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New Year garage to games room project

Martin.D

Registered
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
143
Location
Bromley, Kent.
Alias
No-Clu
Starting to need more space for my collection of pinball tables & arcade games.
So plannning to convent garage (on semi-detached house) into games room.
Can anyone help with do's and don't?
Likely I am not the first to do this and hoping to head off problems others might have decovered.
 
I converted my garage a few years ago. 3x2” timber frame set in from the brick wall, 100mm Celotex in wall frame stud work, 100mm Celotex in ceiling joists, 50mm over concrete floor with chipboard flooring ontop. LED ceiling down-lights on dimmer switch, plenty of wall sockets etc, plus separate distribution board.

Things I wish i had done differently:
Put a couple extra sockets along a wall that I didn’t think I would use for pins / arcades as I designed it to have bookcase there. So yeah, stick a few extra sockets in just incase you move things around later 😄
 
I converted part (2/3) my garage to a dedicated Games Room / Cinema Room.

My advice for what it’s worth is don’t scrimp on the installation. Like Dave notes above, I went for 100mm installation on walls and floor (rock wool on the roof) and it really makes a difference. Also, machines are heavy, so use a good thickness for the floor.
 
I converted my garage a few years ago. 3x2” timber frame set in from the brick wall, 100mm Celotex in wall frame stud work, 100mm Celotex in ceiling joists, 50mm over concrete floor with chipboard flooring ontop. LED ceiling down-lights on dimmer switch, plenty of wall sockets etc, plus separate distribution board.

Things I wish i had done differently:
Put a couple extra sockets along a wall that I didn’t think I would use for pins / arcades as I designed it to have bookcase there. So yeah, stick a few extra sockets in just incase you move things around later 😄
I second the sockets
 
Oh, and I also used the more dense / sound deadening plasterboard!
Admittedly my garage isn’t attached to the house so can have mine up to a half decent volume. If yours is attached to your house I seriously recommend you get similar plasterboard (along with decent amount of insulation) to make the room more sound proof. If your anything like me and play games late at night (often when kids asleep) not hearing the flippers clacking away in the house / bedrooms will definitely be a good thing.
 
Any tips on insulating the garage doors themselves?
I've done this recently and have gone with the following:
  • Flexible foil insulation stuck to the back of the garage door with contact adhesive
  • 25mm Kingspan cut to fit all of the main areas in the door
  • Aluminium foil tape to seal up all the gaps as much as possibe
original_d17af91f-040a-4522-b8dc-829f2c686bd5_PXL_20201215_200919064.jpg

I've also fitted a curtain rail across the top of the door and will have thick curtains drawn across it when the room is done. The one thing I haven't looked at yet is the weather stripping/draft excluders for around the edges. As my garage is integrated and all of the walls are cavity filled insulation then it was pretty decent already, the door and curtains should retain enough heat once the rad has been fitted :thumbs: I'm no builder though and am just knocking this up myself so take anything I've done with a pinch of salt, it might not be the best way to do it :D
 
Any tips on insulating the garage doors themselves?
^^^ What @ronsplooter said above. Ideally remove the door and block up / put proper windows and doors in or insulate as above (although I think I'd go for more like 100mm celotex). Others I know have temporarily put up sheets of freestanding celotex in front of the door (if it isn't used regularly).
 
Heres what I did at my old house, built a frame around the door (the door could still open). Built some panels and butted up to and screwed into the frame. Kept it very warm and when I needed to open the garage door took about 15 mins to remove.

Fairly cheap to make but very heavy.



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Decided need a lockdown project..... going to add additional wiring and paint games room. Christ paint is expensive!!
Progress last night..

20210104_201424.jpg

Games moved, now need to sheet everything
 
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