The future Theater/Media Room...

[redfirepearlgt]

Thought I would share the progress of my future media room along with some basement repair work.

My wife has been after me for years to put an additional room in the basement. However I have put it off over the years for several reasons one of which being that my money was going into car parts...that she often never knew about. Recently she started giving me grief about the number of speakers in the living room after telling her I was going to upgrade to ATMOS Dolby which adds two more speakers to the existing 5 + subwoofer unit. So I decided to start focusing on a media room in the basement. After all I can enjoy it regardless of the weather conditions.

I've been working on the basement for about 5 weeks now. I had to first tear out 16 feet of make shift shelving, and then purchase some commercial HD shelving to relocate everything on to make room for the addition. Next came the hard work that has been a major PITA! Getting the loose old paint/sealant off the walls, repairing loose mortar joints with hydraulic cement, prepping the walls for sealing and then applying a primer coat that is mildew/mold resistant.

The corner where the addition is going looked originally like this.

https://i.imgur.com/wKzTYML.jpg?1

Hand scraped the corner back 4 feet on each side and knocked the loose paint off on the remaining 25 feet. After scrubbing the walls free of efflorescense with TSP and wiring brushing all the loose debris and mortar joints I got the area to this point.

https://i.imgur.com/dPdt40b.jpg?1

Several spots needed the loose mortar knocked out and reworked as well. Filling with Hydraulic cement after knocking out the loose spots and enlarging.

https://i.imgur.com/Jdx3Ftk.jpg?1

The completed exterior walls (and they no longer seep or leak when it rains). Almost hate to cover them. They have 2 coats of Drylok Extreme sealant and a coat of mildew/mold resistant primer on them.

https://i.imgur.com/ct6FLyt.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/mIlGL78.jpg?1

The two completed walls that will have Owens Corning R10 Foamular 250 put on them. Steel 2x4 structure will be placed up against that and then covered in green drywall. A 'Dricore' brand Subfloor will then go down which has a vapor barrier and rubber underside to minimize mildew or mold growth. All of this is on hold currently due to the stupid COVID BS.

Lighting and ceiling layout is still undecided.

AV equipment will include a Sony 950 series 75" 4K TV, Monitor audio or Paradigm speakers throughout, my current Yamaha RX-A1070 Home theater receiver and Sony 4K Blueray Player.

I am currently cleaning up and repairing other walls in the basement since this frickin COVID virus overreach has placed a potential recession on the economy. So the laundry area is currently under way to being repaired and sealed as well. The floor in that area will have an epoxy placed over it like used on garage floors. These are things that needed to be done even if the economy goes completely south and the project gets put ion hold for an undefined period of time. Lets just hope its not as long as I suspect its going to be.

[Walter]

Looking good!!! More pics!

[redfirepearlgt]

All I have for now. Just waiting to see what whack-a-doodle Acton and side-kick DeWine plan on doing and how the economy responds when they do it. I was really hoping to have the outer walls insulated, the subfloor started and the studs in place by now. The subflooring is cool. It interlocks like a floating floor and provides an R1.5 factor without anything over it.

I'm missing all kinds of bargains on TV's and floor standing speakers.

[draggin50]

Looks good! Gotta love the drylock. That stuff works good!

[redfirepearlgt]

Gone through over 5 gallons of TSP mix, 2 gallons of concrete etch, a bucket of hydraulic cement, two tubes of concrete sealer, almost two gallons of DriLok extreme over 25 feet of wall and 3/4 gallon of mildew/mold resistant primer. Working on the other bad corner in the laundry room right now and hope to have that area looking better in a week or so. Seeing it after finishing those two exterior wall areas made me realize I needed to clean that area up as well. So I can knock that out with only spending about another $100 or so.

Hand scraping these block walls is the only way to get this off. I did find a sawzall scraper blade today so I am going to give that a shot and see if it works as good with less effort on the remainder of the laundry area I am going to Drylok as well. The multi-tool scraper I tried sucked.

[redfirepearlgt]

Finished the opposite corner in the laundry room Wednesday. Held up to the rain fine Thursday.
https://i.imgur.com/sQO6Del.jpg?1
I purchased a Sawzall and scraper blade for that last week and tried it but the stroke for this type of work is too long and the min speed is to fast. A buddy at work suggested I try his pneumatic scraper.
https://i.imgur.com/VBRJuMM.jpg?1
I picked up a 3/8" 50ft hose for a little more volume over the 1/4" that is on the compressor and gave it a shot. DAG! I got done in 3-4 hours what would have taken me at least 8 hours otherwise to scrape and wash down. I'm just scraping the loose areas and taking spots with cracks and spots where evidence of seepage has occurred over the years down to the concrete.
https://i.imgur.com/YVafsvg.jpg?1
Filled the smaller cracks with an adhesive filler compound from Quikrete and repaired several loose mortar joints with hydraulic cement.
https://i.imgur.com/HYYFrc3.jpg?1

Hopefully this will all cure in 24 hours and I can begin sealing it with the DriLock or however you spell it. I sure can't wait to start laying the subfloor and framing up the media room after this is done.

[NXcoupe]

A media room is on my bucket list. You are doing an exceptional job. Keep at it. Looks great.

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks. Means a lot. I figured at least weather can't control the enjoyment of this investment.

[draggin50]

Turning out real nice! You'll be watching the big screen in no time now!

[redfirepearlgt]

Hopefully by fall. I'm heading to Home Depot today to pick up a couple of 2x12's (12ft long) to cut stringers to replace the staircase. The current staircase is 2.5 inches off as it descends. and it has about 600 coats of paint on it. Older home so I have to make my own stringers. They used to cut a rabbit in the stringer with a dado blade set but modern design uses the notch style which can be done with circular saw and jigsaw. Just takes time to lay out the angles and make it work. Fortunately the rise and run on my basement staircase ends up putting all the cuts at 45 degrees...45.1 to be exact.

[draggin50]

Stairs can be a real pain in the neck to do... I just did a set in the garage and I fought them because of the location and I couldn't use a standard set.

[Pops Fun]

Sounds like it is coming along, good work.

[redfirepearlgt]

Stairs can be a real pain in the neck to do... I just did a set in the garage and I fought them because of the location and I couldn't use a standard set.

Same here bud. Making mine from scratch. This old house won't conform to clearance codes because of the descent changes over the decades. TO use a rise and run with a tread required by code I would either be crawling down the stairs or they would set up like a ladder. I am removing one riser so I can make the trade an inch deeper. This does also increase the riser overall by 1 inch but it will be safer footing. I am gong to have to dado the first step so I have more contact surface to the floor joist. Otherwise with the newer design risers I will have to scab in an additional 6 inches on the floor joist (Its only 8 inches because it is a landing area)for the minimum 3.5 inches required to anchor in. Thankfully the work is all at a 45 (45.1 actually but you can fudge .1 degrees in or even 1 degree in carpentry)work so that takes a lot out of the process.

I went to HD today to pick up the things I needed to start this evening. Should have done it in the rain Saturday like i aws going to but got lazy. Checked out and the ditz at the register screwed something up and declined my card. She had no idea what was going on and kept telling me my card was declined. It has $150 on the balance. Told me I could talk to service which was all the way down at the other end. I walked out leaving everything there. Got home and found HD had declined my card and placed a fraud alert on it with my company. So I am now sitting for over an hour trying to get a rep to pick up to reactivate the f'ing card!

