The finished product

Remotes, lighting, and budget... oh, my!

After numerous calls to other professionals in the area, I came across a frequent problem. The problem was that everybody was telling me my project was impossible for the budget or they would try to upsell me something that is not within a small budget. So, I took it upon myself to provide answers some questions.  Others may not agree with my answers, but I’m living proof that it’s possible to do things correctly and cheap.

Which universal remotes are best for the low budget theater room?

I was recommended two different remote control systems, either of which will drain your budget.

• URC (Universal Remote Control) – has an infrared remote (works on radio signals, not line of sight) can control lighting.
• Control 4 (home automation system)– scalable whole home automation gives the ability to add additional automated features throughout the home in the future, but can get expensive quickly.

 You're probably wondering, "Hey now, I just wanted one room and not my whole house". Don't worry, I was too. Shopping around is the best thing you can do for your budget. I chose the LogitechHarmony Touch, which is available for about $250 retail, but about $100 less online. Part of the Harmony Touch’s selling points for me is the fact that it can be updated by any PC or Mac and it also controls light switch dimmers. If you aren’t looking for a remote with that kind of capability, there are certainly cheaper remotes that can handle basic commands to your theater components.

What are some things to buyers need to consider when considering remote lighting?

There are two types of remote lighting. One type is really just a fancy light switch that can dim when prompted to by a remote. Another type is a newer technology where the remote switch is built into the light bulb itself. Either remote lighting technology is great and are about the same in price if you’re only doing one small room. One thing to consider is, how often do you need to be turning on and off the lights to your room. Do you really need remote lighting, or is it just a cool thing to have that you really want?

Is there a way to do remote lighting without needing an electrician to wire everything for you?

There are light bulbs in the market now that have the remote switch in the bulb itself. Just replace the old bulb with the new, and you’re done! If you feel comfortable replacing a light switch (wall plate) on the wall, then you can do so using a remote dimmer switch. I do not have any automated lighting in my media room yet, but it was a luxury I figured I could live without until after my room was complete.

A major role in building your theater is research. I spent a couple months planning every purchase and reading all the reviews I could on every aspect of my theater. Some links I found helpful with finding the cheapest prices are:

Ebay

Amazon

Monoprice

Frys Electronics

Best Buy

Lowe's

I’m sure there are many more, but those where the websites I used to keep my theater under $10,000 from start to finish. I was told many times I was nuts and the feat was impossible. Those very same people were the first ones invited to tour my finished theater. 

Paint and decor

The decision to paint the theater room should be a relatively easy one.  Painting the room a dark color will give the true theater experience when the lights are out during viewing. You don’t have to paint the walls black, unless you want to. I chose a dark grey, so the room isn’t too dark when the lights are on, but plenty dark when the lights are off.

If you’re undecided, this website aboutcolor in a theater will help. Whichever color you choose, make sure the dark color also goes well with whatever décor you have. Clashing colors can be an unexpected eyesore. By the time I picked out the color for the walls, I had already picked out black bookcases, black equipment shelves, and knew I wanted a black velvet border around the screen. Another thing to consider is the use of ‘blackout’ curtains. Blackout curtains block outside light extremely well, and some brands also help with sound insulation. Below is an example of the difference blackout curtains make.

A professional recommended if you have curtains on one side of the room, to mimic the curtains in the same spot on the opposite wall to balance out the sound. I did not have the room to do this, but for larger bedrooms, it is something to consider doing.

Décor is a great way to spread your personal flair for your love of movies, games, or television. Some people have gone all out and made their room a theme. For the budget friendly, themed rooms can get quite pricey. It may be best to slowly buy little things at a time to work up to a completed theme. Floating shelves with knick-knacks or movie memorabilia is fun to see on display. If you have large empty spots on the wall, try finding your favorite movie poster and having it framed to hang in your theater.

