of a 2 x 4 for fastening surface for the drywall.

Would this still be against code? Would you mind elaborating on this, specifically why it would be against code? I am going to assume the main reason would be if you blocked that window and a fire started in the basement and you couldn't use the stairs you would need to use the window to get out safely?

Thanks again, much appreciated.

 

[Adam]

Thanks for the pics, and for the lessons learned! That sure does look like a lot of work. I've got a lot of respect for you and everyone else that undertakes such ventures. Most impressive, indeed. Hopefully you'll have the time to keep us updated with pictures as the project moves forward. I looked forward to seeing it mature, as well as seeing the end result.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi TLS Guy,

Thanks very much for your feedback and comments. Coming from you and knowing the dedicated studio you designed, please know I appreciate them and do not take them lightly.

I was going to upgrade from my monster power bar that I already owned from when I first got into home theater. I was hoping to get a rack mount model or something of that nature.

I made a thread regarding just that, but the majority said since I already owned it that I might as well keep using it. I paid a pretty penny for it (obviously the name on it caused some of that) but it was the biggest and best model the audio store had in stock.

What would you suggest in terms of protection equipment? I still need to pick something up to protect my rear sub which will be on it's own in the back of the room.

In regards to your second comment, perhaps I am misunderstanding your statement or maybe you can't see what I have done around that window... the pictures are admittedly not that great and don't really show what I did there.

I foresaw it being a problem if I did block that window whatsoever, so I actually framed a 2 foot "pocket" so to speak around it so in reality it's access is not impeded in any fashion. The pocket goes the full height right up to the ceiling joists, minus the thickness of a 2 x 4 for fastening surface for the drywall.

Would this still be against code? Would you mind elaborating on this, specifically why it would be against code? I am going to assume the main reason would be if you blocked that window and a fire started in the basement and you couldn't use the stairs you would need to use the window to get out safely?

Thanks again, much appreciated.

I'm going to deal with the safety issue first, as I still have concerns. I did notice you had built the pocket round it, but could not see how big it was.

First off the purpose of an egress window is indeed to allow people to get out of the house if the exit through the stairway is blocked. It also allows the fire department to effect a rescue. As I retired critical care physician I can assure you they are vital.

Now did you replace that window? I ask this as I don't see how it works.

The window has to open easily. The one I put in in Grand Forks had two handles you pulled and the window came out.

When I bought the Benedict home, there was no egress window, in the back bedroom below ground. This is the grand children's bedroom. There are a stairs out and two outside doors. Only the back south wall is below ground, which is one wall of that bedroom. However I did not want a chance of any body getting trapped, so I had the window enlarged to regulation size. On this window there is a large handle to unlatch the window and then the whole window winds open screen and all.

It is a good idea to rehearse family evacuation plans, and having people open and get out of it in the dark is a good idea.

Now before going any further, I would recommend trying to get out of that window. You should not have to smash class and getting out should be quick and easy.

If you are in doubt, I suggest you contact your local fire marshall. They will advise and make recommendations at no charge.

It is hard to judge from the pictures, but that egress window does not look right, and at least from the pictures looks as if it might be a significant safety hazard.

Now the UPS. When I did my studio the only thing that was remote from the studio, was the TV. I think the TV is one of the things that really needs protection. I put separate conduit for the power to the TV so it could be supplied by the UPS powering the video rack.

I do not use a sub as you know. My mains do a good enough job of threatening the structural integrity of the house without one! The LFE channel info is captured though. However if I did use a sub, I would put in conduit so it could be powered from one of the three UPS systems. This would also allow for tying in of the ground and avoiding a potential for a ground loop.

I would recommend that before you close up.

I use refurbished UPS systems from APC. They are good value. The most cost effective type is a smart online UPS with a response time of 1 to 1.5 msec. It should start shaving voltage above 130 volts and start supporting voltage around 106 to 108 volts. Sudden sags or spikes should make the unit switch to inverter instantly. These type of UPS systems clean the power to some degree. However a system with the inverter always on is the only type that will clean the power perfectly. Those systems make a lot of heat and waste tremendous energy and are overkill in my view.

For rating you need to add up your power ratings in VA and the max continuous power in watts. This is to make sure the unit can meet the power factor required of your inductive loads and meet your continuous power needs. Both criteria have to be satisfied.