WHERE DO THEY GET THESE F&&&&G MORONIC LOSERS? These stupid ass gen y and gen z groups grew up on computers and can't do simple cashier work with a system that does all the f***ng work and thinking for you! GOOD GRIEF!

Meanwhile my chronological clock keeps clicking me closer to deaths door with each waiting second that I am on hold....been 30 minutes and nothing on this fourth attempt to contact the CC company. I thought 1/4th of the fricking country was out of work!!! Why am i stuck on hold for somethign that shoudl have been resolved 25 minutes ago? I can't even go on line and resolve it.

[draggin50]

Damn brother, sounds like one of my days!!! Sometimes its pretty rough... Don't know how people go through life without being told how to breath.

On the other hand, sounds like you have your steps figured out!

[redfirepearlgt]

never did get through to cc company. according to the MSM news half the country is dead and the other half is unemployed. So why can't I get through to my CC lender to get teh card reactivated? IDK!

[Maximus]

Keep the updates and pics coming! Its cool to see a work in progress and then the final result!

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks man. It's not a car build, But its something I have the tools and abililty to do (at a backyard builders level), and weather can't dictate when I can use it when its done. LOL! It just got bigger as well. IT will end up being the largest room in the house at 14x17 in floor area.

[draggin50]

Cars aren't doing us much good right at the moment anyways. Makes me want to do some home projects too!

[redfirepearlgt]

Finally got around to taking on the stringers this morning. Picked up a pair of 2x12x10ft yellow pine boards. a new circular saw with laser and went to it.

The old crooked staircase will be widened by 2 inches and set so that it runs parallel with the with the wall. Currently its out about 2 1/2 inches from top to bottom.

https://i.imgur.com/qTV53v0.jpg

Laid out the stringer.

https://i.imgur.com/GUKYkPj.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/ktxlPaC.jpg?1

Cut away....love laser technology - its the geek in me.
https://i.imgur.com/jw0tb30.jpg?1

Final product - And on the first try...
https://i.imgur.com/EFdj0a8.jpg?1

Test fit - verified the demensions and cuts were good and made the second one.

https://i.imgur.com/sgsOG6o.jpg?1

My only after thought was that I should have clamped to two boards together and done both stringers in one cut fora more consistent product. Set at 34 inches apart a couple of the treads are about 1/8" out over 24". Some final trimming will also need to be done to mate them flat to the floor. Plan on tearing out the old stairway next week and putting them in.

[draggin50]

Your stair marks look identical to mine! Ill have to send you a picture! Made me laugh!

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ Older homes. Gotta hate em.

[redfirepearlgt]

Pulled the old stair case and handrail out. Got a stringer set today. Used a floor jack and a t-brace made of 2x4 to support it while I broke it free from the floor joist. Was glad to get it out of the way.
https://i.imgur.com/okl9qT9.jpg?1
The other stringer fell while dry setting it to the first and split. Had to run out and pick up some Gorilla wood glue and a couple of floor joist repair plates so I could fix it.
https://i.imgur.com/boqZeoT.jpg?1
Fit the first tread into the dado groove for the first tread. Glue and nailed it. So its now setting up as well. The stringer repair has to cure for 24 hours and then I can put up the other side and begin setting the treads tomorrow.

Lost a brake line this morning on the truck just as I was backing into the driveway as well. If it rains it pours. Crimped the line off going to the rear passenger side until I can get a line replaced on it tomorrow.

[2Fast4You]

Way to go Chad

[Walter]

Progress!!!!!

[redfirepearlgt]

Got the truck fixed this morning and came home and hit it. By 5:00PM (started at about 1030a) the stairway is mostly done and functional. Unfortunately not thinking I cut a 2x10 for a scab board and ended up not using it. That would have been the last (bottom) tread, so.......I ran out of wood. Too tire to go pick up another 8ft 2x10. The scab piece would work if it didn't have three carriage bolt holes threw it. I was overthinking the build.

https://i.imgur.com/XSytri0.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/Ovy6HWh.jpg?1

Here is the repair where the top split out when it fell yesterday. Turned out well. They use the same plate to join stringers together for longer stairways for deck building. And of course I used the local Gorilla Glue and cabinet clamps.

https://i.imgur.com/Is4VULO.jpg?1

Yip the bottom step is a lu-lu. I was not able to make any more clearance from the overhead coming down. I was hoping that reducing a step in the stringer might help that, but after thinking about it the only way to do that would be to make the stairs much steeper which then also makes the treads less deep. So guys like Shayne and Eric will really have to stoop to clear.

https://i.imgur.com/FsqfprD.jpg?1

These older homes were not really meant for renovating basements. The ceiling is as low as 80" in the corners of the basement. In the center where the floor is the lowest it is about 85 inches. So just over 7 feet. I can't do a drop ceiling so I will do an acoustical that uses furring strips attached straight to the floor joists to maximize head room.

[draggin50]

Turned out nice! Steps are a pain in the ass! Nothing is 100% ready to go together and they suck to lay out.

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks. I'm worn out. I could never do this for a living unless I was doing it on time and materials. I'm just slow...like my POS 17 GT. LOL!

[Walter]

Good job Chad. I say the same about drywall. Takes me forever.

[redfirepearlgt]

I was going to do drywall, but have decided to use a beaded white wall panel like you see in beach homes in the Carolina's, or something similar to a ships lap if I can find something reasonable. I won't put big money into fancy siding on a house this size (or flooring) because it will never make a return. The people looking for houses in this size are only interested if the basement is finished. They don't care if the floor is laminate or $40 a sq ft Italian tile as long as its functional and not gaudy looking. I hate to fill the house with drywall dust. Already filled it once with cement and paint dust when I tried to use a 90 degree diamond grinding wheel to remove the old paint from the basement walls. Had a dust collection setup on it and it still made a mess. So had to stop.

[redfirepearlgt]

Bottom step done. Can't believe how unlevel the basement floor is. Will shim the gap on the front and trim and she should be good. I had some concern that I had lost some major headroom compared to the old stair case. Ended up it was 1" lower at the step under the floor joist. I should have done a 48 degree (8 11/16 rise; 7 3/4 tread) that would have shortened the run to 70 inches and cerated more room but I was overly concerned with tread width as minimum standard in new homes is 9 inches from what I have read. I'll just paint a yellow & black caution logo with the caption "LOW BRIDGE" on it.

Next is to cut up thye old freezer and fridge stuck behind the stairs and get them out of there. No idea how they got down there. Doorway upstairs is only 27" wide. Freezer's most narrow dimension is 31".

https://i.imgur.com/1m35CPu.jpg?1

[Walter]

Niiiiiiiice

[draggin50]

Makes you wonder how they got it down there! At least it isn't a piano!!

[NXcoupe]

Nice, not a project I would attempt. They look sturdy enough.

[redfirepearlgt]

Nice, not a project I would attempt. They look sturdy enough.

I based off the original staircase that was built from 2" woodstock. I'm looking at redoing them though and shortening the run by 8 inches to allow more head clearance to the ceiling joists at the base of the stairs so tall guys like you won't have to duck as much when you descend. Plus it will make getting things up/down out of the basement easier.

