[tgutwin]

I have to post this as a huge thanks for all the information I found on this site. I am a long time lurker.... I never did have to post a Q because they were already all answered!

This past year I took the plunge and did a big home reno that included a new basement with a Home Theatre/family room with surround sound (11.2), a dedicated media closet with a simple home built rack and a dedicated games room. Extensive soundproofing, lots of pulled LV cabling

I created a dedicated set of web pages outlining my vision, plans, materials, and systems I used. It also has lots of pictures, my plans, and comments.
Take a look, I hope it helps others make the best decisions.

http://sites.google.com/a/webarts.ca/structuredwiring

Once again, Thanks forum contributors. I spent hundreds of hours reading, comparing ideas, looking at pictures that made my build come off with very few problems.

Tom

 

[topherpaquette]

quite the impressive reno

congrats on the new home!

 

[the_Dude]

that is very impressive. Thanks for all the great information and FANTASTIC write up.

 

[CenturyBreak]

Outstanding!!!

My only quibble: with all the space available before being divvied up, you only made the game room ~ 40% the size it needs to be for a snooker table.

Other than that, outstanding!!! Wait... I said that already, didn't I?

 

[tgutwin]

Funny you mention that...
before I modeled it in Google Sketchup and actually virtually walked around in the basement in 3D, the plans had the games room even smaller.

As soon as I walked into the virtual games room, I noticed it felt much to small and I enlarged it by about 3 feet. The media closet also eats into the space, but that was a MUST.

The Google 3D model is also attached somewhere on those pages.

 

[CenturyBreak]

If it were me, I'd have jiggled things a bit and used the entertainment room plus future bar/kitchen area as the games room (mostly as I have a proper 6x12 table in storage... and no room in my existing basement!) and use your game room and part of the spare (bed)room as the entertainment/home theatre area.

I'm also wondering where you're located. I just discovered to my shock that basement kitchens (or summer kitchens as we've always called 'em) are now verboten for single-family houses... at least in Ontario... or perhaps just T.O.

Still... an OUTSTANDING job on your part!

 

[tgutwin]

North Vancouver.
The kitchen was a bit of a "flag" for the city indicating a suite, but we are not using it as a suite. We actually only roughed in the kitchen because we might just turn it intro a bar area instead. Its just drywalled for now. It will come with time and $$$.

 

[tgutwin]

Full plans, build, & products for Tom's Media and Game room
I have to post this as a huge thanks for all the information I found on this site. I am a long time lurker.... I never did have to post a Q because they were already all answered!

This past year I took the plunge and did a big home reno that included a new basement with a Home Theatre/family room with surround sound (11.2), a dedicated media closet with a simple home built rack and a dedicated games room. Extensive soundproofing, lots of pulled LV cabling

I created a dedicated set of web pages outlining my vision, plans, materials, and systems I used. It also has lots of pictures, my plans, and comments.
Take a look, I hope it helps others make the best decisions.

http://sites.google.com/a/webarts.ca/structuredwiring

Once again, Thanks forum contributors. I spent hundreds of hours reading, comparing ideas, looking at pictures that made my build come off with very few problems.

Tom

The website I created has tonnes of detailed info and pictures.

We started with a crawlspace, lifted the house and dug a complete basement.
Here is the crawlspace before....

Here is the very start of the tunneling...

Family room after...