Home Theatre Construction Plan

1. Move upstairs

computers

projector, screen

speakers

closet doors to my closet

disassemble old desk, and store in my closet

trash video tapes

2. Move Washer Dryer

drill vent hole through wall (remove gypsum, drill through wood, chissel out brick)

new electrical connections 240V and 120V

new plumbing drain along wall to laundry tub and hot/cold water pipes

move and attach washer dryer with leveling feet

DIY Budget: $200

3. Dehumidifier installation

4. Move Floor Drain

Plumber Budget: $1850 () to $2489 (HyPro 519-622-7770 Wayne Misener www.hypro-drains.com)

5. Remove new ducts

Patch hole with sheet metal in garage, or some of these ducts.

6. Double up neighbor wall gypsum and caulk

DIY Budget: $50

7. Fix notched joists

How? (metal strap on bottom, or sister joists, or nothing)

DIY Budget: $100

8. Brick up Window

1.5" deep bricks (on edge?)

9. Replace Insulation in case of Mold

Remove existing yellow insulation to where double wall stops near existing washer dryer

Drylock paint the wall, including bricked window

Mount 1" R7 foil based polyisocyanurate rigid insulation on upper portion of foundation wall ($40)

Mount 1" semi-permeable EPS or XPS rigid insulation on lower portion of foundation wall, leaving 6" gap at bottom

Famous Mold PDF (local copy)

DIY Budget: $100

10. Remove existing electrical

11. Soundproof the Window Ducts

Option 1: stuff with fiberglass and 5/8 gypsum at bottom of joists.

Option 2: wrap steel ducts with sticky MLV, replace ducts

Option 3: remove ducts, replace with acoustical flex duct

Option 4: wrap steel ducts with duct wrap (insulation).