I just found a wood working saw made by Festool that is called a tracking saw. I functions as a circular saw, but then you can also slap the 42" (other sizes as well) track guide on it and hold precision angles and cut lines. I got a "woody" when I saw it demonstrated. Also found that they make stops you can put on a framing square that allows you to set your rise/run and simply mark and slide down the 2x12 for laying out. SUPER FAST! and accurate.

BTW - I wouldn't attempt to make a 6R80 transbrake kit on a later model Coyote or rebuild a shortblock so we are almost even. You still have the more coveted edge though IMHO. :bigthumb

[draggin50]

The rise/run tool makes it easy as pie!!! I didn't see it until I was done with mine. Hopefully I don't have to make any more steps in the future!

By shortening the run up, how steep will they be? Id almost give up head room to have the less steeper steps. My last place was pretty steep and I hated it.

8 inches is a lot to give up!

[redfirepearlgt]

MAKING EASE OUT OF LAYING OUT A STAIR STRINGER. SO EASY A REDFIREPEARLGT CAN DO IT


Well here is something else I just found. Its called a stair gauge. Costs $5 at Lowes or Home Depot.

https://i.imgur.com/GpH77D2.jpg?1

You will also need your trusty framing square in 1/16th divisions.

https://i.imgur.com/XWxnrF3.jpg
Find a nice sharp clean cut edge and set one of your first two dimensions on one side, and lock down with the thumb screw on the first stair gauge. Then swing the framing square while keeping the stair gauge against the edge until the other dimension is read on the other side. While holding the dimension, attach the other stair gauge in place so it is snug up against he edge as well. Verify your numbers.

In my case the rise (stair height) for the new stringer is 8 11/16th's inches.
https://i.imgur.com/ibOhRbV.jpg?1
The tread run (not to be confused with total run which is stair tread run dimension x number of treads) is 7 3/4 inches
https://i.imgur.com/ANG9Y9d.jpg?1

Now its simply a matter of placing the framing square on your 2x12 lumber, tracing the outside edge and moving the square down to the next point of intersection.
https://i.imgur.com/bvEZ1rG.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/uh72zW9.jpg?1

This way your layout makes more sense and doesn't look like a math fair project like the originals I did looked like below. LOL!
https://i.imgur.com/ktxlPaC.jpg?1

The hardest part now is establishing the height of the first step where it attaches to the floor joist at the top. This can be rough cut and then fine cut for a flush fit (not all floor joists will be square vertically). A few different ways to attach the stringer to the top as well. Here is a hyperlink to a stringer calculator to make things a lot easier. In newer homes or homes with basements that have 8ft or higher ceilings, being off on your run won't be critical. In older single story homes with 7ft basement ceilings the run measurement will be critical. This is why I am redoing mine so that I will have more head room gong down the steps which will also give me more room to get things up and down the steps.

This takes a lot of stress and time out of the process. It provides repeatable measurements as well. I highly suggest truing the ends of the lumber as well before beginning the process and insuring both board measure the same exact length.

Hope this helps. It works the same for doing deck steps as well. Save yourself some money and try it on your own. If you are building the deck you already have the framing square and a circular or miter saw as well as a 4ft level. All you then need is the stair gauges which is $5.

Also here is a link to a stair stringer calculator which makes the process even easier. https://www.mycarpentry.com/stair-calculator.html

Enjoy!

[draggin50]

Best $5 spent Im sure! I was in the same boat, didn't find it until I was done with mine. Wouldve made it so much easier.

[NXcoupe]

Wow, that makes it a lot easier. Gonna be nice. I still would like to see the black and yellow caution sign. Lol.

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ I may still put it up regardless.

[redfirepearlgt]

Stopped by Lowes last evening. Picked up this little "man toy". 12" blade 16 inch cut at 90 degrees, 3800 RPM, 15 A motor.
https://i.imgur.com/o8ZhgT7.jpg?1
Played around with it some. It cuts so square and straight and sweet. I can hardly wait for a dry spell to set it up outside and start the new staircase. Found that my floor joist angle last night (rather than just get close which is still better than the original staircase) and laid out a single rise and run on a short piece of scrap 2x10. Set the miter saw at 51degrees. Made the back cut, cut out the step. Dry fot off to one side and the torpedo level showed dead nuts. BOING! This is as fun as making a 10 second pass...........well almost. I ran a shop vac to teh dust collector rather than use the bag and still made some fine sawdust, so I need to use this baby outside. It's finish cut is glass, but it sure makes the fine sawdust.

[draggin50]

That's a nice saw!

I just bought a Hitachi a while back. Havent even used it yet.

[redfirepearlgt]

^^ DUDE! That's like buying a buying a GT500 and trailering it home and only going into the garage to look at it. You gotta at least make a crosscut on it! Hitachi's are nice. I looked at them (they are under a different name now). I like the way the bearign guides are on a 45 with each other. Provides better stability side to side. But the DeWalt was too good a deal to pass up.

[draggin50]

Metabo bought them out.

Its a nice saw. I will be putting it to use here soon.

[redfirepearlgt]

https://i.imgur.com/Ovy6HWh.jpg?1
The big hold up has been getting the old frig and freezer out from behind the staircase.
https://i.imgur.com/r8nFhmz.jpg?1
It happened today. We took them apart and had to cut up the freezer to make it fit through the doorway at the top of the stairs.
https://i.imgur.com/0EM4gMX.jpg?1
Now its on to framing and insulating. The area behind the stairs will be a maintenance area and more storage.

[draggin50]

Makes you wonder how they got it down there!

[redfirepearlgt]

We looked closer at the frame work after getting it out. Apparently the house was built with no doorway to the basement in 1940. Based on the age of the freezer the doorway must have been framed in sometime after 1975 so the freezer has been down there since then. Mom who does interior decorating also stated that the trim work on the door frame was too new to have been original. In spite of this getting that unit into the basement even with the wider doorway back then was a feat. It would have had to come in the back door on end, then turned 90 degrees on the very small entry way landing and then taken down the stairway to the basement. I'd like to meet the guys who did it. They would be 'moving marvels'.

[IWRBB]

What are you planning on for a screen? I've thought about building something like this in my house, but it seems like people always run projectors to get the big screen, and I don't think it's worth putting all that money and effort into it to watch a projected image.

Now that a 77" OLED is under priced $5K though, a quality display in a huge format is becoming a reasonable option. Samsung has some 82" QLEDs out for around $2500. You can pick up a 2019 model of that 82" QLED for under $2k. They have 98" models now too, but those are $60,000 still. LOL.

[draggin50]

What are you planning on for a screen? I've thought about building something like this in my house, but it seems like people always run projectors to get the big screen, and I don't think it's worth putting all that money and effort into it to watch a projected image.

Now that a 77" OLED is under priced $5K though, a quality display in a huge format is becoming a reasonable option. Samsung has some 82" QLEDs out for around $2500. You can pick up a 2019 model of that 82" QLED for under $2k. They have 98" models now too, but those are $60,000 still. LOL.

Damn... I still have my console TV. Maybe I need to upgrade!

[redfirepearlgt]

What are you planning on for a screen? I've thought about building something like this in my house, but it seems like people always run projectors to get the big screen, and I don't think it's worth putting all that money and effort into it to watch a projected image.

