mcgsxr's basement build

mcgsxr · « **Reply #80 on:** 6 Mar 2013, 02:49 pm »

I asked the construction guys to redo the bulkhead, I saw it was too close to the HVAC trunk to allow me to stuff the cavity effectively with insulation to assist with noise prevention. They were not thrilled, but agreeable.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #81 on:** 7 Mar 2013, 01:20 am »

Long evening already.

Cut, joined and installed the 2 runs of LV conduit. One to the future PJ location, and one all the way to the display wall.

Stuffed 100 ft2 of pink insulation around the HVAC inside the bulkhead. Banging my finger against it has changed from a mid ranged bonging noise, to a dull thud. Hopefully that helps keep sound out of it.

Props to bpape for suggesting pink for this, at 1/2 the price of the Roxul!

One third of the 5/8ths drywall is up on the ceiling. Will be big progress tomorrow with all the ceiling going up, and walls starting.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #82 on:** 7 Mar 2013, 07:33 pm »

Subwoofer wired up, terminal cup installed, and it is tied into the floor inside the cavity. It does not touch anything around it, so it should produce limited vibrations in there, and free up considerable floor space.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #83 on:** 7 Mar 2013, 09:26 pm »

Neat!

mcgsxr · « **Reply #84 on:** 8 Mar 2013, 05:48 pm »

Most of the pics to follow as the walls are refined, will hide all the infrastructure. Here is one last pic of the framing around the subwoofer, and the built in under what will be the display.

I taped plastic over the woofers, and the port since the dust down there is bad, and will only get worse during mudding and taping and sanding.

You can also see a piece of conduit I installed that will allow me to run wires from the built in, up to the display. I will cut in access points (with proper low voltage covers) once the work is done.

Above the sub will go a false cold air return, that when removed gives me access to both that short conduit, and the long one from the utility room to the display wall.

Sheetrock is up, now they are in the utility area, drywalling the dividing wall. I wanted both sides of that wall drywalled, I filled it with Roxul too.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #85 on:** 9 Mar 2013, 02:21 pm »

The drywall is up in the area to be finished. A couple of pieces still to be put into the bathroom, and on the utility side of the dividing wall. Work to be done this week in the evenings around mudding and taping.

Pic below shows the dividing wall including both doors into the utility area, and the built in by the pool table.

This is a shot from the HT area, back past the pool table towards the dividing wall.

Here is the outside of the media closet, by the stairs.

Lastly a shot from the pool table towards the HT area, where the display will be on that far wall.

Progress but brutally dusty. Cutting out the pot lights and receptacles using a rotozip really blew it up in there!

ctviggen · « **Reply #86 on:** 9 Mar 2013, 02:32 pm »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 3 Mar 2013, 10:32 pm

Absolutely!
While I do love Mike and love watching his shows, he's clearly demonstrated that money is no object. There was one show where the home turned out to be FULL of black mold inside the walls. After 100% demo of the entire interior of the house, from rafters to basement floor, he then installed a state fo the art air and water filteration system. A system so complex, it took up a large section of the basement to house all of the equipment.

I was blown away. He fixed the cause and effect, but why this intricate system of air and water purification? I can't imagine how much those systems cost.

Oh well....Mike can do a show about my house anytime. I'd be more than happy to relocate for a couple months.

I don't want to derail this thread, now that great progress has been made on the remodel, but a lot of shows are over the top. Have you seen This Old House in the past few years? Everything they do is over the top. It's supposedly a "do it yourself" show where 95% of the stuff you couldn't do yourself. For instance, they had a 18 (?) foot solid wood counter top that had to be hand made in a factory. They had a light that was made by an artist using sandblasting. On the current house, they had 200+ year old blocks installed for a walkway. I've always wanted to install my own walkway, but what they're doing is out of control, over the top.

Back to the reconstruction, why does the drywall have a blue hue to it? You're not afraid of permanently putting the sub there?

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #87 on:** 9 Mar 2013, 02:48 pm »

Looking great Mark. Drywall going up is my favorite part of building a room.

I was wondering about the blue drywall too. Looks like a moisture/mildew resistance type of thing?

I haven't seen "This Old House", since back in the old days. But yea, it sounds more like just a show to watch, not something the average DIYer could get some good ideas from.