In the winter my UPS systems support voltage fairly frequently. Now it is summer and the load on the power company is less they shave several times a day. They also cut to the inverter several times a month and more often in bad weather. It does not have to be bad weather in the vicinity however to make them cut to the inverter for brief periods. Batteries should be replaced every four years. I strongly recommend these type of devices, and I'm certain they are well worth the outlay involved.

I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have.

 

[Davemcc]

Wow. That's a big job, but it looks great to me. I can't wait to see it finished.

 

[TLS Guy]

I have thought about your room over night. I think you will regret the decision on the low ceiling. It will give a really closed in feel to the room. It is not good acoustically either. I don't think the fire marshal will like the ceiling lower than the egress window.

What is the other side of the wall opposite the egress window and is the ceiling open? Unfortunately your joists run the wrong way for an easy solution. If the ceiling is open you could run flexible heating hose between the joist to the next room, then duct or hose it to the Y and run another hose back between the joists to the T off.

That duct is for HVAC. Home vacuums have improved enormously. Personally, if there is no engineering fix for the duct, I would just take out the duct. I would swap the HVAC for a decent ceiling height any day.

The other option is to frame the duct, which I don't think would be overly difficult, but still spoil the room. I would have very little hesitation to remove the duct.

One other thing has occurred to me. I don't notice any air conditioner or heater ducts. May be I'm missing something? Even if you live in the Northern part of the country, and even though it is a basement, you will still need air conditioning. The equipment will give off significant heat and so will the people watching and listening to it. Without provision for air conditioning it will be like the Black Hole of Calcutta. Also you will need it to control humidity I have had basement spaces exclusively since doing the space here at Benedict. I can assure you even in ND and MN you need air conditioning in summer when there is equipment running.

Basement spaces are always a problem with mechanical ducts in the ceiling. I have to say I'm very glad not to have a basement space now. Even so calculating heat loads is important. I made sure there was continuous air extraction in the equipment room when the amps are fired up. I also put in a two big cooling vents. It keeps the space at satisfactorily cool operating temperature. Keep in mind cooling curves are log. So if the ambient temperature goes up the unit cooling goes down by the log of the increase. I've seen professionals who should know better make errors in this area. The operating temperature of electronic devices is one of the biggest factors determining failure rate and longevity. So it is important to get this right.

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

The pocket is pretty big, plenty of room... in my opinion, of course.

The window is a sliding window, it goes from left to right and vice versa. It has no issues opening or closing and I actually have lifted myself up and gone outside through it to my back patio through that window before, when I was putting the ceiling in... I didn't feel like going all through the house because I was all covered in sawdust and dirt, lol.

There would never be a need to break it's glass or anything.

A quick question, what happens if you bought a house and it has no windows in the basement whatsoever? Do you have to knock a hole out and install one?

Regarding the refurbished APC units, do you purchase them online from a specific supplier, and are they just a regular UPS shaped device or are they rack mount? What form factor are they?

Thanks friend.

I'm going to deal with the safety issue first, as I still have concerns. I did notice you had built the pocket round it, but could not see how big it was.

First off the purpose of an egress window is indeed to allow people to get out of the house if the exit through the stairway is blocked. It also allows the fire department to effect a rescue. As I retired critical care physician I can assure you they are vital.

Now did you replace that window? I ask this as I don't see how it works.

The window has to open easily. The one I put in in Grand Forks had two handles you pulled and the window came out.

When I bought the Benedict home, there was no egress window, in the back bedroom below ground. This is the grand children's bedroom. There are a stairs out and two outside doors. Only the back south wall is below ground, which is one wall of that bedroom. However I did not want a chance of any body getting trapped, so I had the window enlarged to regulation size. On this window there is a large handle to unlatch the window and then the whole window winds open screen and all.

It is a good idea to rehearse family evacuation plans, and having people open and get out of it in the dark is a good idea.

Now before going any further, I would recommend trying to get out of that window. You should not have to smash class and getting out should be quick and easy.

If you are in doubt, I suggest you contact your local fire marshall. They will advise and make recommendations at no charge.

It is hard to judge from the pictures, but that egress window does not look right, and at least from the pictures looks as if it might be a significant safety hazard.

Now the UPS. When I did my studio the only thing that was remote from the studio, was the TV. I think the TV is one of the things that really needs protection. I put separate conduit for the power to the TV so it could be supplied by the UPS powering the video rack.

I do not use a sub as you know. My mains do a good enough job of threatening the structural integrity of the house without one! The LFE channel info is captured though. However if I did use a sub, I would put in conduit so it could be powered from one of the three UPS systems. This would also allow for tying in of the ground and avoiding a potential for a ground loop.