Now that a 77" OLED is under priced $5K though, a quality display in a huge format is becoming a reasonable option. Samsung has some 82" QLEDs out for around $2500. You can pick up a 2019 model of that 82" QLED for under $2k. They have 98" models now too, but those are $60,000 still. LOL.

75" LED Sony 950 series. Was looking into projection setups but there are two reasons I won't go that route. 1.) The room is 14x17 roughly so I am pushing it by going 75" (at 108" viewing distance) as being too big. 2.) Projection screen setups don't function well in normal light. So if you want to have the guys over to watch NCAA BB at tournament time the lower light can be undesirable if you are serving food.

4K video wise suits me more than well. I only buy 4K if the audio is a higher quality than on Blue Ray since the current DVD player I have converts 1080i to 4K very nicely.

The primary focus is audio. I am doing Atmos as well as rear speakers so atmos and 7.1 can run as needed. The Yamaha RX-A1070 receiver I am currently running will finally be able to flex its full capability. Monitor Audio and Paradigm will make up the speaker setup initially. The two are very complimentary with each other so as deals come available I will slowly convert existing paradigms to Monitor audio.

I have to empty the bed in the truck of some shrubbery I pulled out of the front yard flower bed for the mrs., and then I can go start picking up the foamcore insulation. After that its frame work. Slow but surely. Hope to have it functioning by October.

- - - Updated - - -


Damn... I still have my console TV. Maybe I need to upgrade!

You need to do a Coyote swap first. LOL!

[redfirepearlgt]

Framing has begun. Started framing what I thought would take the longest first. Working around ductwork. Hope its parallel with the starcase. It hold 1/8 inch along the length to the basement wall.

https://i.imgur.com/j7oiWCY.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/AHXm9Rd.jpg?1

[draggin50]

Lookin good! You going to do some storage space under the stairs?

[redfirepearlgt]

Yip. The area back there will have a work bench and some shelving. Combo maintenance utility area. Stair will be closed in using 1/4 or 3/8" backing of some type. Just going to run it the length of the steps on the back side.

[redfirepearlgt]

Another 16 ft of wall is framed up. Put 1/4" R1.5 Fomular series150 Corning on the wall before starting. Will be putting 2" R10 of the same between the studs before the green drywall goes up. But that's step 95 and I'm on step 14. Nice to be making some progress on this. It's been in pipe dream form for almost a year and been a fantasy thought for decades.

HINT - The Foam insulation is moisture resistant and mold resistant. When putting it up with an adhesive you must use Loctite P300 FOAM adhesive (or an equivalent) or the adhesive will melt the foam insulation. Foam board is NOT foam core insulation. Any multipurpose adhesive claiming it can be used for Foam board or similar is not able to be used with this stuff.

https://i.imgur.com/xWYPVox.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/F0Y1llz.jpg?1

[redfirepearlgt]

About 80% done on framing now. Ran out of 2x4.
https://i.imgur.com/diTlFvB.jpg?1
Next will be electrical AC and low voltage and insulation. Unfortunately it sounds like the old truck has a collapsed lifter in CYL 3 so will be without a way to pick up more lumber until its fixed.
https://i.imgur.com/diTlFvB.jpg?1

[NXcoupe]

Looking good! Sucks about the truck...

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks. Learning a lot.

Yip. But it is 21 years old. Its may be my fault partly as I should have been changing the oil every 3K rather than 5K since I was driving such a short distance to and from work each day and that is all it would mostly be used for. I've taken it for granted over the years (had it for 8 years) and should have given it more TLC. Its paying me back now.

I can start doing some electrical prep work and soforth while waiting on the truck.

[redfirepearlgt]

Got the truck back and back at it. Three walls have R11 added between studs, some outlet electrical pulled, and the short fourth wall studded up. Outside walls have R13 total on them with the R1.5 backing I put up before starting the walls. Everything in contact with the concrete direct is either pressure treated lumber or foam insulation that is moisture resistant, and mold resistant. That is all over top of Dry-LoK extreme (2 coats) and also Special mold/mildew resistant primer (two coats). All cracks and loose mortar joints repaired as well. Final main room dimensions will be 150"x180"
https://i.imgur.com/qXkRsdL.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/N47fnky.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/rhmDssA.jpg?1

[redfirepearlgt]

https://i.imgur.com/e2kbjPC.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/AyeJEjN.jpg?1

Finally found something that does not require sanding and creates tons of dust (DRYWALL....YUK!) to cover the walls in. Its a gray weather beaten ship lap panel. The vertical trim pieces as well as the base boards will be stained in a gray weathered look as well. Just a mock up on the first wall that is finished. Finally looking like something more than a skeleton of a dream.

[k062693w]

That Looks Great Chad !!!

[NXcoupe]

Wow! I like! So what's the first film that will be debuted in this media soiree?

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks. Still have to pull ethernet ceiling atmos and rear speaker wiring pulled before I can move much further on the wall covering. Still haven't decided if I am going to sub floor using the DRI-CORE system or just put down an approved pad and carpeting. OF course the drop ceiling has to be done before the floor can be addressed however. Still plenty to do. Probably won't be ready to use until January or February.

Soft opening - Undecided, have to work that out with the mrs.

Grand Opening - SHELBY V FERRARI

[redfirepearlgt]

Update -

https://i.imgur.com/CVuaOcg.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/swxbelo.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/cbfToDR.jpg?1

[Walter]

Wow nice work sir!!!!

[NXcoupe]

Wow! Looks fantastic!

[draggin50]

Thats looking real good!

[redfirepearlgt]

Lighting is up and working. Halo Canless lighting with Leviton LED dimmers (Diva 153 models). I have done research on these LEd canless lights. Many have issues with flicker and/or hum when dimmed. These Halo units with the Leviton LEd dimmers work fantastic. The 15-18" cable between the controller and the light housing assembly allow you some wiggle room when final mounting of the light goes into a drop ceiling panel. The LED housings are metal and not plastic. The lens for the LED looks like a conventional bulb and not just a cheap piece of flat plastic over the LED array. IF you are looking to upgrade existing lighting or doing a remodel/expansion you can count on these. Only down side is to inspect the connectors on both the LED unit and the controller before starting. I had 1 broken in the box with no damage. Not worth gettign worked up over given how well everything else on these are made. Just took it back and got another one. These units have 5 color settings. The unit is currently set on the middle one. In the picture they are all turned up to maximum. Next ceiling grid kits for the 24x24 acoustic tile ceiling.

https://i.imgur.com/KTWnzL0.jpg?1

[draggin50]

Man that's bright!!! You are doing a killer job on it!

[2Fast4You]

Like

[Walter]

Looking good!!!!

[k062693w]

Coming along Great Chad !!!

[redfirepearlgt]

thanks guys. Getting ready to order the drop ceiling supplies. Need to rent a 360 degree laser level to lay out the lines for it. Still plenty of panel and finish work to do on the I-beam, jack post, and east short wall adjacent to the staircase. Itching to get the TV. Black Friday (are we still permitted to say that comrades?) is soon upon us.

[redfirepearlgt]

The ceiling came in Saturday. Got part of the grid installed and did a fit check on four panels. Look forward to having the ceiling in so I can get the lights in their final location, order the Dolby Atmos ceiling speakers and get them hooked up as well as move on with base boards and trim work. The 75" Sony 900 series got ordered Saturday. Big thanks to Shawn at Alamo Electronics for the early notice on Black Friday deals.

