My dedicated cinema room construction thread

Fantastic install. Have you got a sketch of how you fixed your cove lighting shelf around perimter of ceiling. Also did you use MDF or is it Plasterboard with holes for Halogens cut out once secured?
 
Finally where did you get your rope lighting from is connected to a dimmer?
 
Fantastic install. Have you got a sketch of how you fixed your cove lighting shelf around perimter of ceiling. Also did you use MDF or is it Plasterboard with holes for Halogens cut out once secured?

Finally where did you get your rope lighting from is connected to a dimmer?

Hi Floyd. Posts #11 and #15 on this thread should have the info you need!

The only pics I have of the lighting shelf under construction are on there, too.
 
Hey Neil. Excellent thread. I love the star lights.

Do you have any more pics of the installation of that at all?

I'm keen to see how you fixed it to the ceiling. We've got a little one on the way in November and I've been thinking about star lights for the ceiling in the nursery.
 
Hey Neil. Excellent thread. I love the star lights.

Do you have any more pics of the installation of that at all?

I'm keen to see how you fixed it to the ceiling. We've got a little one on the way in November and I've been thinking about star lights for the ceiling in the nursery.

I don't have any more pics of the actual installation, as it was difficult to photograph, but here's a summary:

1) Screwed 6 pieces of timber to the back of a piece of Foamalux. One along each edge to make a rectangle and two across the middle. Timber had a cross section of about 3cm x 3cm.

2) Turned the whole thing over and glued some fabric onto the front of the Foamalux, leaving a couple of inches fabric unglued around the edges.

3) Measured the positions of the ceiling joists and pre-drilled some holes through the Foamalux and timber frame. (This is why the fabric was left unglued at the edges!) I also put a couple of holes through the cross pieces for good measure. These two obviously had to go through fabric as well.

4) Next job was to install the fibre optics. There's some pictures in the thread of the work in progress. Not a difficult job, but very boring! You need to prop the whole thing up on its end and have one person either side. Leave the fibres sticking out about an inch for trimming later.

5) Attached the Foamalux onto the ceiling using long screws then glued the remaining couple of inches of fabric down to cover the screws.

That said, if you have easy access to the loft, consider installing the fibres directly into the ceiling. If you drill carefully, and perhaps put a thin coat of paint on the ceiling after installation, but before you trim the fibres, they should be invisible when they're switched off.

The kit I got was good, but might be too bright for a baby looking directly at it. Consider getting a dimmable one, perhaps?
 
Thanks very much for that. It was steps 3 and 5 that I'd been wondering about. I do have an attic space above the room but it's in the eves of the loft so isn't perfect for access. I reckon I'd be best following your plan too.

I'd wondered about supporting the middle of the structure but guess just using a black tipped screw head solves the problem. I wasn't sure if it'd be obvious they were there and would spoil the look.

I wasn't sure if the controller that came with the model you bought was dimmable. I'll have to look in to that too.

It'd be nice to have an ambiance in the room so I'll maybe put a seperate switch on the wall for a couple of wall lights so either option can be used.

Thanks again.
 
I'd wondered about supporting the middle of the structure but guess just using a black tipped screw head solves the problem. I wasn't sure if it'd be obvious they were there and would spoil the look.

I wasn't sure if the controller that came with the model you bought was dimmable. I'll have to look in to that too.

Thanks again.

My wife stuck a couple of pieces of black fabric over the two screw holes in the middle, and I honestly struggled to find them!

I would have preferred a dimmable light source, but they tended to be a lot bigger to cope with the heat and I wanted to hide the light source in the box section where the downlighters are.

The stars are very bright - too bright to leave on when we're watching a film, but I wasn't really intending to do that anyway.
 
From a brief look on their website, there seems to be a dimmable option. I'll drop them a line about it.

I take it there's no way to wire it in to a lightswitch on the wall that you put a dimmer on? I see a connection in your picture on page1 that looks like it plugs in to their controller.
 
Neil- I just stumbled across your build- absolutely brilliant. Regards to the ceiling- did you have to make holes for the fiber optic cable?

Not sure I understand how all the light comes through as it does?
 
Neil- I just stumbled across your build- absolutely brilliant. Regards to the ceiling- did you have to make holes for the fiber optic cable?

Not sure I understand how all the light comes through as it does?

Thanks :)

You have to drill small holes for the fibre optics, push them through and trim the ends when everything is finshed.
 
I honestly think this is a great project, and stunning when you consider how cheap you've done it for. Amazes me that other threads where an installer was paid and did everything gets more coverage and praise than something like this, which is ambitious, quality, and really importantly...was done by you



Looking forward to seeing the finished product


just to add to this, the work looks fantastic and even more so due to the true DIY skills!
 