I would recommend that before you close up.

I use refurbished UPS systems from APC. They are good value. The most cost effective type is a smart online UPS with a response time of 1 to 1.5 msec. It should start shaving voltage above 130 volts and start supporting voltage around 106 to 108 volts. Sudden sags or spikes should make the unit switch to inverter instantly. These type of UPS systems clean the power to some degree. However a system with the inverter always on is the only type that will clean the power perfectly. Those systems make a lot of heat and waste tremendous energy and are overkill in my view.

For rating you need to add up your power ratings in VA and the max continuous power in watts. This is to make sure the unit can meet the power factor required of your inductive loads and meet your continuous power needs. Both criteria have to be satisfied.

In the winter my UPS systems support voltage fairly frequently. Now it is summer and the load on the power company is less they shave several times a day. They also cut to the inverter several times a month and more often in bad weather. It does not have to be bad weather in the vicinity however to make them cut to the inverter for brief periods. Batteries should be replaced every four years. I strongly recommend these type of devices, and I'm certain they are well worth the outlay involved.

I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have.

 

[jamie2112]

Wow thats a great looking start. Great job!!! I can't wait to see your finished room. Please keep us updated on your HT in progress.....Thanks looks great.

 

[TLS Guy]

The pocket is pretty big, plenty of room... in my opinion, of course.

The window is a sliding window, it goes from left to right and vice versa. It has no issues opening or closing and I actually have lifted myself up and gone outside through it to my back patio through that window before, when I was putting the ceiling in... I didn't feel like going all through the house because I was all covered in sawdust and dirt, lol.

There would never be a need to break it's glass or anything.

A quick question, what happens if you bought a house and it has no windows in the basement whatsoever? Do you have to knock a hole out and install one?

Regarding the refurbished APC units, do you purchase them online from a specific supplier, and are they just a regular UPS shaped device or are they rack mount? What form factor are they?

Thanks friend.

From a safety aspect that window sounds fine. It just looks strange.

The answer to your question is yes, if the space is a living area.

This happened to me when I bought this lake home. It was a foreclosure sale and I got it from the bank. The window issue was one of many reasons I got the house so cheap. I virtually bought it for the lot value.

I had to do the window, even though there are two outside doors.

To do it, because the ground slopes up behind the house, I had to put in a concrete retaining wall, and build a large concrete swale to get the water away, and stop the lower level flooding from rain run off. That window cost $13,500!

I would however take a second, third, fourth and fifth look at your decision to have a ceiling that low before you proceed further. I personally would not do it. After considering it over night I'm even more convinced about that.

As far as the UPS goes, I got mine from this outfit, and had no problems.

I used this outfit when I had to put a unit in my downstairs system to stop repeated blowing up of the HD DVR in that location. The other outfit were out of the unit I wanted. I no problems with either vendor.

Well, good luck with the rest of your project and don't hesitate to pose further questions.

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

I already do regret having the lowered ceiling, if it could be different I would gladly have it be different. I entertained many scenarios that would remove that duct run but since the joists run left to right across the foundation rather than front to back I can't tuck the ducting up into them... I also considered moving the duct to the left hand side of the ceiling so at least the framed box around it would be out of the way... but it would interfere with the entrance door and through consultation of a couple people experienced in ducting and heating, they said that eliminating that "Y" would impose on the balance and delivery of conditioned air to the main and upper floor of the house.

I also considered getting a wider but less deep duct to replace it with but I would have only gained a few inches at most.

What acoustic effects will a room with a lowered ceiling endure? I was rather curious about this, now you have me a little worried. Please elaborate.

I don't think you can see it from my pictures, but unfortunately that Y connects to two ducts that travel straight up the end wall feeding some vents on the main and second floor of the house, so it is not an option for me to eliminate it... if that duct run only fed the basement it would have been long removed from there.

If it were just a straight run all the way down I would have just framed and drywalled in that duct, but the Y fork is what kept me from doing that. I think it would look rather hideous after being drywalled.

There is a HVAC vent in my new room, it draws off the main trunk that runs straight down the middle of the room, I've highlighted it's presence in the picture below. Trust me, the basement is rather cool even in the summer without the central A/C on, with the central air on it is like a meat locker... seriously. I need to baffle it or something to reduce the flow.

By the way, I live farther north than that. I am from Canada.

