We love to watch TV and movies in the privacy of our homes. So it stands to reason that we would want to enjoy these simple pleasures in the best possible setting, as a way of enhancing the viewing experience. But media rooms can bust the budget of the ordinary TV buff. That’s why building a home movie theater on a budget can make your viewing sanctuary a reality.
The right media equipment makes or breaks the room. This is where a lot of the media budget usually goes. But there are ways around that.
The right equipment
As soon as you decide to go with the room begin your search for used equipment. People are always moving where they no longer need their equipment, update their older set or simply don’t want it anymore. Start looking early and this will give you time to come across exactly what you want at a fraction of buying it new.
Acoustics
Acoustics are an absolute necessity for the proper media room. Under normal circumstances you would go with sound-proof tiles all around, but these are expensive. A cheaper route would be to maximize the amount of insulation in the walls and especially the ceiling. Doubling or even tripling (if space allows) insulation makes quite a difference in the amount of sound that escapes. Plus, insulation is cheap and can be installed by anyone.
Sound quality
Sound is also affected by the floor. But sound doesn’t do very well bouncing off of anything hard like wood, concrete or tile. You need soft to absorb sound better. Carpet is, by far, the best choice and the plusher the carpet, the better. This goes for padding, too. Although you don’t necessarily want to sink into the floor when you’re walking.
Carpet on the cheap
To keep costs low, make some calls to local carpet companies. They are always replacing old carpet with newer brands or removing carpet to put in hardwood floors. The old carpet is taken back to their shop and disposed of. Have them notify you when they receive carpet in good condition. Taking it off their hands means they don’t have to pay to dispose of it. You might go through this sequence several times before you get what you need, but free is still cheaper.
Comfy seating a must
In order to enjoy your media room you have to be comfortable. That means having the right seating arrangements. In oder to fill this need, you need to decide if you are going for single seats or multiple.
For single seats, you can simply line up some recliners. You can find these all day long on sales sites like Craigslist or even in the classifieds. If you want uniformity, spring for some matching upholstery covers. It will still come out considerably lower than custom media chairs.
For multiple seating, put in an old sofa. Again, an upholstery cover will bring new life to a dated or worn out sofa. If you need more than one row, you can line up two or even three couches. For each additional row, you can build a short platform out of two-by-fours and plywood to elevate each row behind the front one.
So there you have it folks, a home theater on a budget! Any additional tips would be great, so comment below!
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