Bob

mcgsxr · « **Reply #88 on:** 9 Mar 2013, 03:07 pm »

The blue (and there will be green for some other pieces) skin of the drywall is due to the fact that it is mold resistant. Using it over all walls down there. Not expecting moisture issues, but simple cheap prevention.

I am not that concerned about completely burying the sub in the wall. I will be able to service it through the rectangular cut out (ie replace drivers in the future if something goes wrong), and ultimately if it blows up completely and I cannot fix it, I will just remove the grill and drywall over it. My current DIY sub in my main floor 3.1 HT has been in constant use for 10 years now, with no issues, other than 1 amp failure.

Note that the woofers and box are buried in the wall, but the amp is in the media closet. I wanted to be sure I could still replace or upgrade the amp easily.

The bulkhead is bigger than I had hoped for, but will clear 6'4 once the finished flooring goes in. As I am only 5'8, I can jump around and not have any issues. Only my tallest friend is out of luck at 6'8, but he is used to ducking.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #89 on:** 12 Mar 2013, 06:01 pm »

All the drywall is hung now, mudding and taping started last night and will continue evenings this week. No sanding until tomorrow night or so, I expect.

Here is a shot of the media closet wall with all the power buried in it now, and the sub amp hung in there too. Still dark, as the switched light in there won't be in until all the electrical is truly complete, in around 2 weeks.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #90 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 02:25 am »

Mudding and taping continues. I am starting to see how all the initially awful looking seams, cracks and holes are disappearing.

What I am struggling with, as my deadline of Monday approaches, is paint treatment. A big part of me thinks that the bulk of the bulkhead would best be served painted wall colour (both horizontal and vertical surfaces) so as to leave the full height areas the sole white sections of the ceiling. That is where all the pot lights are, so all the down lighting will come from "up there". No lights in the bulkhead at all (other than the pool table light that will hang from it).

The bulkhead is about 13 inches, and it confronts you visually as you come down the stairs. If I paint it all as ceiling, the white, I fear would really pop. The bulkhead runs throughout the space, sideways to how you come down the stairs.

Thoughts?

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #91 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 12:45 pm »

I'm thinking....paint it a darker color than the ceiling. Almost like an "accent wall" (as they call it in the tv shows).
You could also hang "cool man stuff type paraphernalia" across the length of it.
If you can't hide it, accentuate it.

Bob

jparkhur · « **Reply #92 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 01:01 pm »

I painted my bulk head white to match ceiling. I was happy with it. I have lower ceilings so the process of coloring it, would bring it to far down. Look in my gallery for the images.

Jon

jparkhur · « **Reply #93 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 01:02 pm »

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;image=71758

django11 · « **Reply #94 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 02:08 pm »

I agree with jparkhur. IMO it will feel less massive.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #95 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 02:13 pm »

Appreciate the ideas so far. I have seen folks paint it ceiling colour, and folks paint it wall colour.

My issue is that it is huge compared to what I see in other people's spaces (13 inches by 60 inches) and it divides the length of the 25 footish box.

I like the idea of using the sides of it for hanging stuff. I have a cool mask collection from when I traveled the globe in younger days, and a collection of motorcycle and T Bird parts I consider art. SWMBO not so much!

jparkhur · « **Reply #96 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 02:46 pm »

We are all accepting of ideas and I know you are taking many of them to heart. Nice job.

Remember this... its paint..... (my wife always says that) buy another gallon and spend an afternoon listening to music and paint it again. No loss really, just some time.

As long as you are happy with it from your vantage point, do it. I understand that taping it off or putting down drip clothes is a pain, but in the end its up to you.

Jon

Also, you cant see it to well, but my ceiling is so low i did NOT encase my duct work. I painted it all white and it is also 30-40 inches wide total. I did not have a choice.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #97 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 03:30 pm »

Quote from: jparkhur on 14 Mar 2013, 02:46 pm

Remember this... its paint.....

That's it right there.
Paint it white when you paint the ceiling. See if you can live with it.
If not, paint it something else. That's the good part, is it's such a small area, you can always change it later.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #98 on:** 14 Mar 2013, 04:36 pm »

This is just the type of calm advice that only someone who has finished a major project can give to someone still in the middle of one!

Thanks guys. I will make a call, and then see what it feels like at the end. Then change it!

django11 · « **Reply #99 on:** 15 Mar 2013, 12:06 am »

I don't mind painting but I once re did the color in a room 3 times until both I and the spouse liked it. I now buy a liter (quart?) of color to try it out.