No hats, no people over 6'6" tall and no standing high fives for people taller than 5'5".
https://i.imgur.com/sCOF3tA.jpg?1

[Walter]

No jumping?

[draggin50]

I should be good then!!!

Looks great Chad! Gonna be real nice when done!

[redfirepearlgt]

No jumping?

You cab jump and high five. ;) Ceiling height is only 79 - 81.5 inches off the floor. Older homes like this one have only 7 ft ceilings in the basement.

- - - Updated - - -


I should be good then!!!

Looks great Chad! Gonna be real nice when done!

Hopefully only I see the mistakes. LOL!

[2Fast4You]

Looking good Chad

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks Shayne. Means a lot coming from a guy with carpentry and construction background experience.

[PKFIRE]

Nice work Chad! Looking forward to seeing this completed. You had some clear goals the last time I stopped by.

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks Joe. Took a while to get the motivation after getting the details straight. Had to tear out those make shift wood shelves (if you remember) buy some new industrial grade replacements, and then go through and pitch or move all that stored stuff onto the new shelves. Then the real fun began. It's taking longer than I had hoped, but it's getting there. Hopefully as long as I don't run into any hitches - like possibly working myself into a corner - the ceiling will be done by Wednesday and I can begin measuring for corner molding and bade board trim. I still have some on the stairwell yet to do as well as deciding if I want to just enclose the existing jack post (its not an adjustable) or cut it out and put in a new one because it is out of plumb in both planes by at least 2". I need to make a custom door for the laundry room as well because that doorway is directly under the heating duct and only has 74" clearance(32" wide though). A standard interior door is not available in that height that I have found. Last will be carpeting and padding and of course a SUMP PUMP backup system for the french drain system that only runs when it rains heavily outside. Then comes the fun of setting up the system.

[redfirepearlgt]

Ceiling is finished and awaiting the Monitor Audio CS160 ceiling speakers to fill the two remaining holes. Armstong makes a great product. Their packaging could stand some improvement as FED EX Baboons damages one of the four grid kits and 3 acoustic panels while in transit. It always pays to order 10% more than you need. The quick adjust hanger system they created for this kit is phenomenal. Took me about 18 hours to complete on the first attempt at ever doing a drop ceiling. Levels out very nicely and allows for final adjustments. I suggest picking up a Bosch laser measure tool ($30) to measure final support rail and cross tie cut pieces. Simply shoot to the wall where the wall molding for the ceiling is mounted and subtract 3/8" of grid pieces and 1/4" off acoustic tile measurements.

Next up painting the bead board, installing and painting molding and trim.

https://i.imgur.com/he7eWd7.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/18jGGLG.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/cWOVJwf.jpg?1

[2Fast4You]

Nice

[draggin50]

Very nice!!! Huge difference there!

[Maximus]

Very cool!:cool1:

[Walter]

Looks killer!!!

[k062693w]

Looks Great Chad !!!

[Rick93coupe]

That looks really cool Chad, nice work!

[NXcoupe]

Sweet! Looks great

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks guys. Already tried to put an 8ft 1x2 through the ceiling but thankfully nothing got hurt.

Went out this morning to Watson Pools and ordered up this 3 chair theater seating piece. Big sale going on there.
https://i.imgur.com/Om0Fc0o.jpg?1

Found the carpet I want to put in as well at McSwain.
https://i.imgur.com/A7bLfGU.jpg?1

Then came home and started working on the annoying stair well side again. Had to do a little tweaking on the stair alignment and left side partial wall. Its close now and I can trim in any slight out of parallel problem between the two. The floor joist that the stairs tie into is cupped and twisted so it doesn't get much better than that.
https://i.imgur.com/Dz063hY.jpg?1

Used structural adhesive and some #6 anchors and screws to adhere some 1x4 furring strip to the wall near the top of the stairs so I can finish out the bead board run on the I-beam and then trim it all into the plaster stairwell with 4" base board and some cove trim.
https://i.imgur.com/tdPItYd.jpg?1

Somebody slightest less masochistic would have just sold the house and bought a new one with a media room in it.......sounds like what I do when I when more power from a car these days. LOL!

[redfirepearlgt]

baseboards all in
https://i.imgur.com/Ar2UkHO.jpg?1

last of bead board complete. enclosing the I-beam underneath was the final.
https://i.imgur.com/PzRAkEO.jpg?1

finish work on bead board at top of steps.
https://i.imgur.com/qJ9z5Wn.jpg?1

Added the top cap to the partial wall. Ready for painting.
https://i.imgur.com/7Ouket3.jpg?1

Ceiling Atmos speakers are in place. Still have open ceiling at the bottom of the steps to close in, and then its mostly trim work and painting. The redo on the step treads and closing that in will be near last. Starting to take shape.

[draggin50]

Turning out real nice.

Whats the plans for the floor?

[redfirepearlgt]

carpeting wall to wall for the acoustical advantages. I was going to do the Dri-core subfloor system but changes my mind due to height restrictions. It adds 3/4" which costs me in ceiling clearance overall. Going to put in a b/u sump pump system to protect everything.

[draggin50]

Awesome! Id rather have carpet too. My last basement was really dry but the one before that stayed damp. Always have the back up sump pump! Several times I wasn't aware that mine quit working and walked down to several inches of water. And a battery back up is nice too.

[redfirepearlgt]

Yes. Doing the battery backup. It only runs when we get a good rain which is good. So thankfully its not like we are sitting on a natural spring or below water level next to a stream in the basement.

[Pops Fun]

Looking good

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks Steve. Been a long journey and still some miles to go yet. Trying hard not to start rushing things as I see the end getting near, though the punch list items left are more tedious. I need to source some high grade 2x12 to cut down and swap out the existing temp treads with. I thought about going with oak but man that is some cost and it would add 1/2" to the rise as they are 1" thick vice the 2x12 material which is 1 1/2" thick. Would also make the bottom step shorter by that amount. Plus I am not certain code woudl support using a 1.1" oak step at 34" without a center support stringer.

[draggin50]

Thanks Steve. Been a long journey and still some miles to go yet. Trying hard not to start rushing things as I see the end getting near, though the punch list items left are more tedious. I need to source some high grade 2x12 to cut down and swap out the existing temp treads with. I thought about going with oak but man that is some cost and it would add 1/2" to the rise as they are 1" thick vice the 2x12 material which is 1 1/2" thick. Would also make the bottom step shorter by that amount. Plus I am not certain code woudl support using a 1.1" oak step at 34" without a center support stringer.

I would think a 1.1" oak would be twice as strong as a 1.5" pine board. But oak sure gets expensive!

[redfirepearlgt]

I would think a 1.1" oak would be twice as strong as a 1.5" pine board. But oak sure gets expensive!

