Enable you and your family to have great fun inside your home whenever you want – a movie room is simply a must if you want to organize fun nights with your family, with popcorns and soda drinks.
The basement is the perfect place to set a movie room. To create perfect conditions and maximum comfort and fun, here’s how you should do it.
Dealing with basement features and conditions
Size – A sufficient size of the basement space is 12’ wide, 20’ long, and 8’ high. If you’re lucky to have a basement bigger than that – even better. But if your basement is smaller than that, don’t worry – you’ll just have to settle with a smaller screen and practical seats that don’t take up too much space.
Dampness – Water issues can damage the electrical wires of the screen and other appliances, or worse. But if the basement doesn’t have issues like those, a simple dehumidifier will do. In case you have a lot of pipes down there, seal them properly and install sump pumps and French drain in the event of a flood.
Lighting – Sure, less light is great when watching a movie but you still need the light when you’re moving around when the movie isn’t on. In case there’s a window that makes it harder to watch a movie during the day, add blinds or curtains. The overall lighting is best to be controlled by a dimmer switch. It will be easier to adjust the light as you like it. In case the basement is really big, consider lighting the path to the seats.
Wiring – First, get PVC pipes and run the pipes that were already in the basement through them. It will protect both you and the wires. Next, wire the technology for watching movies. Cover them with PVC pipes, too, or run them through the walls. Make sure you use the thick type of the wires (12- or 10-gauge wires).
The ceiling and walls – If you have a bare ceiling and walls, cover the pipes with PVS but also consider covering the walls and the ceiling completely to make it look more like a room. You could also carpet the walls – it will provide better acoustics.
The floor – The basement floor is usually concrete, which provides good acoustics but you could consider adding carpet to improve the acoustics more. Rugs and carpets absorb sounds but they also add a theater feel to the room. If you decide to do it, waterproof the floor first because water could damage the carpet and electronics if it seeps through the floor with the changes in temperature. The alternative is to cover the floor with tiles instead of a carpet.
WiFi signal – The average WiFi signal may not be strong enough to reach the basement if you have a big house, so it may not be possible to stream. However, you can always use signal boosters to extend the signal to reach the basement.
The equipment
Placement of the projector – You can suspend the projector from the ceiling or use a projector wall mount as a more flexible solution, as you can choose the height that suits the movie screen position best.
A drop-down movie screen – A video projector allows you to tuck the screen away when you’re done watching the film. On the other hand, flatscreen cannot be hidden. If you get a drop-down movie screen, you can just manually lower it and raise it after.
Build a quality A/V component rack – The audio-visual component rack is the central point for the components, as it controls all the activities. The DVD player, BlueRay player, network media streaming box, home theater tuner and the cable box – they all work from there. The A/V rack needs to be located near an electric outlet where an Internet source wire can also be added.
The rack has to be properly ventilated, as the components create a lot of heat that can damage them. You can buy a metal A/V rack that’s open in the front and the back or build one yourself. If you want to DIY, make sure the rack is sturdy enough to hold all of the components. It needs to be open in the front and the back, and on the sides, too, if possible. As the final step, use a metal grid as a platform – that will promote good ventilation.
Viewing and seating – By raising rear seats on a platform will enable visibility of the screen for all viewers. Even a 6-inch boost will do the trick. The distance from the screen depends on the size of the basement and the size of the picture that will be displayed. The seating doesn’t need to be expensive – any comfortable seating that doesn’t have a high back to obstruct the viewers behind them will suffice.
All in all
Once you have made it, you will realize how much a movie room has enriched the entertainment aspect of your home. It will be a perfect spot for family gatherings and perhaps relaxing evenings with a romantic comedy.
