How to Build a Home Theater Room in an Attic
Home theaters with deluxe sound systems and huge LCD screens or video projectors are one of the hottest trends in home design today. A home theater differs from an ordinary family room; a proper home theater room should have no windows or natural light sources as these detract from picture quality. If a basement space is not available for remodeling into a black box theater, consider remodeling a large attic for this purpose. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Building permits
- Drafting materials
- Original home blueprints
- Measuring tape
- Folding chairs
Instructions
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Determine if the attic is a proper height for accommodating guests. There should be enough head room between the floor and roof so that a 6-foot-tall adult can stand up and walk the length of the room, at least in the center of the room. Lower, sloping ceilings are acceptable along the sides of the attic because theater audiences will be seated. A 48-inch floor-to-roof sloped ceiling is probably the minimum height allowable in a seating area. Use lower ceiling height areas for storage spaces.
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Evaluate the length and width of the attic theater. You'll need a minimum of 15 feet of length in the room to comfortably view a 60-inch screen from two rows of seats. Set the first row of seats at least 6 1/2 feet back from the screen. The width of your attic theater should be no less than 15 feet if you would like to provide four theater seats across each row of seats, with a 30-inch aisle between sets of two seats on either side of the aisle. A room 15 feet long by 15 feet wide, for example, will provide two rows of four seats per row, with a center aisle, or room for seating a total eight guests. A larger room will be needed if you want to seat more than eight viewers at one time.
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Test seating arrangement plans with folding chairs to determine the best layouts for seated guests in the attic space. Use testing assistants who vary in height.
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Evaluate the location of the theater room and the placement of any attic-mounted furnaces, air-conditioners, or whole-house fans. The noise generated by attic HVAC equipment may be too great to permit enjoyment of a theater room on this level unless it is soundproofed.
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Plan logistics for getting furniture up into the attic once the project is finished. Make sure staircases and doorways are large enough to fit couches or big theater chairs through the openings. Consider using "knockdown" or foam rubber furniture if traditional furniture will not fit.
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Confirm the attic has "good bones" to start with including insulation, heating, cooling, ventilation, and electrical wiring. Upgrade these elements if necessary. Obtain all necessary building permits required by your community for a major remodeling job.
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Plan how guests will get to the attic theater room in a comfortable manner. Pull-down "attic steps" are not adequate. Install a proper staircase for maximum access and benefit. Spiral staircases are space-savers.
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Finish the room with carpeted floors for guest comfort and soundproofing. Consider installing industrial carpeting on the walls for even more acoustic control.
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Place illuminated light switches at the entrance and mid-theater for safety. Consider installing low-voltage blue "running" lights for maximum safety.
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Equip the theater room with a wall-mounted fire extinguisher located at the entrance and at the opposite end of the room. Store several large flashlights nearby in case of power failures.
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Provide for quick and easy cleanup of the theater between uses. Place covered garbage cans near the entrance to the theater and store a vacuum cleaner in a closet nearby.
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