Oh heck yeah. Oak is way stronger. Hard to work with as well. It does not like nails very well. I've tried working with it in the past using hammer and nails and it is very tough to keep from bending nails. The step treads I found at HD last night are 36" long pine of some sort. They look laminated in some manner and they are tough. I stood on one with the ends barely captured and it hardly flexed at all. I was surprised. The oak I found ($25 a tread...uh like no way at 10 treads) was even less giving. Way more dense and much heavier at the same thickness. I have no idea how craftsman work with teak and other words even harder than oak. It's truly a skill. I plan on using the 36" pine treads at $10 a piece and shimming them. I found 7/16" x 1.5" wide lattice wood that will make perfect shims between the tread runner and stringer for a great result. I will pocket the back side of the tread as well so it will go deeper into the stringer than the run length. This will allow me to then use a more conventional method of closing them in while still providing maximum footing depth for safety. These old houses with 84" ceiling basements and short run stairwells were not designed for rooms being placed in the basement. I can get close to code (9" minimum run) but It is impossible to hit it and still have clearance at the bottom with regard to the stairwell wall face. IT BE WHAT IT BE.

Carpet is on order as well so I have to get this done before they call to schedule it to be installed. May be done by New Years or close to it but realistically it will likely be February before the system is in and working. Plenty of audio calibration and speaker placement left to get through as well as connections and ethernet for the devices to be linked to the network through a switch to the router.

[IWRBB]

carpeting wall to wall for the acoustical advantages. I was going to do the Dri-core subfloor system but changes my mind due to height restrictions. It adds 3/4" which costs me in ceiling clearance overall. Going to put in a b/u sump pump system to protect everything.

What are you planning on? Nearly every packaged back-up pump system available is nothing but an extremely overpriced plastic boat bilge pump and crappy float switch that cannot be relied upon whatsoever.

Even if you DO get good pumps and switches- you can still have issues if you have no redundancy. If the backup pump float switch doesn't activate like it should for whatever reason, the backup is NFG whatsoever.


After years of minor upgrades to mine after experiencing various failure modes- I've settled on this setup in my basement:

My sump is open with a pedestal style pumps.
I use a 1/3 HP pump as my AC powered pump. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Superior-Pump-1-3-HP-Cast-Iron-Pedestal-Sump-Pump-92301/206471980 1/2 HP pump was too big for the inverter to start (see below).

I run it through this inverter/UPS, which will still power the AC pump from the battery if the backup pump fails to turn on for some reason. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007NOUBA/ It auto switches if the power goes out, then switches back once the power comes back.

The backup pump is this: https://www.zoellerpumps.com/en-us/products/back-up/battery-powered/aquanot-585 It pumps just as fast as the main AC pump. They have a submersible style as well.

I use the battery charger that came with the AquaNot pump to charge the battery. I use the biggest lead acid Everstart Maxx battery that Walmart has in stock.

The two pumps each have clear quiet check valve installed ( https://www.zoellerpumps.com/en-us/products/check-valves/quiet) and they Y-together into a single discharge line. One of these days I'll split the lines to eliminate the possibility of a check valve failing and one pump just pumping back into the sump through the failed check in the other pump.

The Aquanot also comes with an (loud!) alarm to let you know it's running- which is nice if the main pump fails. You can turn it off if you want.

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ Man I appreciate the input. I have contemplated everything from the simple bulldog battery backup to trying an eductor-jet style setup that relies on water pressure through a venturi to create a draw and pull water from the sump jar when a mechanical float switch activates it. The ones I have found however are made of plastic as you mention and many have cracked on the water supply side according to reviews which as you know causes bigger problems even faster as well as a huge bill at the end of the month. My father made an eductor-jet out of SS pipe and fittings to syphon a huge tank at work empty once. He gave it to me when he retired and I have thought about trying to plump it in but here again the float switches available I have found are again plastic and known to crank on the water pressure supply side. I have looked at the Zoeller package at Lowes that is available. The setup originally had 2 Zoeller units in it but after several failures after we moved in, I replaced them with a Rigid and that unit lasted 15+ years before I had my first issue with it. I replaced it with a 1/2 HP unit. The lift is less than 8 ft through a 1.5" line so it is more than efficient enough.

I have looked at using a UPS just to provide backup to a second unit sitting in the pump in the event of a failure. But I have not found a UPS large enough to provide any real backup for any length of time on a smaller 1/3 or 1/4 HP pump not to mention pricing. But now that I have investment in the basement aside from using it for off floor storage it is def time to revisit this option.

Thank you for the valuable information. I have this on my list to resolve and have started looking at it. May have the cart in front of the horse a bit being I have not addressed this yet, but if need be I will just buy the Zoeller or Bulldog unit (Wayne makes one as well as I recall) to get me buy until I can create something more reliable that involves a UPS unit like you are running.

[redfirepearlgt]

More trim work done on the short wall tonight and some trim painting. Took some time to cope the cove trim into the half round in the top corner.
https://i.imgur.com/uLIwRyv.jpg?1

My first attempt at building a door frame. It is out 1/8" top to bottom (side to side) but is square in the corners and plumb in all planes. Got it trimmed out tonight. Found a guy in Sharonville that can make me a custom door to fit it as the door height is only 73" due to where wifey wanted it placed (which made sense aside from height) right under the furnace supply duct. Can't find a doot at a reasonable price at Lowes or HD that I can cut down from 80" to 73" to use.
https://i.imgur.com/QcsYud5.jpg?1

The eyesore of the whole project is the jacking post that has been out of plumb since the house was built in 1940. It's out 2.5" in both planes. Its not an adjustable that you could shore up next to pull out and reset either. It is simply a piece of 4.5"i.d. pipe cut to height, set in concrete on s small pad and done. IT apparently slipped during the curing process and no builder saw it or they just did not care. I may paint it in camouflage grays just to offset the lean.

[redfirepearlgt]

Full day today.

Got the ceiling roughed in on the stairwell side and started trim. Need some flat trim strips for the joints and some additional 1/4 round and then its paint time.
https://i.imgur.com/BeS2VSA.jpg?1

The stairwell issue where the bead board and new wall meets the existing house wall as well as the other side and face all needed to be trimmed in so that at least it looked finished and not half done. My coping skills suck on the back end at the top of the stairs but will hopefully find some way to make that look less like a hack job down the road. Ran out of trim but at least I got all the baseboard up, level, and the corners mitered which required compound miters due to the face wall in the stairwell having a 4 degree kick out near the bottom where the base board attached. Never more relieved for this to be done so I can no longer have to look at broken off drywall jutting out form under 1x4 someone previously put up to make it look more appealing.
https://i.imgur.com/ppQzKuF.jpg?1
Face of stairwell
https://i.imgur.com/h853NLl.jpg?1

Need to do some Silicone calking in some areas where there are gaps due to the sway in the plaster wall on the right side (not pictured) and then some putty work on nail holes and its then on to full on painting. Almost ready to bring in the TV.

[redfirepearlgt]

The ceiling is complete and painted in the common area at the bottom of the stairs.
https://i.imgur.com/MLxdSlW.jpg?1
I added a stair skirt and rebuilt the stairs today as well with finished stair treads.
https://i.imgur.com/9164j3e.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/eChNMu0.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/WSZD2Na.jpg?1
The trim in the stairwell as well as the stairwell has been painted as well.
https://i.imgur.com/vVvJ3i3.jpg
STill need to put in the riser and then determine if I should paint the wood or do some form of tongue oil or poly may finish of some type. The stairs will have carpet matching runners on each tread. Thought about painting the treads a gray that would match the room and the risers (when I get them installed) white as well as white on the partial wall and stair skirt.

The TV came in and its waiting to be unpackaged and mounted up. So who knows. It may be ready by mid January....can't forget the sump pump system either. Also need to do soome updating on the washer and deep sink plumbing as well.