Regarding your note on electronics and air handling in general, this is why I decided to plumb in a cold air return back to the furnace. I almost came close to saying screw it and not bothering with putting one in... when I bought the house there was not even one cold air return in the basement whatsoever.

Things run a lot more efficiently when you have a draw and supply, as I'm sure you're aware.

I have thought about your room over night. I think you will regret the decision on the low ceiling. It will give a really closed in feel to the room. It is not good acoustically either. I don't think the fire marshal will like the ceiling lower than the egress window.

What is the other side of the wall opposite the egress window and is the ceiling open? Unfortunately your joists run the wrong way for an easy solution. If the ceiling is open you could run flexible heating hose between the joist to the next room, then duct or hose it to the Y and run another hose back between the joists to the T off.

That duct is for HVAC. Home vacuums have improved enormously. Personally, if there is no engineering fix for the duct, I would just take out the duct. I would swap the HVAC for a decent ceiling height any day.

The other option is to frame the duct, which I don't think would be overly difficult, but still spoil the room. I would have very little hesitation to remove the duct.

One other thing has occurred to me. I don't notice any air conditioner or heater ducts. May be I'm missing something? Even if you live in the Northern part of the country, and even though it is a basement, you will still need air conditioning. The equipment will give off significant heat and so will the people watching and listening to it. Without provision for air conditioning it will be like the Black Hole of Calcutta. Also you will need it to control humidity I have had basement spaces exclusively since doing the space here at Benedict. I can assure you even in ND and MN you need air conditioning in summer when there is equipment running.

Basement spaces are always a problem with mechanical ducts in the ceiling. I have to say I'm very glad not to have a basement space now. Even so calculating heat loads is important. I made sure there was continuous air extraction in the equipment room when the amps are fired up. I also put in a two big cooling vents. It keeps the space at satisfactorily cool operating temperature. Keep in mind cooling curves are log. So if the ambient temperature goes up the unit cooling goes down by the log of the increase. I've seen professionals who should know better make errors in this area. The operating temperature of electronic devices is one of the biggest factors determining failure rate and longevity. So it is important to get this right.

 

[TLS Guy]

I already do regret having the lowered ceiling, if it could be different I would gladly have it be different. I entertained many scenarios that would remove that duct run but since the joists run left to right across the foundation rather than front to back I can't tuck the ducting up into them... I also considered moving the duct to the left hand side of the ceiling so at least the framed box around it would be out of the way... but it would interfere with the entrance door and through consultation of a couple people experienced in ducting and heating, they said that eliminating that "Y" would impose on the balance and delivery of conditioned air to the main and upper floor of the house.

I also considered getting a wider but less deep duct to replace it with but I would have only gained a few inches at most.

What acoustic effects will a room with a lowered ceiling endure? I was rather curious about this, now you have me a little worried. Please elaborate.

I don't think you can see it from my pictures, but unfortunately that Y connects to two ducts that travel straight up the end wall feeding some vents on the main and second floor of the house, so it is not an option for me to eliminate it... if that duct run only fed the basement it would have been long removed from there.

If it were just a straight run all the way down I would have just framed and drywalled in that duct, but the Y fork is what kept me from doing that. I think it would look rather hideous after being drywalled.

There is a HVAC vent in my new room, it draws off the main trunk that runs straight down the middle of the room, I've highlighted it's presence in the picture below. Trust me, the basement is rather cool even in the summer without the central A/C on, with the central air on it is like a meat locker... seriously. I need to baffle it or something to reduce the flow.

By the way, I live farther north than that. I am from Canada.

Regarding your note on electronics and air handling in general, this is why I decided to plumb in a cold air return back to the furnace. I almost came close to saying screw it and not bothering with putting one in... when I bought the house there was not even one cold air return in the basement whatsoever.

Things run a lot more efficiently when you have a draw and supply, as I'm sure you're aware.

I suppose that is the cold air return. I thought from the pictures it looked a little small, so thought it had another purpose. Mine have always been much bigger than that.

I wonder if you could close the end of the duct at the Y and notch out the joists for a dual hose interconnect beyond that? I don't see a good picture of the Y. If just a few joists have to be notched, I don't think your house will fall down. If the distance is not great I don't think it will restrict air flow unduly either. Then you could box round it and it would just look like a beam.
Can you post a photograph from the Y on?

Your ceiling height gets two parallel walls 6' 8" apart which gets into the 160 175 Hz range, rather than the 130 range of an 8 ft ceiling. The higher the dominant reflection modes the more objectionable they are. The second harmonic of that reflection gets you into the honky 300 to 400 Hz range.

