Home Theater – Part 7
Progress continued once the trim and lights were installed on the platform. We used 3/4″ plywood to create the floor, starting with the lower section and steps.
I added more trim to the edges to give it a finished look. This trim is a smaller version of the window and door trim throughout our house. We needed something at least a couple inches wide to hide the LED strips underneath.
I had to wait until the flooring was installed before I could attach the corner trim above the steps.
Then, more painting . . .
I had been contemplating for a while about what to use for flooring on the platform – carpet, laminate, vinyl? It needed to be fairly light so as to not add unnecessary weight to the already heavy platform. I had collected several samples of each and kept going back to vinyl planks. I was just worried if it would be the right look. I started revisiting all the stores to look at options and to see what they had in stock vs what would need to be ordered. We were getting close to being ready to install something (and the recliners were already on order), so I wasn’t crazy about a 2 week wait for flooring to come in.
A trip to Lowe’s turned up a great find though – peel and stick vinyl planks on clearance for 95 cents a square foot! The style is Antique Woodland Oak which has a lot of variation including some gray and black which I thought would go along with the room. I went back later and bought 120 square feet of it in fear of it selling out if I waited.
A concern I had about using vinyl was having a bunch of cut edges along the sides of the platform. I decided that adding a “frame” would eliminate that problem and give it a more custom look.
I started with the step on the far side. If I had any initial installation issues, it would be less likely to be noticed over here. I started by laying the “frame”, then filled in with additional planks. It was super easy to cut by just scoring it with a knife, then snapping it along the line. The hard part was getting the line scored straight. (David and I both worked on the top riser so one of us could hold the plank and straight edge while the other cut, making it much easier.)
That step went quickly and easily, so I moved on to the other step. I made one mistake on this step, but it wasn’t a big deal to do over. Then, I began on the lower platform, laying the frame along the edges first, then filling in.
I probably used a few more planks than needed because I made a point of staggering the joints and using different lengths so that it would look like a real wood floor. I used just under half of the planks I had bought and was sure the upper riser would need more. I ran back to Lowe’s and picked up another 40 square feet so make sure we had enough. I also wanted to have extras since it has probably been discontinued and in case we need to repair some planks down the road.
I was really excited with how it turned out. It looks really nice. The planks have a wood grain texture and it looks pretty convincing for being peel and stick vinyl. I will get better pictures with my camera once it is all finished.
Once we were sure all the wiring was secure under the top riser, we laid the plywood down, added trim and painted it.
The top riser went about the same as the bottom, although a bit easier and quicker with 2 people this time. We used some weights to hold down a few seams where the plywood is uneven.
All that’s missing now is the chairs (which still aren’t here – fingers crossed for this week).
I am thrilled with how the platform turned out. This is one of those rare cases where it turned out better than I expected. Perfect? – No, but it looks awesome. The trim adds detail to make it look more “professional”, the lights increase safety in the dark and add some Wow factor and the “wood” flooring adds interest to the space.
While we wait on the chairs, we’ve also been working on getting the junk out of the room. We will have a truck load to donate this week before the chairs get here. I’m also working on some of the design details I’ve had planned – lighted movie posters, vinyl decals for the walls and a sign over the door.