Still not sure if I will paint the duct or simply leave it as is. I still need to complete the door to the laundry room and have learned a way to properly cut the door down to the size I need which is 73" in height. Also still waiting on carpet.

[draggin50]

Man, that turned out real good. You end up going with a pine for the treads?

[redfirepearlgt]

Man, that turned out real good. You end up going with a pine for the treads?

yeah. I spoke with a guy who has done stairs and he said that the pine tread is good without a center support up to 35 inches. AT 36 inches or wider a center stringer is needed. There will also be riser back made from 1x10 that will fill in the backs and also add some support as well. The stair tread jig was a godsend. I went the extra mile and notched out the treads (left them a full 11.5") so they would extend into the stringer beyond the riser.With a 1.25 front edge (max by code) the treads extend into the stringer by about 2.5 inches. Nailing the rider to this adds for foot room that the stairs are lacking due to the non conformance of the house when it was built. I am trying to maintain code where it will allow as I understand what I have learned about stair code though it would not apply to this home since it was built in 1940.

They aren't perfect but all in all I am pretty happy with the result. Still some caulking to do on trim to hide oopsies and gaps that cannot be otherwise hidden, but its finally winding down. I like to killed my wife getting the 75" into the basement. TOok all we had to get it in the back door make the turn and get it down the stairs. And to think I was thinking about upgrading to the 85. It would have only gone in unboxed.

[redfirepearlgt]

Try this photo again. IT did not post correctly. I really hate using smart phones for photos. They suck.
https://i.imgur.com/vVvJ3i3.jpg?1

[PKFIRE]

That’s coming along nicely!

[NXcoupe]

Nice!

[redfirepearlgt]

thanks guys. had to take 2 aleve last night so I could sleep. The three seat piece arrive this week.Still waiting on carpet to come in also.

Was going to install a Wayne sump pump system (both pumps cast iron and stellar reviews) which is actually made in Harrison, Ohio but the system specs indicate it needs a 16" sump basin and mine is only 15". So I am looking into other avenues. Found a place called sumppumpsdirect.com that has all kinds of brands with tons of options.

[redfirepearlgt]

Finished the steps completely (less a little touch up and installing the carpet tread on the steps when they are completed) early this morning about 2:00am.
https://i.imgur.com/eqeam9t.jpg?1
The carpeting guys arrived (GREAT JOB BUSH FLOORING) to install the carpet and completed it at 2pm.
https://i.imgur.com/mVAXyY5.jpg?1
Got the 75" mounted moved the theater seating back in placed the audio stand and finally got to unpack the new Monitor Bronze 6 series front speakers that have been sitting in boxes in the back of the basement for 3 months.
https://i.imgur.com/CqqaELD.jpg?1
Next step is to get the audio components moved downstairs, hooked up, and then complete the ethernet connections (screw wireless) and begin doing the room setup and calibration. Just a door left after that.

[NXcoupe]

Wow! I can't wait! I have bullett on dvd if interested.

[redfirepearlgt]

Hmmm...blueray? May have to have ya down. Gotta still pick up a pair of recliners for the side that can be pulled over along side the three piece to seat 5. Letting the CC cool off for a few before I jump on that. ;)

[draggin50]

That's a huge difference from where you started! Very nice set up!

Almost to nice to come up out of the basement!

[redfirepearlgt]

thanks man. I think I have vacuumed the room 10 times and dusted twice since they left already. LOL!

[draggin50]

thanks man. I think I have vacuumed the room 10 times and dusted twice since they left already. LOL!

Well you sure knocked it out. That's for sure!

[redfirepearlgt]

Only took me twice the time I thought it would. Still have to move the receiver, dvd player, and other speakers to the basement, and then pick up a second cable box from Rectum...I mean Spectrum. I am going to eventually pick up a ROKU box and stream down there but it seems they are struggling with their 4K HD Dolby box a bit. Plan on tying in the ethernet cable and switch so I can get the TV configured and updated tomorrow morning.

[redfirepearlgt]

Still have the final touches on the stair rail as well. Just as important as a roll cage in 9 second or faster cars.

[Rick93coupe]

That turned out awesome Chad, it's going to be a cool place to watch movies! Ford vs Ferrari would be a good one.

[redfirepearlgt]

Got the ethernet and hub hooked up this afternoon. Fired up the 75" and got connectivity working and the firmware updated just before mom and dad arrived. They got to see the picture quality through a 4K Youtube of saltwater aquarium. IT WAS AWESOME!

Thanks Rick. Yes, F v F is the first official movie. My oldest buddy from first grade (we met chasing the same girl on the playground LOL!) has been holding off seeing it so he can come watch it with me when I get this done.........that was suppose to have been last summer. LOL! But final touches are winding down and everything less the sump pump b/u system (getting that next week) will be complete.

The whole drive to do this came from visiting Eric (forget his site name big tall younger guy) who had the cool Yellow 98 Cobra. He did one a few years back and wanted me to see it. So I drove up and man was it a motivator.

[redfirepearlgt]

Its officially a movie room. Everything is in place, hooked up, and the sound calibration has been performed. Need to cut in a heater vent and install the stair railing and pick up a Spectrum cable box, but its ready for movies. Ran into a glitch with the Sanos Speaker stands I bought that were suppose to hold up to 35lb speakers. Weld broke on the base that supports the speaker on one. So I wall mounted the surround speakers.

The future holds adding two more speakers (surround rears) and possibly updating the receiver from 7.2 to a 9.2 unit, upgrading the center channel to match the new mains and freshen up the sub that is now almost 20 years old. Just hate to replace that Velodyne unit but its served its purpose over the years.

Thanks for the support and encouragement through the process. If I only had a garage and a bunch of tools I could build an engine and put it in a roller.

[redfirepearlgt]

Final pics of the system in place. Won't bore anyone any longer. Thanks for the input over the past 8 + months.

https://i.imgur.com/kq7MMyV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/conLy9R.jpg

[draggin50]

Now when do you want to start on mine?

Just kidding, I don't have a basement. Awesome job!

[redfirepearlgt]

^We can put one in one of those big ass garages of yours that I covet so much...;)

[Kwik92GT]

Came out killer!! I'd damn near kill to be able to do this in my place lol

[Maximus]

Freakin too sweet!! Great job!

[IWRBB]

If you need a PC Blu-ray drive that can read 4K discs, I can hook you up. LG/Asus have cock-blocked everyone with their current drive firmware, but it's possible to change the firmware to allow you to read/rip UHD/4K blu-rays. I have figured out that process.

I've ripped all of our BluRay discs (wheter they are UHD or not) as ISO files. With an ISO file you have a full backup of each disc. Using the ISO file, and I can create whatever type of video format/bitrate I want, which is them streamed over the network to the TVs.

[redfirepearlgt]

Came out killer!! I'd damn near kill to be able to do this in my place lol

Thanks man. Since I will never have the opportunity to build a garage, and build a tool chest (and the skills) capable doing a major car but this is my second choice and one my wife supports more so than hot rodding unfortunately.

I'll give you a hint if its the wife being the cock block though. Just keep adding speakers to the living room tv and nudging out room for her personal interests, pictures, and so forth. Next thing you know she's telling you that if you want to keep adding speakers to the living room you should just build a room in the basement for it. LOL! ;)


Freakin too sweet!! Great job!

