Just closed on a new house...gameroom coming soon! Ideas?

Les Manley

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Just closed on a new house...gameroom coming soon! Ideas?

I am super excited, we just closed on a new house and it has a perfect spot for a gameroom. It has a walkout in the basement to a brick patio for easy access and game moving. Plus it has a 3rd car garage under the house that is perfect for a workshop and storage area. Tons of options for this space. I currently have 4 pins and 7 arcade games. Would like to do a movie room in the one corner under the ceiling fan and then pins and vids on the other side and in the framed off room.

I would love to hear ideas and/or dos and don'ts from everyone who has been down this road before. I am just thrilled that this is finally becoming reality. I have bought so much cool arcade stuff that, until now, has been in storage in my previous garage and basically unusable. I finally get to use and display all my fun stuff!
 

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Good grief..that's great. We're currently looking for another house, with a walkout basement being a plus and a 3rd garage/bay down there being a plus. You found it.

Is it new construction? Looks like someone already framed a lot of walls, huh? You need to buy some more project games now..
 
Good grief..that's great. We're currently looking for another house, with a walkout basement being a plus and a 3rd garage/bay down there being a plus. You found it.

Is it new construction? Looks like someone already framed a lot of walls, huh? You need to buy some more project games now..

It is a 97 build, but it doesn't look like the people that owned it before us ever went down there. Everything looks new.

Don't get me started on project games...all my arcade games are projects right now. ;) They all need something or other, but I don't mind as now I will finally have space to do those things.
 
First piece of advice I would give would be to use Google Sketchup before finalizing any permanent areas that would be designated. Basements look huge until you start moving games in. Secondly, use epoxy on the floor.
 
First piece of advice I would give would be to use Google Sketchup before finalizing any permanent areas that would be designated. Basements look huge until you start moving games in. Secondly, use epoxy on the floor.

I have started experimenting with Google Sketchup. I am doing epoxy in the bottom 3rd car garage for sure. I would like to do black light carpet in the basement...we'll see how expensive that would be...
 
I am super excited, we just closed on a new house and it has a perfect spot for a gameroom. It has a walkout in the basement to a brick patio for easy access and game moving. Plus it has a 3rd car garage under the house that is perfect for a workshop and storage area. Tons of options for this space. I currently have 4 pins and 7 arcade games. Would like to do a movie room in the one corner under the ceiling fan and then pins and vids on the other side and in the framed off room.

I would love to hear ideas and/or dos and don'ts from everyone who has been down this road before. I am just thrilled that this is finally becoming reality. I have bought so much cool arcade stuff that, until now, has been in storage in my previous garage and basically unusable. I finally get to use and display all my fun stuff!

First off, congrats on your new home and play space! I like the movie room, but you might want to consider taking out the ceiling fan if you were to put in a projector or plan to playing wii games or something like that.

#1 thing about an arcade game room is power considerations.

See how many slots you have in your box and if you have 100 amp or 200 amp power. Only use 12 gauge wire / 20 amp breakers.

Most of my games hit 3 amps or less each (after the initial surge) but you should probably get an amp meter to measure your specific games. I wouldn't put more than 6 on a single circuit, I also have 2 circuits that only have 4 plugs for games that need more power (like those with motors / force feedback). I'm also a fan of wiring them up like lamp plugs so you can turn them on individually from a central spot.
 
I have started experimenting with Google Sketchup. I am doing epoxy in the bottom 3rd car garage for sure. I would like to do black light carpet in the basement...we'll see how expensive that would be...

BL carpet would be cool as hell. If the basement is at risk for flooding (even minor); or has ever flooded reconsider. Just looking out for you. I had individual tiles in my gameroom, and eventually it flooded (only 1/4 inch, but all over the place), ruining the tiles, lifting them and mold started growing. Had to start from scratch with the epoxy, which I should've done to begin with. $700 in tiles vs. $180 for the epoxy.
 
Seal all the slips/drives on your ductwork with a UL181 aluminum tape and fill the floor joists with an R38 insulation before you drywall, you won't be sorry!
 
