pkinneb Posted November 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Way behind my goal but still moving along... Added some sound deadner to the drain pipes not sure it helped much but it was worth a try and was only $33 Then more framing I framed the window so if someone ever wants change it back to a usable window they can. There will be a column with a front surround speaker in the right bay which is why the framing is actually bigger than then the window. You can also see the front wall is just leaning against the other wall and not final mounted yet. I need to do some rough in plumbing in the bathroom and it will be easier without the wall installed. I did get to use a woodworking tool today a clamp to twist straight the crappy Menards lumber Here is a shot of the isolation clips on the top of the wall these with the rubber underneath the wall will help keep the bass from shaking the rest of the house Next up I cut away the bottom plate for the door and the equipment closet and found this...not really unexpected but one more thing I will need to deal with. Any cement workers in the group? how would you deal with this just regular cement? Some last framing details, and plumbing rough ins, and then the electrical rough in for the theater will commence. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 That's looking awesome! I'm happy for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Tom King Posted November 5, 2018 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 First, rub any burrs sticking up on the edges of the concrete, on both sides of the blocks, down with a brick, if you don't have a rubbing block. Vacuum it all clean with a shop vac. Get the loose stuff out of the cavities in the cinder blocks. Fill with regular concrete mix, leaving it flush with the tops of the blocks. Buy Type S mortar mix, and fill the rest of the way with it to make the floor flush. If you had some more plain cement to mix in with the type S, you could get the top surface smoother, but just the mortar will not be bad. (assuming you know how to mix the mixes with water) If you can get just the sand and cement out of the bag of concrete mix, by removing any aggregates-maybe by screening some of it, you may be able to use that on the top instead of the mortar mix. To smooth out the concrete on the top, first float (rub) with a short, flat piece of board (If you don't have a concrete float). Screw a piece of 2x4 to the top of it, on edge, for a handle. Before it sets up completely, but hard enough to barely put a finger dent in the surface, smooth with a cement finishing trowel (don't know a substitute for the finishing trowel, unless maybe you have a toothed tiling trowel with a smooth back edge). As it sets a little more, turn the trowel up on edge, and pushing down fairly hard, rub it across the surface until you get it as smooth as you want it. If you can't quite get it slick enough for you, mist some water on it, and try again. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Tom, you’re a handy guy to have around! Never thought to remove the aggregate for a smother finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Reading Tom's post you get the feeling he has instructed several guys on how to exactly that with whatever happened to be at hand. I've learned to listen to guys like him and avoid learning the hard way by taking a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 I have done similar to Tom, but prefer hydraulic cement to screening out aggregate. It also handles bonding better with some of the potential contaminants. Not a huge difference, just a preference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 I was just thinking of getting it done cheaply, and easily, since it's in a closet anyway. One 50 lb. bag of mix would be more than enough, including screening out enough to only have fat on the surface, and not leave something else to store, or dispose of. So actually, I made it up as I went along, and only thought of screening out some after I had already written about the mortar. My favorite mix comes out of a truck, but it is possible to get a smooth finish with the bagged stuff. The problem here is the thin parts over the webs of the blocks, so it would be easier to screen some than to keep trying to beat the rocks down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted November 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Tom King said: I was just thinking of getting it done cheaply, and easily, since it's in a closet anyway. One 50 lb. bag of mix would be more than enough, including screening out enough to only have fat on the surface, and not leave something else to store, or dispose of. So actually, I made it up as I went along, and only thought of screening out some after I had already written about the mortar. My favorite mix comes out of a truck, but it is possible to get a smooth finish with the bagged stuff. The problem here is the thin parts over the webs of the blocks, so it would be easier to screen some than to keep trying to beat the rocks down. Thanks Tom!! I really appreciate the help. 1 hour ago, Tpt life said: I have done similar to Tom, but prefer hydraulic cement to screening out aggregate. It also handles bonding better with some of the potential contaminants. Not a huge difference, just a preference. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 I'm not sure what level of subwoofer goodness you have planned, but on the weekend I fired up the new sub I made & I have some problems - wall vibration. The wall adjoining my wife's sewing room moves so much that it sets everything in the room rattling. The ceiling in the HT room has a dropped bulkhead around the perimeter with removable MDF (heavy) panels & they rattle like crazy. The ceiling mount Atmos speakers shake something fierce. It's gonna take work & time to get everything buttoned down. Anyway, the point to this story is to make sure you get things built solid. The biggest problem with my room seems to be the resilient channel that I hung the drywall on. There is enough flex in it to let the drywall move quite a bit. It's not a problem until the base gets down to the 12 - 25 Hz range. In hindsight, It would have been better to use staggered stud construction rather than resilient channel, & 2 layers of 5/8" drywall instead of a single layer of 1/2" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 On 10/26/2018 at 1:52 PM, Chestnut said: I really want to up the power to the stereo in my shop. The larger space compared to my older space leaves me maxing out the amp quite frequently. Are there 2 channel systems that don't break the bank that will push 150 watts RMS per channel 4 ohms stable? Check craigslist or ebay. I had a Denon AVR-3802 receiver I bought back in 2002 for $1000 that I gave away for free because this was from the pre-HDMI world... Otherwise, for modern stuff I've found great deals at accessories4less.com, they're a certified seller of refurb stuff from Denon, Yamaha, Marantz, Onkyo, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 46 minutes ago, Minnesota Steve said: Check craigslist or ebay. I had a Denon AVR-3802 receiver I bought back in 2002 for $1000 that I gave away for free because this was from the pre-HDMI world... Otherwise, for modern stuff I've found great deals at accessories4less.com, they're a certified seller of refurb stuff from Denon, Yamaha, Marantz, Onkyo, etc. All of that equipment is at best 6 ohm stable. You won't find much consumer equipment that is stable at 4 ohms. I've tried them they don't work. Also their power outputs are kinda weak. I initially said 150 RMS but that's what i have i probably need to get 200+ RMS per channel. I just need to suck it up and buy a decent Pro-audio amp. But I'm looking at $200 min for a cheap 2 channel. CL is a good idea maybe I'll set up a search through one of those sites with auto notifications and hit a few of the brand names. Getting into this world i question the quality that i'd end up with pro level stuff gets ridden hard and put away wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 One thing I forgot about the concrete fix. Soak the blocks, and adjoining parts of the old concrete with water before putting the thin coat on the top. If you don't odds are high that the moisture will get sucked out of the thin stuff enough to make it crack because of drying too fast. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Chestnut said: All of that equipment is at best 6 ohm stable. You won't find much consumer equipment that is stable at 4 ohms. I've tried them they don't work. Also their power outputs are kinda weak. I initially said 150 RMS but that's what i have i probably need to get 200+ RMS per channel. I just need to suck it up and buy a decent Pro-audio amp. But I'm looking at $200 min for a cheap 2 channel. CL is a good idea maybe I'll set up a search through one of those sites with auto notifications and hit a few of the brand names. Getting into this world i question the quality that i'd end up with pro level stuff gets ridden hard and put away wet. Well I know that AVR-3802 I had could handle 4 ohm loads. It was a $1000 receiver when I bought it, and handled my 6 ohm PSB speakers quite well. And like I said, today it's worthless because it lacked HDMI. In my shop I ended up buying these Edifier R1280 powered speakers from amazon for $100. I can recommend those for a shop as they're adequate sounding. They have a bluetooth version for like $125. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted November 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 6 hours ago, Tom King said: One thing I forgot about the concrete fix. Soak the blocks, and adjoining parts of the old concrete with water before putting the thin coat on the top. If you don't odds are high that the moisture will get sucked out of the thin stuff enough to make it crack because of drying too fast. Thanks again Tom!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted November 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 8 hours ago, drzaius said: I'm not sure what level of subwoofer goodness you have planned, but on the weekend I fired up the new sub I made & I have some problems - wall vibration. The wall adjoining my wife's sewing room moves so much that it sets everything in the room rattling. The ceiling in the HT room has a dropped bulkhead around the perimeter with removable MDF (heavy) panels & they rattle like crazy. The ceiling mount Atmos speakers shake something fierce. It's gonna take work & time to get everything buttoned down. Anyway, the point to this story is to make sure you get things built solid. The biggest problem with my room seems to be the resilient channel that I hung the drywall on. There is enough flex in it to let the drywall move quite a bit. It's not a problem until the base gets down to the 12 - 25 Hz range. In hindsight, It would have been better to use staggered stud construction rather than resilient channel, & 2 layers of 5/8" drywall instead of a single layer of 1/2" Good to know!! Currently have 1" separation from all outside walls and although I will have clip and channel in the ceiling I will be using 2 layers of 5/8" drywall with GG, hopefully its enough. Btw that must be one heck of a sub woofer LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 1 hour ago, pkinneb said: Good to know!! Currently have 1" separation from all outside walls and although I will have clip and channel in the ceiling I will be using 2 layers of 5/8" drywall with GG, hopefully its enough. Btw that must be one heck of a sub woofer LOL I think 2 layers of 5/8" would help a lot & I may have to go that far, but that'll be a last resort. The worst is probably the ceiling, which moves a LOT, but will also be the easiest to do. I think you'll be fine with what you're doing. I am pleased with the sub. It's very strong from 80 Hz all the way down to about 12 Hz. Can't hear it there but it sure can be felt. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 @Tom King Great stuff Tom. You can never leave here 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post pkinneb Posted November 19, 2018 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted November 19, 2018 Well thanks to all the help on this forum I have dealt with the cement issue not perfect but since it will never be seen I'm happy with it. Filled in the shower drain opening too since we will not be using that. Mixing cement in the basement since it was only 15 degrees outside and the three areas that I did Also have about 95% of the electrical wiring is done and started on the conduit installation. I need the plumber to do the bar and bath plumbing before I can complete the electrical. I do need to sheetrock the equipment alcove so I can run the conduit and HVAC into it. Ended up with 14 new runs 5 in the theater and 9 for the rest of the basement While I wait on the plumber I started the HVAC. I need to move the current supply to the front of the theater and the return to the back. I will also be installing a dead vent system. Basically you pull air into the front of the room (supply) from another room in the basement in my case the large rec area by the sliding glass door and the exhaust run will be in the back of the room and will also pull the heat off the top and back of the equipment rack as well. With the room being sealed up you need a way to exchange the air even when the heat/air are not running. I am using two 8" AC Infinity quiet fans. Here is the dead vent supply starter collar mounted to the bottom of the soffit by the sliding door and finally I know its not new tools but eye candy none the less LOL 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted December 3, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2018 I continue to plug away on the electrical wiring hoping to get the rough in inspection later this week. I will have a digital movie poster sign as you come down the stairs and needed to run a conduit to the equipment cubby so I can run a HDMI and Cat 6 cable to the TV. The cutout on the left will be a dart board built into the wall I started sheet rocking the equipment cubby so that I could run additional conduit for the speaker wires in there. Some how I was off a 1/2" from front to back and one of the 2x4's twisted really bad so I got out an old Stanley plane to clean that up Then I used 1/2" drywall to square it up (front left back right) here it is with the first layer of drywall installed Oh and I bought a new tool for the project...really nice having a cordless screw gun next I started work on placement of the room air exchanger fans so I could run the electrical to them This cut out will be covered by a grill so I have access to both the fan and the electrical outlet. I also taped out a rough outline of the screen so I could determine speaker placement. I will be using a Constant Image Height (CIH) screen. Meaning the width changes but the height stays the same. Here you can see both 16/9 normal TV (inside tape) and 2.35/1 or typical movie size. The plumber made it out to plumb the half bath and bar (me and plumbing don't get along...at all) While he was out I discussed an issue we were having with our water pressure he determined it was either the well pump or the water softener & water filter. Well the good news is the well and pump were fine the bad news was that our extremely high iron water had brought the softener and filter to the end of their useful life. $3k later we have good pressure again. Don't they look nice Next I started to hang the sheet rock on the hallway wall of the theater to get it out of the way for when the inspector comes out and finely the last big expense on the audio visual portion of the theater build, two sub woofers I picked up on special for black Friday Next up rough in electrical inspection and then onto low voltage wiring, audio cabling, and HVAC as well as some fire blocking in prep for the rough in building inspection. still hoping to get it rocked and taped this year but that is probably optimistic at this point. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 3, 2018 Report Share Posted December 3, 2018 Little by little by little. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted December 3, 2018 Report Share Posted December 3, 2018 Nice subs. I bet you'll be happy with those. I debated going with projector vs flat panel & ended up with a 75" flat panel. I love the TV, but as is typical for me, I've got a little buyer's remorse, wishing I'd gone for the projector & much bigger screen. Ultimately though, the flat panel will work better for us because the room isn't a pure home theater & will see lots of use with higher ambient light levels than a projector would be happy with. I could always add a motorized screen that drops in front of the flat screen Time to start working on arguments for the benefits of that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 1 hour ago, drzaius said: Time to start working on arguments for the benefits of that. "Just because I want it" should be a good enough reason. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 1 minute ago, Chet said: "Just because I want it" should be a good enough reason. Strangely enough, It is myself that needs the convincing, not my wife. If I can justify it to myself, she'll just go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted December 4, 2018 Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 Coming along. So you have what 27 days to finish this untill you said you'd start your next project 2 minutes ago, drzaius said: Strangely enough, It is myself that needs the convincing, not my wife. If I can justify it to myself, she'll just go for it. But all the awesome speakers you could have instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted December 4, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2018 2 hours ago, drzaius said: Strangely enough, It is myself that needs the convincing, not my wife. If I can justify it to myself, she'll just go for it. That is definitely a keeper LOL 1 hour ago, Chestnut said: Coming along. So you have what 27 days to finish this untill you said you'd start your next project But all the awesome speakers you could have instead. Yeah I'll only miss that date by like 4 months probably, maybe 6. I really underestimated all the time it would take to get up to speed on soundproofing, theater layout and equipment choices, and required HVAC stuff for a sealed room. The good news is 90% of all the decisions are made and now its just doing the work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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