CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4901 Location: Flower Mound, TX

WTS · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1276 Location: Calgary

Just a thought.

Why don't you just use some conviluted foam which is usd for sound studios. It comes in black or other dark colours. Because it is porous and usually in triangle shape it will not reflect the light like a painted surface will, it will also absorb sound from reflecting and ceiling reflections for sound are some of the worst for quality sound.

I saw some inexpensive stuff on ebay which came out of Ontario somewhere and I'm sure you don't have to do your whole ceiling to get the desired effect.

Course then you have to figure out how to keep it up there, you could use some spray on glue or something like PL400 or similiar.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:21 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the sugestion Walter. I can't do anything to this place that I can't undo later. It's rented. Black paint can be made white later but you can't get PL-400 off textured plaster I wouldn't say. Wink

I was thinking of the foam for my side pannels but I don't know the fire rating of that stuff. I had some that was used to pack hard drives. A sheet of 8 x 12" or so will burn up fast enough that you barely have time to drop it. So that was a no go.

wendortb · Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 107 Location: Martinsville, IN

Just an idea if you do want to use foam on the ceiling. You could put up like 1/4" or 1/2 mdf or plywood on the ceiling using screws and glue the foam to the boards. It would be pretty cheap and easy to undo. For that fact I guess you could just use speaker grill cloth with some foam under it. Just an idea outside the box.

WTS · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1276 Location: Calgary

Or you could drape black velvet in folds on the ceiling too I suppose. An uneven surface is going to absorb more light and reflect less than a painted surface.

ronholm · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 12111

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

Honestly, I have never found the paints and cleaning agents, solvents, etc. to be all that great at the big-box places. Now, some might think I am defending Ron by siding with him, but I don't know him from beans. Smile

But I can say that if I am going to paint anything of considerable area its not going to be Behr, which I have used in very small applications.

Surprisingly, I have been using SW stuff for several years. Heck, they even formulate a paint designed to go on in one coat and be done by idiots (1st timers). BTW, SW owns several other companies, include Duron and that os so well-known stain company Minwax. Its not that I enjoy paying for the prices of paints at the SW store, but that I dislike having to paint 3-5 coats using what the bix boxes have to offer in that kind of product category.

Hey, if you wanted to hide the natural surface grain of sanded birch plywood (I know, I should have used MDF) that measures roughly 40"x60", is there something other than additional applications of paint that can do the job?

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

I agree w/ Ronholm....... Shocked

the behr and am traditions are crap (imho) they dont cover worth a damn and the colors are a bit touchy.

A professional suggested Benjamin moore paints to me and i've been more than satisfied since. Its more expensive but its worth it

ronholm · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 12111

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

Seeing as it's your livingroom and not a dedicated HT "cave" have you considered a cloth alternative?

I considered installing a drywall ceiling in my basement HT but discarded the plan for a couple reasons...first and foremost was the possible future need to access the "arteries" of my house, eg, wiring, gas lines, plumbing, ducting.
The second was the myriad of intrusive elements extending down at different depths into the ceiling area. Finding the worst offender and installing a drywall ceiling to the measurement of it would have robbed me of 8 inches when floor to joist is only 7'6" as it is. So I went with black king and queen sized sheets over unbacked fiberglass insulation.
I treated them with a flame retardent bath and I think they look just as good as drywall for a whole lot less time, effort, and money. Deep black is deep black right? It isn't like our eyes can tell the difference. If the day comes when/if I think they're faded...I remove them and re dye them black.

My dimes worth.

Greg

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 7:12 pm Post subject:

I should have been more specific. This will be a bat cave. Possible with the bat ( see my album) I can't make any holes in the celing. I am not using MDF for anything. That stuff makes me sneeze uncontrolably and my eyes swell shut. I use only real wood. The exception is my wall unit. It's particle board but it's sealed on all sides.

The celing is textured plaster. There is no wood in the celing to screw anything to. I can not make any holes.

Ronholm do you know off haand if Sherwin has a flat black celing paint?

Just Greg what did you use for a flame retardent?

Bruce 09 · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 7:39 pm Post subject:

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

ronholm · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 12111

Ya know I never really took a liking to that Classic 99 stuff I dunno why.... It just doesn't seem to work/cover as well.. The guys do most of the work and they never liked it either.. It has been a long time since I have bought that stuff..

Part of my basis for my SW affection is that about 70% of the time my crews are applying paint with an airless sprayer.. There is a huge difference in the amount of over spray generated by different paints...

Analog.. I can call my guy here locally and get the numbers for what you would need to get that flattest black possible if you want.. For some chemical reason I am sure that bruce is aware of the SW flat seems a lot flatter that other brands though.

Oh and about this...

ronholm · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 12111

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:24 pm Post subject:

There's no way to hold the fabric to the celing. I'm not making hole in the 50 year old plaster.

I have been procrastinating this for a while because I got sidetracked by finishing the bathroom.
The we had to fix the kitchen cupbord there was a small 2 foot hole under the sink that had to be fillled as well as the seems with stuff it foam (messy stuff but fun )

Then I'll recaulked the bathroom.
The list goes on.

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

Bruce 09 · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:50 pm Post subject:

ronholm · Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 12111

How wide is your room??? Use long 2x4 and drive wedges at either end to keep them up....

Is there a light fixture in the center of the room.. Use that opening as an anchor point and tack your fabric into the corners. the holes in the very corner would be np to fix...

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:49 am Post subject:

I have bought the rollers and the pans. The dark grey primmer should be in by Saturday they tell me. I have the masking tape and the drop cloths. I'm going to start covering the equipment tomorow when I get home from work.

Good idea about the 2x4's Ron but I'll go with the paint.

I was looking at trade show displays with all their vertical and horizontal towers but DAMN they're expensive. If I could score one 12 x 18 with about 6 to 8 towers I'd do it and use that to hang the fabric off of.

Instead I'll just go the paint route.

Man this old plaster is fragile. There's hair line fractures everywhere along the edges. Maybe I should get a HVLP spray gun for this??