Seal all the slips/drives on your ductwork with a UL181 aluminum tape and fill the floor joists with an R38 insulation before you drywall, you won't be sorry!

This is good stuff! I appreciate the help. I want to do things right.

If I sprung for BL carpet, potentially flooding would definiately scare me. The house "shouldn't" flood as it is on a steep incline hill. They did the landscaping and drainage nicely, so that water would continue downhill. I don't see any evidence of water on any of the frames, so that was nice as it would have had 15 years of opportunity to flood so far. Of course there are no guarantees obviously.
 
BL carpet would be cool as hell. If the basement is at risk for flooding (even minor); or has ever flooded reconsider. Just looking out for you. I had individual tiles in my gameroom, and eventually it flooded (only 1/4 inch, but all over the place), ruining the tiles, lifting them and mold started growing. Had to start from scratch with the epoxy, which I should've done to begin with. $700 in tiles vs. $180 for the epoxy.

Agreed. We thought our basement would never flood... and it hasn't. BUT- we did have a plumbing problem that ruined the carpet. Right after cleaning up that mess, I went with a stained concrete floor and a throw rug. When I open the laundry area up to combine the two smaller rooms into one big room, I'm going with tile floor.

Congrats BTW!
 
Congrats! I'm in the process of closing on my house. Same kind of set up, except the basement is finished with a 3rd garage down there, which is my shop. Which the previous owner kindly left his shelf workbench system for me. +1 for adding insulation before you drywall. They did a drop ceiling in my place, you can hear everything between the two floors. I'll be adding insulation and drywall soon. Now all I need to do is convince my wife that half of the basement needs to be full of games. Congrats again!
 
Agreed. We thought our basement would never flood... and it hasn't. BUT- we did have a plumbing problem that ruined the carpet. Right after cleaning up that mess, I went with a stained concrete floor and a throw rug. When I open the laundry area up to combine the two smaller rooms into one big room, I'm going with tile floor.

Congrats BTW!

Thanks! Now I need to make sure to get the rest of the keycains from you I still need for the rest of my games. ;) I think I am only two game short as it stands now.
 
Agreed. We thought our basement would never flood... and it hasn't. BUT- we did have a plumbing problem that ruined the carpet. Right after cleaning up that mess, I went with a stained concrete floor and a throw rug. When I open the laundry area up to combine the two smaller rooms into one big room, I'm going with tile floor.

Congrats BTW!

Heart pine would look really cool though, I bet..
 
How wide is the doorway of the walkout?

Unless the original owners specified any different, it should be a standard 3'0 single or a patio door with a 6'0 x 6'8 rough which would accomodate a game 32" wide at the active sash once the stop and handle have been removed.
 
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Unless the original owners specified any different, it should be a standard 3'0 single or a patio door with a 6'0 x 6'8 rough.

One would THINK. Imagine my surprise when I found out my basement walkout was a 30" door.

Ain't no gettin' no NBA Jam style cab in that doorway without busting something up.
 
Unless the original owners specified any different, it should be a standard 3'0 single or a patio door with a 6'0 x 6'8 rough which would accomodate a game 32" wide at the active sash once the stop and handle have been removed.

Yeah, I think it is standard. All I know is that you can get an extra wide washer and dryer through it with a little room to spare on each side. :)

Killer Instinct 2 and MK3 will be going through there eventually, so we will see how much I can squeeze through there.
 
Yeah, I think it is standard. All I know is that you can get an extra wide washer and dryer through it with a little room to spare on each side. :)

Killer Instinct 2 and MK3 will be going through there eventually, so we will see how much I can squeeze through there.

OK, you should be fine. Still, I'd drape the sides of your wider cabs when you move them in, though.
 
HA! Something must be in the water. We are closing on our house on Friday here in MN. Congrats man.
I too have an unfinished basement that is going to become a movie theater/ arcade.
It will be cool to see what you do with it.

BTW, I saw you have a Dragon's Lair... if you want a Dragon's Lair 2 to add as your newest addition, let me know as I have one for sale.


I know that since I now have so much more space, I am planning on getting about 5 other games. "So much space for so many activities" (step brothers)
 
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