How to: Create a home theatre - part 2

After reading part one in this series, you will have planned out your room, including speaker set up and screen size. You'll also have started on your framing if you are enclosing a previously open space. Now it's time to look at the next step - insulating.

Insulation and sound damping

Insulation is important for many reasons, including to keep your house thermally efficient. Another reason for insulation is to dampen sound from one side of the wall to the other. In this application you will want to buy a product that is specifically designed to reduce sound travel. This will stop outside sounds disturbing your movie time and will also help to reduce noise to the rest of the house from your entertainment set up. According to YourHome, not all batts are created equal - so investigate your options.

If you live in an older home that does not have insulation in the ceiling or even walls, now could be a good time to remedy this. Grab a ladder from Kennards Hire and check to see if your ceiling is keeping you as warm (or cool) as it could be through proper insulation.

It's important to remember that gib walls and hard surfaces like wood floors bounce sound back, reducing the quality of your audio system. It may be time to look into some acoustic panels to cover your walls. You can make these yourself with simple timber framing, leftover batts and a nice fabric cover. Hire a compound mitre saw for repetitive cuts if you are going to create a few of these panels.

Pre-wiring your system.

Before using your electric screwdriver to fix your gib board and panels, think about pre-wiring for your speakers and other peripherals. Running wires through the walls and ceiling cavity means no tripping over cables on a daily basis and also gives your theatre a very clean and professional look.

You can also take this opportunity to have your lighting and projector wired up - we recommend hiring a qualified electrician for this part.

You should consider the height that you will be sitting at while watching movies. This is the level you should fix your speakers at. If you want your speakers up and out of the way, you can fasten them at ceiling height and angle them down towards the seating area.

One of the best ways to run your cables is to go up through the walls and through the ceiling cavity. This will make it easier when you fit your gib board with an electric screw gun, and will also mean you can readily access cables once the wall is fitted if necessary. You may even want to fix plastic plumber's piping into the walls to run your cables through, making them easier to retract at a later date if necessary.

Whatever you need to successfully wire your speakers or renovate your home theatre, Kennards Hire will have the tools you need for the job. Check in on the next part of this series for the finishing touches.