Reference:

Blair, J. How to paint a media room. Home Guides by Demand Media. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/paint-media-room-26714.html

Patching those holes

Now that we’ve run our wires, it’s time to repair the holes in the walls. You can watch this video to get a general idea of what I will be discussing. The large holes, like the one’s we made are covered at 4:27 in the video

For repairing your cut out holes, you will need :

• 1X1 or 1X2 wood (for use of backer board)
• Saw (hand or electric)
• Taping knife (the wider the better)
• Drywall screws
• Fine grain sanding sponge (can substitute sandpaper)
• Spackling (I prefer DryDex because it’s pink and dries white)
•  Spray texture (to match the texture you have already on your walls)

  1.)   Cut two pieces of 1X1 to be 4” taller than the hole you’re trying to repair.

  2.)   Insert the 1X1 inside the hole and position it vertically to the right side so that it will support the missing piece of drywall and it has 2” to spare on top and bottom.

  3.)   Drill/screw in a drywall screw in the top and bottom of the hole (making sure to also drill into the 1X1).

  4.)   Make sure to keep screwing in the drywall screws until the head of the screw is just below the surface of the wall.

  5.)   Repeat steps 2-4 for the left side of the hole.

  6.)   Place the missing piece of drywall back into its hole and screw it into place using the 1X1 as an anchor for your screws.

  7.)   Spackle over the screw heads and over the seams of your cut out.

  8.)   When dry, lightly sand over the spackle until smooth and reapply spackle in any low spots.

  9.)   Apply spray texture to match the rest of the wall.

  10.) Depending on your texture to your wall, you may have to lightly sand the spray texture once it's dry.

Now you’re ready for paint!

Resource:

Lowes. (2012). Retrieved from http:// http://www.lowes.com/cd_Lowes+Video+Center_94400869_?ytID=EYQvdqcCYnI

Running wires

So, we now have an idea about the speakers to install, but we don’t want wires hanging from the ceiling and running down the walls in plain view. Having visible speaker wire and HDMI cables are not only an eyesore, but also looks like the room isn’t finished. One trick to get the finished look is to run the wires behind/inside the wall. A lot of people think you have to rip apart the whole wall to run speaker wire, but that is not the case.

I must stress, before you start cutting into walls, know what you’re getting yourself into. Figure out where every live wire is, and where every stud is in the room. To avoid accidents, turn off the breaker to that room. It helped to also do a bit of research about runningwires.

    1.)   Make sure you purchase, or have, a stud finder that can detect live wires (electrical), a sheetrock hand saw, drill, and ¾” drill bit.

    2.)   In order to gain access to the studs for drilling the holes, use the sheetrock hand saw to make a rectangular square cut out that is large enough for your hand to get through. Keep the cut out pieces and make sure you remember which piece goes where! I kept my cut outs low to the floor to make them harder to see when I repaired my wall.

    3.)   On load-bearing walls, it is important to drill holes centered (through the widest side) and never at the top or bottom (measure about 6”-12” up or down accordingly).

    4.)   Drill your holes to wherever you need the wires to run. I recommend running 14-gauge speaker wire, to ensure that there will be no melting of wires if I decide to turn up the volume a bit. The lower the number gauge, the thicker the wire.

    5.)   Run your HDMI cables first, as they have large ends that will need the space to pass through the drill holes.

    6.)   Install your speakers after running the wires. As you can see underneath the screen in the photo above, I also decided to purchase a faceplate for the speaker wire to attach to. It looks more finished when there isn’t a hole in the wall with wires coming out.

    7.)   After running all the wires and installing the speakers, be sure to test every speaker and HDMI cable before patching up the walls. It is a pain to hook up everything, test, and take everything apart again, however, it is worth it if you find you need to re-run a wire.

Reference:

w., T. (2008, February 29). In-wall wiring guide: Installing speaker, audio/video, and

ethernet cable. Retrieved from http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ZrYF64MT4vg/

learn/learningcenter/home/inwall_wiring.html