Written by Will Valento

At We Build the Fun Stuff, it’s our mission to put even more energy and excitement into your home. That’s why we specialize in a wide variety of home improvement projects, including basement remodeling, game room installation, deck or porch additions and more. For the past three decades, we’ve been pioneering the fun frontier in homes all across the Twin Cities, and we’ve found that one of the best ways to make your space even more entertaining for friends and family is with the addition of a custom home theater.

Now that the winter months have finally arrived, many homeowners here in the Midwest are retreating inside to get warm and cozy with family and friends. And while toasty fireplaces, video games and making warm cocoa with your kids are all fun ways to enjoy yourself when the weather gets chilly, nothing beats a movie night at home! But in order to get the most out of your cinema adventures, you’ll need more than a few tasty bowls of popcorn and your favorite refreshments. Movies are all about immersion, losing yourself in the magic happening on screen. And if that’s what you and your family want from your cinematic excursions, you simply can’t settle for a crummy viewing experience. So grab yourself a snack and get settled in, because today we’ll be discussing the best way to build a top-quality home theater in your basement for an affordable price.

Step 1: Choose Your Theater’s Location

One of the biggest perks of installing your home theater in the basement is that it will be appropriately isolated, ensuring that you won’t need to crank the volume down to a whisper when you have guests or other family members trying to nap or concentrate on something else. Once you’re sure the spot you pick won’t disrupt other occupants, check to see if it’s long and wide enough. For maximum flexibility and comfort, we recommend choosing basement rooms that are at least twenty feet long and fifteen feet wide. That way, you’ll have enough space to shift furniture around and accommodate additional guests without making the theater feel crowded.

Step 2: Soundproof Your Space

Even if your prospective theater room is far away from any bedrooms or offices in your home, it’s important to remember that this space will still produce enough noise to wake up the whole house without proper sound dampening measures. That’s where R-11 unfaced insulation batts come in handy. These soft, pre-cut pieces of fiberglass insulation pair solid thermal performance with outstanding sound control, making them a wonderful choice for your theater’s interior walls. Bear in mind that there are many other soundproofing tactics you can use for your theater as well. For example, acoustic sound-deadening drywall and various other sound-dampening materials (like sound panels or carpeting) are great ways to keep your theater quiet to the outside world without compromising on sound quality.

Step 3: Install Your Sound System

High-quality sound is essential if you want to become fully immersed in your films. Whether you’re watching adventurers tear across the plains of an alien planet or enjoying a leisurely trip to a castle in the sky while you’re snuggled up with the kids, you’ll need a great sound system to get swept up in the moment. Fortunately, there are a number of audio equipment brands that offer sound systems for reasonable prices, especially if you manage to find a good deal online. If you need to save cash, then a decently sized soundbar can deliver enough bass and volume. But the audio will really come to life with the addition of a few rear surround speakers for compelling surround effects and theater-like sound.

Step 4: Choose Your Movie Screen

When it comes to finding a screen for your custom movie theater, you have two main choices: a large television or a video projector. The main advantage of using a TV is that it’s very easy to install and move around. All you have to do is mount it to your theater’s wall and hook it up to your sound system. Video projector systems are a little more complicated because they need to be pre-wired and hung from your ceiling, but they also offer a large-screen experience that more accurately simulates a trip to your local movie theater. Both setups work very well, so there’s no wrong choice here. Just pick the one you think you and your loved ones would enjoy more!

Step 5: Get Cozy With Comfortable Theater Seating

A great movie viewing experience isn’t complete without comfy seating. Once again, you have a lot of options for home theater furniture. Some homeowners are big fans of getting nice, soft recliner chairs for all of their viewers. Others go with a couch or two so that they can cuddle up with their significant other during movie date nights at home. Regardless of which style matches your tastes, just be sure your theater furniture can accommodate your drinks and snacks! There’s nothing worse than being forced to hold onto your beverage for the duration of your movie. A couple of small tables or furniture with beverage holders built in will address this issue with ease.

Get Help With Building Your Home Theater Today!

If you’re dreaming of having a custom home theater in your basement but don’t want to go through the trouble of building it yourself, then be sure to contact We Build the Fun Stuff today for your FREE design consultation. No matter how ambitious your home theater project is, we’re ready to take on the challenge and transform your basement room into a beautiful place for laughter, bonding and movie magic. Also, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions about home theater installation or basement design in general. We’re always here to help.