New Tools

nail guns for framing. * Porter Cable pancake compressor/finish nailer combo -- big thumbs up * Porter Cable framing nailer -- thumbs down. Would sometimes doublefire. I'd go with one of the other major brands. I'd buy rather than rent if you plan on using it more than a couple weekends. You can always go the E-b a y route after you're done. Amazon is a good source for the reviews. * Table saw -- Ryobi BT3000, thumbs up. Extremely accurate and easy to use * Compound miter saw -- Rigid. I wish I would have paid a little more and got a sliding compound miter saw. * Circular saw -- Porter cable, thumbs up. * Router -- cheap Ryobi, thumbs down. * Router -- Porter Cable plunge router, thumbs up * Random Orbital Sander -- Makita, thumbs up * Cordless drill -- 18v Makita, big thumbs up * Pneumatic Upholstery Stapler -- cheap brand from Harbor Freight, big thumbs up * Laser level -- various brands ranging from $20-$300, all were a disappointment and I didn't keep any of them. Roto zip, A fixed blade utility knife (not the retractable kind), A drywall t-square, panel lift handles, a toe kick panel lift, a stud finder, a Makita drywall screw gun, a drywall saw, a window fan (get that dust out of here), safety glasses, a 22 load gun fastener, a plumb-bob, a framing square, an assortment of grip clamps, chalk line, radio, and refrigerator If you already have an air compressor, then going with a good pneumatic nail gun like a Stanley/Bostich framing gun is a good investment. I have one that I'm very happy with, and have used it on projects at 2 houses over the past 10 years. If you don't have or don't want an air compressor, then a "hose-less" nail gun like a Paslode might be the ticket for you. Advantages include a) no compressor needed, 2) no hose to drag around behind you. The downside of the tool is that it's somewhat more expensive than a traditional pneumatic nailer Pawn shops, but don't pay the asking price (generally). Many are negotiable. They usually have commercial grade Senco's and the like. I am borrowing a Sears framing nailer from my neighbour, not sure who actually makes it but is a great nailer, and no misfires in 4,000 Senco nails and about 7 in 1,000 Paslode nails. Nailgun is highly recommended, as are Senco ring shank framing nails! So far tools acquired/borrowed for the HT/Basement project: - Good Stanley hammer, nice and heavy - Roofers square - 18V Black and Decker cordless drill - 18V Black and Decker cordless circular saw (only have it because it came with the drill above from Lowes last Thanksgiving) - DeWalt circular saw* - DeWalt drywall screwdriver - Craftsman compound/miter saw* - Craftsman framing nailer - Craftsman scrolling sabre/jig saw - Porter Cable 5 gallon twin stack compressor - Porter Cable finish nailer - Tape measure* - Work horses (plastic type - great product) - Craftsman 1000Watt worklight - Chalkline* - Rip saw* - 4' Level - Torpedo level* * Tools used extensively but purchased prior to this project Now we're preparing to move into our next house where we'll do a dedicated HT, and fortunately I've got the tools I need. Porter Cable nailers, compressor and biscuit joiner, Ryobi rotary saw and a Jet table saw and dust collector. A drill press, 2hp DeWalt router and compound miter saw. Oh - and you've gotta love the B&D Bullseye laser level! The only items on the wish list right now is a 360° laser level, and a Panasonic 15.6v cordless drill. If you've ever used the Panny drill, you understand why I want one Hitachi Compound Sliding Miter Saw with Laser cutting line. Circular Saw Dewalt DW364K Corded Saw w/ case Miter Saw Hitachi C10FSH 10" Dual Sliding Miter w/ Laser Miter Saw Blade Hitachi 725206 10" 72-Tooth Carbide Blade Tape Measure Stanley 33-600 30' Tape Rule Utility Knife Good Grips 16020 Chalk Line Reel Stanley 47-099 Speed Square Swanson 00107 12" Speed Square Stud Finder Zircon 58052 Tool Holder Bigg Lugg Power Tool Holder Belt Sander Bosch 1276DVS 4"X24" Dustless Var Speed Drill Bosch 33618 18V Brute Tough Cordless Sawzall Blade Set Milwaukee 49-22-1127 Plumb Bob Tajima PZB-400 Plumb-Rite Plumb Bob Drywall Square Johnson RTS24 RockRipper Scoring Square Pocket Kicker Diversified Tools 812-DT Drywall lifter Reciprocating Saw Milwaukee 6514-21 18V Sawzall Hatchet Kit Router Bosch 1617EVSPK 2 1/4 HP Router Combo Pack Router Bit Set Freud 91-100 13-Piece 1/2" Shank Set Jig Saw Bosch 1584AVSK Barrel Grip Jig Saw Orbit Sander Porter-Cable 333VS 5" Var Speed Finishing Sander Nail Set Stanley 58-930 3-Piece Nail Set Chalk Strait-Line 65105 Fluorescent Orange Chalk Shop Vacuum Fein 9-55-13 Turbo II Dust-Free Biscuit Jointer Porter-Cable 557K Biscuit Jointer w/ 1000 biscuits Band Saw Jet 14" 14" Band Saw Table Saw Jet SuperSaw 52" w/ Sliding Table Mobile Base Jet SuperSaw mobile base Mobile Base Jet Band Saw mobile base Drill Press Jet 16" 16" Drill Press Mobile Base Jet Drill Press mobile base Hammer 144365 23 oz Framing Hammer Hammer 144364 18 oz Finishing Hammer Tapered Drill Set 13D18 Boxed Tapered Drill Set Forstner Bits 12B33 7-Pc Boxed Forstner Set -cordless frame nailer (Paslode)- this is way too nice- it makes the framing job fun -18 V cordless kit, Ryobi-excellent product for DIY, extensively used -10" portable table circular Saw, Dewelt- Very good table saw with excellent dust collecting chamber, Better than previously used Bosch, heavily used -10" compound miter saw, Dewelt, get a sliding type if you can, heavily used -corded reciprocating saw, Dewelt, Milwaukee is a better one, the cordless unit is all you need for HT building -Biscuit jointer, Dewelt- have not used it yet for HT -Orbital sander- Dewalt, lightly used -drywall drill head, Dewaly-Works great -Jigsaw. Bosch, must have -Router, Bosch -compressor kit with finish and nailer, Porter cable, you can get away with this one if you buy the Paslode -hammer, Stanley -drywall square, Johnson -Carpenter square -work horse, Stanley- foldable plastic but great -Shop vac, a must have -Utility knife, Stanley -24', 16' tape measure -drill and screw driver head set,Ryobi- absolutely needed -hammering drill, Makita- great for drilling concrete -clamps -hand saw -4' Plumb Bob -heavy duty extension cable
I highly recommend to anyone thinking about doing their own drywall to invest in an adjustable pole, a swivel sanding head, and to use sanding screen. Also invest in a stainless steel 90 degree corner trowel. For a very modest investment in tools, and with a little bit of practise, professional results can be had. Another great tip is to head to a drywall shop, and buy one of those zippers seals that attach to a sheet of plastic. Unzip and cut the plastic and this can be mounted in a doorway to create a zippered access door. Great for containing drywall dust to the project area! And don't forget to seal off any heating vents and cold air returns! You'll go through dust masks fast, and it is still a messy job that most people will want to farm out. The key to a smooth wall is a long blend zone, with three coats plus the tools I mentioned above. You will use a substantial amount of mud on the corners so don't worry about this. Sand paper is far from ideal for drywalll sanding. It makes for very fine dust whereas sanding screen takes off excess dried mud faster, doesn't clog, and makes larger dust particle that tend to fall down so less dust ends airborne. The swivel head sander swivels so it only takes off the highspots, unlike sandpaper....

Existing Tools

Existing HT Hardware

Wanted HT Hardware