The main thing is the feel of the space. I think when you get it closed up you likely will find it more claustrophobic than you think. I know you have been weighing options, but I would take advice one more time and see if you can get rid of the Y. Boxing the duct after that will be straightforward, and it will look fine as well.

 

[Davemcc]

It's not a good idea to nitch the joists. Building a home theater space is not worth compromising the structural integrity of the house it's built in.

 

[TLS Guy]

It's not a good idea to nitch the joists. Building a home theater space is not worth compromising the structural integrity of the house it's built in.

Yes, it might be better just to widen the chase at the Y end. There are always boxed ducts in basements. I don't think it would look bad and be a lot better than ceilings under 8'

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

The picture that I drew the red arrow on is pointing to a supply duct.

The cold air return was shown in this picture:

I don't know how cold air returns are done in your neck on the woods, but here they are typically plumbed in using a drywall chaser. You can't see it in the pic but there is a section of return duct that terminates at the top of that open section of stud. After the drywall goes on the face, a 16" by 8" hole with be cut out of the drywall between those two studs, typically near the bottom, a few inches off the floor.

Attach your grill over that hole and you're good to go.

So I'm curious, if you're always going to have a couple reflection modes both from ceiling and floor and left and right wall... specifically addressing the floor to ceiling height, is there a prime room height if you could build the room to any height you wished that would be ideal in terms of placing the reflections at the least objectionable frequencies?

Edit:

I neglected to mention earlier, but if you look closely in the picture I linked above, you can see an 8" I beam that hangs down below the joisting, just as the main duct trunk does as well. You can see the support post in the octagonal cover at the left end of the I beam. The I beam hangs just as low as the duct line and it is most definitely not movable as it is obviously load bearing... so removing the duct line not not truly alleviate the problem, unfortunately.

 

[TLS Guy]

The picture that I drew the red arrow on is pointing to a supply duct.

The cold air return was shown in this picture:

I don't know how cold air returns are done in your neck on the woods, but here they are typically plumbed in using a drywall chaser. You can't see it in the pic but there is a section of return duct that terminates at the top of that open section of stud. After the drywall goes on the face, a 16" by 8" hole with be cut out of the drywall between those two studs, typically near the bottom, a few inches off the floor.

Attach your grill over that hole and you're good to go.

So I'm curious, if you're always going to have a couple reflection modes both from ceiling and floor and left and right wall... specifically addressing the floor to ceiling height, is there a prime room height if you could build the room to any height you wished that would be ideal in terms of placing the reflections at the least objectionable frequencies?

Edit:

I neglected to mention earlier, but if you look closely in the picture I linked above, you can see an 8" I beam that hangs down below the joisting, just as the main duct trunk does as well. You can see the support post in the octagonal cover at the left end of the I beam. The I beam hangs just as low as the duct line and it is most definitely not movable as it is obviously load bearing... so removing the duct line not not truly alleviate the problem, unfortunately.

If I had to pick, something like 20 to 24 X 12 to 14 X 8 to 10 ft.

It is hard to see that duct situation from picture, but I still think boxing it would be better than a generally low ceiling height.

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

Update!

As of October 15th 2008 here is where I am at with my dedicated home theater room... it is starting to come along nicely now. I can't wait!!

As always, I welcome any feedback or comments. Stay tuned, more pictures to come soon!

 

[jostenmeat]

Wow, that has really come along quite a bit!

*busts out crystal ball, and wraps funny turban around head*

Yeeaasss, I see in your future.... a projector, acoustically transparent screen, false wall, all black room....



edit: its been too long, sorry. This is sort of a temporary residence? Oh I can't remember, but you mighta said that. Oops!

 

[PSWii60]

you didn't leave anything out. thats for sure. Great Job.

 

[ThA tRiXtA]

Wow, that has really come along quite a bit!

*busts out crystal ball, and wraps funny turban around head*

Yeeaasss, I see in your future.... a projector, acoustically transparent screen, false wall, all black room....

edit: its been too long, sorry. This is sort of a temporary residence? Oh I can't remember, but you mighta said that. Oops!

Thanks Josten!

It is not really a temporary residence, I'm probably going to live here for another 5 to 7 years, give or take. I'd definitely not be doing all this work for a place I won't be living in for the foreseeable future. Way too much work! lol

As for all that stuff you listed, that will be in my next room.

you didn't leave anything out. thats for sure. Great Job.

Thanks friend