Been away from the forum for a while, i was watching your progress with great interest.

I am soon to redo my room and your build is quite an inspiration. My room used to be the garage so is a bit smaller.

I do like your lighting especially the star ceiling.

Great work

DrH
 
Hi Neil

Your Cinema looks great, really impressed with the star ceiling. Did you glue the fabric to the foamalux and then drill the holes through the foamalux and fabric or drill the holes in foamalux first and then glue the fabric on and just push the fibre optics through the fabric? Can you let me know where you got the fabric for the ceiling from also?

Thanks
 
Hi Neil

Your Cinema looks great, really impressed with the star ceiling. Did you glue the fabric to the foamalux and then drill the holes through the foamalux and fabric or drill the holes in foamalux first and then glue the fabric on and just push the fibre optics through the fabric? Can you let me know where you got the fabric for the ceiling from also?

Thanks

That's a few interesting questions P. I'd like to know this too. Wasn't wanting to pester Neil too much after he answered my questions on the previous page.
 
Hi Neil

Your Cinema looks great, really impressed with the star ceiling. Did you glue the fabric to the foamalux and then drill the holes through the foamalux and fabric or drill the holes in foamalux first and then glue the fabric on and just push the fibre optics through the fabric? Can you let me know where you got the fabric for the ceiling from also?

Thanks

Hi. I glued the fabric on first, then drilled the holes.

This is the fabric:
THEATRE BLACKOUT CLOTH | Scenery Cloth & Stage Backdrops

I chose that one mainly because it is 3m wide, to save having a join, but I was pleased with how dark it was, and it's also thick enough that the glue doesn't show through.
 
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Thanks for the info Neil, i'm about to embark on a garage conversion and have been impressed by your star ceiling, so considering giving it a go ..... if i'm brave enough! :)
 
Thanks for posting where you got the blackout fabric Neil, I was looking for some. Although it is pricey! Pity that site doesn't seem to do small samples. Do you have any small pieces left over? :)
 
Thanks for posting where you got the blackout fabric Neil, I was looking for some. Although it is pricey! Pity that site doesn't seem to do small samples. Do you have any small pieces left over? :)

Sorry about the delay replying. I've had a quick search in the garage, but it looks like I used the last of the fabric covering the screen edges, I'm afraid.

I think you could get similar fabric cheaper, but perhaps not at those kind of widths.
 
Sorry about the delay replying. I've had a quick search in the garage, but it looks like I used the last of the fabric covering the screen edges, I'm afraid.

I think you could get similar fabric cheaper, but perhaps not at those kind of widths.

Ah no worries, thanks for looking :thumbsup:
 
Well - it's been a while since I last posted!

We've now painted the room with Dulux Breton Blue on the side walls and the back wall and ceiling 'shelves' with Dulux Urban Obsession (dark grey).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73833597@N05/7148009743/image

Starting to paint the walls

My wife persuaded me to go with the star ceiling idea, which proved to be a major headache, as we don't have access to the roof space.

In the end, I bought a large sheet of Foamlux and screwed a light timber frame to the back. Foamlux is a plastic used for making shop displays etc. and is very strong and light. We covered the Foamlux with a large black stage backdrop cloth (glued on) to make it as matt as possible.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73833597@N05/7001922462/image


http://www.flickr.com/photos/73833597@N05/7001922932/image


Installing the 250 fibre optics took an entire day. I'm pleased with the end result, though.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73833597@N05/7148011203/image

Star ceiling in place, before the edges of the 'shelves' are finished.

I also made a change to the original plan of having no soundproofing. The sound was quite loud in the downstairs hall, so I decided to buy some acoustic sheeting to put under the carpet. It won't stop the sound completely, but it should help a little.

The stuff I chose was called Tecsound, and it's horrible! Very heavy, somewhat sticky on one side and almost impossible to get it to lie flat. I followed the instructions provided by the seller to install it with the fabric scrim facing down, but I'm not sure that was wise, as I now stick to the floor! Nevertheless, it will be covered with carpet and Cloud 9 underlay very soon.

Here's a photo I took today. It's quite sunny here, so the paint on the walls looks a lot lighter than it does when you're in the room.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73833597@N05/7148016967/image


It's been over a year since we moved house, and we haven't watched any films in that time, but the end is in sight! Once the carpet fitter has been, the only major jobs remaining are making the screen masking, deciding how best to cover the window (any ideas?!) and making some kind of radiator cover. And installing all the kit, of course.

I'm leaving acoustic treatments and final decision on projector positioning until the end.
How did you attach the foamalux frames to the ceiling? my plan was to sit them on the MDF shelf that I'm building all around the top of the walls, but i like the fact that you have raised yours up and attached it to the ceiling.
 

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