First attempt at a home cinema conversion

[ThePowster]

Hi folks

Newbie here starting my very own first DIY project at the tender age of 36

OK my plan is to turn my living room into a home cinema, so to start with my first project is to build a radiator cover which spans the whole length of my living room as my radiator isnt central and am a tad OCD

So, I have built my rad cover and I am very proud of that and today I ordered Black Faux Leather Vinyl Upholstery Fabric to cover it in.

So my question is ...

How can I cover the MDF in this fabric in the cheapest most cost effective way possible ?

I have looked at sealing the MDF but the sealant is £25 and then I looked at 3M spray glue but I dont want to be spraying lots of that in my living room as my rad cover is approx 3.5m long.

So I wanted to ask would this product be ok and do the job of both sealing the mdf and at the same time adheering the vinyl to the mdf ?

UniBond Super PVA Adhesive Sealer & Primer 500ml, 5010383000165



And this is where I am with it:

I am worried if I try this and get it wrong I'll have to re-buy the vinyl and waste a lot of money so I came here for some advice.

Many thanks in advance.

Matt

 

[bighairybloke]

Should be ok, but check on a bit first. Id use carpet adhesive spray personally.

Steve

 

[Carlclaire]

Hi cubecrazy I would use a cheap staple gun found in a diy shop or pound shop so you can stretch the fabric nice and tight and achieve a neat finish hope this helps

 

[Geps]

Agree with Carl, staple at the sides and the tension on the vinyl will keep it against the mdf.

 

[ThePowster]

Thanks for the reply guys

Any ideas on what kind of staple gun I need ? I have a stationary one but I am guessing that wont work.

If you could provide me with a link of the kind of thing I am looking for that would really help me a lot

Many thanks in advance

 

[Carlclaire]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/heavy-duty-staple-gun-534362 that should be fine for you needs

 

[ThePowster]

Wow thats cheap lol thank you very much i'll pick it up tomorrow

 

[Carlclaire]

If you wanted to spend a little more this would be better http://www.diy.com/nav/fix/handtool...y-Staple-Gun-0-TR150-Light-Grey-Black-9285263

 

[ThePowster]

Yep that does look better and B&Q is closer too, I been going there a lot lately

Thanks for that, just the ticket

 

[Geps]

If you can, go to a Screwfix instead. Whilst they're the same company, B&Q stuff is alot dearer.

Wickes is another good one as they can price match.

 

[ThePowster]

Hey Geps thank you for the info mate.

Well there is a Wickes in town but I never been as I always just went to B&Q so I checked the Wickes web site and the same staple gun is £10 more there than in B&Q, however, Wickes do a even better staple gun than B&Q for £19.99 so I think that would be my choice as it gets great reviews and has power control etc.

I also checked Screwfix and their guns dont compare in quality / price really but I am sure all 3 places will outshine one another on various items, so I bookmarked them all and will use all 3 to find the best and cheapest deals.

Thanks again

 

[Geps]

Oops! Meant to say I meant Wickes is more for materials than tools, but glad you found what you were looking for!

 

[Alty08]

If that is your radiator cover where are the vents and have you checked your clearances for proper venting and circulation? OK if you never use the radiator but if it is used then you need to replan your original idea.

 

[ThePowster]

Hey Alty

Thanks for the tip there, I dont plan on ever using this radiator as I have 2 in my living room so this 1 was overkill and I never have it on.

This was my plan, get a 100" projector screen, box off that horrid radiator.

Am a total newbie to DIY and this is me first ever job, what I learned is firstly calculate what you think its going to cost, then times that by 3 lol.

I nearly made a total mess today, I sprayed on this carpet glue and all the vinyl got stuck and I couldnt unstick it and I was in a right mess, I got a 3" tear in one corner but I managed to bodge it so it dont look too bad.

I got 10 blue LED lights coming in the morning, will fit those, get a IR remote control plug adapter so I can switch the lighs on and off remotely.

Eres some pics of today (please dont laugh lol)

My plan (so far) ....

BANE ... outta batman

This is the wall it will go across, wall paper next then projector screen with LED blacklight

 

[Alty08]

Phew, just thought I'd mention it as when I looked into making my own covers I found there's more to it than I first thought.

Don't keep doubting yourself, it looks good.

 

[Geps]

I nearly made a total mess today, I sprayed on this carpet glue and all the vinyl got stuck and I couldnt unstick it and I was in a right mess, I got a 3" tear in one corner but I managed to bodge it so it dont look too bad.

That's why you staple it.......

 

[ThePowster]

I wasnt sure if you needed both staples and glue, it wasnt clear, I would have been happy to have just used staples but I wasnt sure if it would sag in time and needed glue or not ?

Anyway I managed to luckily get it all sorted, the tear I did a good job with, I re-glued the cut and kinda mashed it together with a small flat head screwdriver and the vinyl kinda moulded together again as one so you can hardly tell.

Job and project done

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/94/doneb.jpg/


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[andrdodd]

looking good mate ....

 

[ThePowster]

Cheers mate, wallpapering today and thanks for the advice, be lost without it, will update asap

 

[ThePowster]

Hey peeps.

Update from today ... and its been a long one Zzzz about 10hrs to paper 1 wall lol... Never done it before

Todays agenda was to finish stripping the main wall and replace with new wallpaper, that bling one

Wanna say big thanks to andrdodd for lettin me know where to get it from B&Q everybody and it seems everyone is right, this is top notch stuff, its just like the leather faux that I have used to make my radiator / wall cover and matches perfectly as it happens.

Right few pics, sorry about the pic quality my phones rubbish, it totally doesn't represent what it looks like right now but I'll get some daytime pics which will be better, but I am very impressed with it so far, room looks amazin now and I'm well happy.

This was my plan as drawn on the computer, the A2 frames and those exact posters have been ordered, the logos on the right hand side were options but I am going for the blue Chillout Theatre

Planning ...

Paper done, really changed the look of the room, its all ohhhh and mysterous lol am well proud of meself, I cant usually make a cup of tea right so to do this on me own is a first for me.

With me bling remote control blue LED accent lights, again much better in the flesh, there not that dazzling.

So I got A2 pic frames coming, posters coming, need to order the middle Chillout light and projector and screen then the fun can begin.

Ultimately I would like one of those xrocker chairs and a mini bar and popcorn machine but its all dolla aint it

 

[andrdodd]

Well done mate look grt already ... may need to dim those LED's though they're a bit bright lol.
keep going will watch eagerly

 

[ThePowster]

lol its damn camera phone that makes it look like that, cheers will update in week as and when new stuff arrives, lookin forward to me first big screen film

 

[ThePowster]

Update on this, today I got the screen and PJ although the PJ is still boxed at the mo as its taken me all day just to assemble the screen and get it mounted on the wall lol.

Had a nightmare with the screen as I had fitted the lugs wrong and I snapped 2, luckily there was 2 spare then I figured it out, also lucky I didnt tear me screen but all is good

My camera phone really rubbish at takin pics in dark conditions so i'll make a YouTube movie with the GoPro when I get the PJ set up.

I polished the wallpaper and leather faux wall cover earlier its all sweaty looking and looks very nice.

Very worried about how am gonna get the PJ aligned properly and mounted to the ceiling, but for now will test it on the table.

 

[andrdodd]

That's looking good mate... will great to see it finished aswell..

 

[inzaman]

Looking good so far