Means a lot Craig. Wish I had a garage like you have bud. That thing is killer.

[redfirepearlgt]

If you need a PC Blu-ray drive that can read 4K discs, I can hook you up. LG/Asus have cock-blocked everyone with their current drive firmware, but it's possible to change the firmware to allow you to read/rip UHD/4K blu-rays. I have figured out that process.

I've ripped all of our BluRay discs (wheter they are UHD or not) as ISO files. With an ISO file you have a full backup of each disc. Using the ISO file, and I can create whatever type of video format/bitrate I want, which is them streamed over the network to the TVs.

Appreciate the offer. I'm good in that aspect. No issues paying for a movie. I use VUDU when I buy one so I can protect the disks unless I want to watch the movie with fully uncompressed. The DVD player and the TV both have VUDU access on them. The TV upgrade of VUDU supports UHD though the DVD unit will not and the app is not upgradable for some reason. I just need to get the audio return set up so I can play back into the head unit from the TV as the source. I plan to KISS and have run an optic cable to provide an audio out return from the TV into AUDIO1 input and set it up for optical connection. Just a matter of getting the connections terminated and make the setup changes on the YAMAHA unit.

[Kwik92GT]

Thanks man. Since I will never have the opportunity to build a garage, and build a tool chest (and the skills) capable doing a major car but this is my second choice and one my wife supports more so than hot rodding unfortunately.

I'll give you a hint if its the wife being the cock block though. Just keep adding speakers to the living room tv and nudging out room for her personal interests, pictures, and so forth. Next thing you know she's telling you that if you want to keep adding speakers to the living room you should just build a room in the basement for it. LOL! ;)

That's awesome LOL

[Walter]

Thanks man. Since I will never have the opportunity to build a garage, and build a tool chest (and the skills) capable doing a major car but this is my second choice and one my wife supports more so than hot rodding unfortunately.

I'll give you a hint if its the wife being the cock block though. Just keep adding speakers to the living room tv and nudging out room for her personal interests, pictures, and so forth. Next thing you know she's telling you that if you want to keep adding speakers to the living room you should just build a room in the basement for it. LOL! ;)



Means a lot Craig. Wish I had a garage like you have bud. That thing is killer.

This process is exactly how you do the car thing....

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ True - Only she loves the media room she hates the Mustang. Doesn't even like it when I back it out on occasion to drive to church just to keep the battery up. Its really becoming an albatross.

[IWRBB]

Appreciate the offer. I'm good in that aspect. No issues paying for a movie. I use VUDU when I buy one so I can protect the disks unless I want to watch the movie with fully uncompressed. The DVD player and the TV both have VUDU access on them. The TV upgrade of VUDU supports UHD though the DVD unit will not and the app is not upgradable for some reason. I just need to get the audio return set up so I can play back into the head unit from the TV as the source. I plan to KISS and have run an optic cable to provide an audio out return from the TV into AUDIO1 input and set it up for optical connection. Just a matter of getting the connections terminated and make the setup changes on the YAMAHA unit.

I've seen the various streaming/hosting/digital copy repositories come and go. Mostly they go. All the Disney movies sold for a decade+ had a promised digital copy that you could stream- not anymore. That's shit gone and dead. After watching a half dozen similar services simply vanish, I decided I'm just going to create my own. It will always work, even when the internet is down.

I'm at approx 4 TB of data on my NAS, holding around 125 BR discs ISO backups + 4K encoded files of the main movie.

Data hoarding is the new hotness! He who dies with the most data wins.

[redfirepearlgt]

I've seen the various streaming/hosting/digital copy repositories come and go. Mostly they go. All the Disney movies sold for a decade+ had a promised digital copy that you could stream- not anymore. That's shit gone and dead. After watching a half dozen similar services simply vanish, I decided I'm just going to create my own. It will always work, even when the internet is down.

I'm at approx 4 TB of data on my NAS, holding around 125 BR discs ISO backups + 4K encoded files of the main movie.

Data hoarding is the new hotness! He who dies with the most data wins.

HA! Thats a good one. I may investigate this further then. I just assumed those cloud systems or whatever they are stayed active forever, though I know nothing is forever which is why I prefer software in hard copy form as well as movies and music. As long as you don't break it you still have it. I have movies from 20+ years ago that are fine. Storage is the only issue, but people who like to collect books have the same problem, so I guess I will simply become like a book hoarder in the meanwhile. I just don't trust PC's. Hard drives crash, hardware fails, etc. According to the guys at Alamo the future for movies is streaming so even HD storage may well become a thing of the past. Just buy a Roku box, plug it into an ethernet cable and away you go. OR use the TV if you prefer.

[NXcoupe]

I made the move to all SSD all my computers after the laptop crashed at edgewater.

[Walter]

^^^ True - Only she loves the media room she hates the Mustang. Doesn't even like it when I back it out on occasion to drive to church just to keep the battery up. Its really becoming an albatross.

Corvette time!!

[IWRBB]

Just buy a Roku box, plug it into an ethernet cable and away you go. OR use the TV if you prefer.

You get terrible bitrate streams from them though. It's fine for the average viewer on an average panel, but when you have a really good setup with a big scrren- you can tell.

The best possible source for movies right now is playing them from a UHD disc or .the iso file directly. I don't see that changing for quite a while. It's quite possible the streaming quality is going to get worse as they clamp down on bandwidth.

[PKFIRE]

Chad glad you got it done. Looks like the pictures are not showing up now. I wouldn’t mind to see how it turned out.

[redfirepearlgt]

Forgot to update. Finally finished framing, cutting down, and hanging the door to the laundry/utility/storage area.
https://i.imgur.com/0s2bJGv.jpg

Installed the sump pump system with backup PRO2400 system fit like a dream. 100 hour runtime backup on 1/3 HP backup pump. The battery would start a diesel. Its huge.
https://i.imgur.com/XRT7BMp.jpg

The bannister is in place.
https://i.imgur.com/XiTIMPR.jpg

The man cave gun cabinet is in place...
https://i.imgur.com/DG7fptm.jpg

The movie collection is growing in the added shelving
https://i.imgur.com/lBnTuJ2.jpg

The seating had to be upgraded because the original wasn't holding up. Watson's was SUPER GREAT to deal with. Honored warranty and went the extra mile. Great place to deal with.
https://i.imgur.com/PAiuGha.jpg

And...the...well how did that get there? Oh well...yeah...and the .22 Mag Browning T-bolt w/ Leupold scope is dialed in at 55 yards. Ran out of time to set up for 100 yards but should be right within a few 1/4 MOA clicks.
https://i.imgur.com/lbKOPtR.jpg?1

[redfirepearlgt]

That's weird. The links are there but no pics. No idea. Text me sometime Joe when you are free if you want to come see it. Chad

[draggin50]

I can see the pictures.

Turned out great! Be hard to leave the seat!

[cstreu1026]

That turned out really nice!

[PKFIRE]

That's weird. The links are there but no pics. No idea. Text me sometime Joe when you are free if you want to come see it. Chad

Looks great Chad! I’ll see if I can stop by in a couple of weeks.

[Kwik92GT]

Looks great, awesome work man. :cool1:

[redfirepearlgt]

thanks guys. Been enjoying the heck out of it.