It’s either here or the dining room!

[FirGir]

Found this site about a week ago and it is fantastic. I want to use the tandem area of my garage for my build (please see pic). The length and height are fine but the width is 9 feet 10 inches at the swing area, which is going to make me offset. I’m planning to go SkyTrak and TGC, use angle iron to hang everything, and have an overhead projector. I’m not concerned about accommodating left handed players at this point. I have two kids in middle school and I’m sure they and their friends will use the sim some (under my supervision, at least at first). Thinking maybe carpet tiles on the walls or whatever will not diminish the width any further. That underhang from the ceiling in the pic is at the impact area and drops 14 inches from the ceiling and juts out from the wall 2 and 1/2 feet. I can hang the screen a foot in front of the underhang and the length from ball to screen will be 10 feet and the ceiling height will be 10 feet 7 inches. OR, I can hang the screen underneath the underhang, gain 18 inches in length from ball to screen but lose in screen height at the impact area (down to 9 feet 5 inches). If I put the screen under, I’m going to have to figure out how to really protect that underhang.

I’d really appreciate any comments on what I’m not thinking through, which screen hanging option you would choose, and/or if you think I should build this thing in the friggin dining room, which is one of those typical suburban dining room/living room combo spaces that’s basically visible from everywhere in the house and has an open ceiling to the second floor (I do have a budget and wouldn't finish the sim out in the dining room like it would deserve). Thanks!

[penrose]

I put mine in the family room - which others might call the living room. However, I am single and do not have any kids. Garage will be cold in the winter and warm in the summer so if you can swing it - I would vote dining room.

[FirGir]

We do have a "family room" that's a separate room from the "living room" and the sim would go in the living room/dining area that's all just one good sized space. It's the room where, when I was a kid, parents would put the fancy furniture that no one could sit on. So I'd love to utilize that space for a better purpose, but it seems like the dining room build would add at least a grand or two to the budget just to keep everyone and the walls protected, and for it to look at least decent. The tandem isn't nearly as concerning for safety/wall damage due to location and the shape of the space. The climate here is pretty mild so I don't think it will take much to warm the garage in the winter but I just bought the house a few months ago so don't know for sure. But, yeah, I don't need a dining/living room and I'm the only one on the mortgage.

[cspin]

I'd go with the garage. You have the height and length no problem. The width at the screen will dictate the height of your screen. Projecting at 4:3 will give you the largest viewing area. You will have excess screen area on the top and/or bottom at that height. I would use angle iron to frame the top and sides of the screen and backup netting. Use carpet tiles on the wall to keep it as wide as possible, with protection over the junction between the wall and screen to cover angle iron and bungees. I saw where someone on here cut what appeared to be 4" strips of black rubber molding (could have been stair runner) to cover the area. That person I believe also used carpet tiles on the wall. Very clean and nice setup. Ceiling protection is another deal, and can be done with carpet tile as well, or cabling netting across the width of the ceiling. You probably only need to come out about 6' or so from the screen with your wall and ceiling protection. I can't see the 3' of unprotected drywall getting damaged if you are hitting from 9'.

I have a GC2 and know that it can be setup for offset hitting. I'm not sure where ST is at on that, but tons of knowledgeable people on this site can answer that in a heartbeat.

Good luck!

[FirGir]

Thanks, cspin, this is very helpful and thanks for pointing out the mthunt route. That's a very good representation of what I think I'm going for. I need to contact SkyTrak and see what they say about being offset, and also determine how large a viewing area I can create. I have a very small concern about just how much I'm going to use this thing and am thinking that's why I should go SkyTrak and keep the cost down. Then maybe go GC2 later if it's the wonderful outcome I think it will likely be.

[cspin]

It was member mthunt that went this route with a nice outcome. He used plywood to nail the carpet tile to. I believe he also came up with the rubber pieces to cover the screen-to-wall intersection.

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mthunt
Champion Member

• Join Date: Aug 2014
• Posts: 1325

#9
09-01-2016, 04:57 PM
Originally posted by Jwheels9876 View Post
Just wondering..I've decided I'd rather have a cleaner look with no cage and a bigger screen to cover the entire wall but now I need to protect the ceiling and walls from damage. What have you guys used to do just that?
Mine are carpet tile directly on plywood. I'd never do it another way again.


1 Photo

[mthunt]

The garage looks tight. If you put the sim in the corner of a room it only takes up space when you're using it.

[FirGir]

Ah man, not you too, mthunt! And we’re talking specifically about the width, correct? Because that tandem area opens up behind the hitting area to a two-car garage (apologies if this statement is overly obvious). But the stuff you see in the pic needs to go in one of the bays and then my car in the other.

Below are some pics of my only other option and I’m struggling with your comment about it not taking up space when not in use. Particularly with the high ceiling, the need to kid proof it, and keeping it budget friendly. I’d have to build some type of frame. I’m not worried so much about the lower windows because the blinds stay closed most of the time (another house very close) but the windows do let in some light. The best spot is probably the wall that has the mirror on it and to move the couch to the other end of the room.

[FirGir]

Pics in relation to my response to mthunt.

[mthunt]

Wow. You have a really big room and a really small one. If you can comfortably swing in the garage, go for it. I'd set up in that living room if it were me. As for my comment, the screen is close to the wall and the Matt is on the floor so when you aren't using it you still have the room. Like in the pic.

[FirGir]

Cleared out the tandem portion of the garage and hit some balls into my late 90’s sim. The hockey stick is the center of the space and the line of golf balls is where I can comfortably swing my driver. So I’m going to be offset by about 5 inches. Will likely do the build in this space and get familiar with everything, and then maybe someday move it into the dining room and really build it out. Planning to keep the cost down as much as possible on the stuff that won’t transfer. The temperature is going to be down in the teens in a couple of days and that will be a good test of how cold the garage gets.

If anyone has an idea of how to modify that net to be the backup to my screen I’d appreciate the advice. That black target part is just Velcro strapped on. I need to spend more time in the net section of the forum.

Confident the projector can be located in front, above, or behind me (a little) so time to head to projectorcentral.com to figure out how to maximize the size of the image!

[FirGir]

Update on my build. First photo is from the Monday before Thanksgiving. Was attaching OSB to the drywall in the tandem and put a screw through a water line that connected to the washing machine on the other side of the wall. No nail plate used by the builder on the underlying 2x4. Luckily, the water started trickling out from under the OSB and I got the water turned off quickly. Plumber the next day, $185 later, back to slowly building. The second pic is where I’m at today with a $3 white tarp up acting as a screen; OSB up, ceiling areas painted flat black, angle iron up on the sides, 2x8 across the top for more angle iron, SkyTrak and laptop sitting in boxes, netting on the way, and, just out of the pic in the foreground is a 12’x27’ remnant of theater carpet that I scored in the clearance bin at Lowes for $150 to cover the OSB. Lowes was nice enough to cut it into smaller 5’x12’ rolls. Need to get that taped and stapled up. Really enjoying doing this but it is way more work than I anticipated. Can’t Wait.

[aeroburner]

haha i guess you did not see my postings on my build out, its a ton of effort to do and one hour is not enough time so you go to 5 hours a night after work as the sooner you get it done the sooner your playing. good luck and we all know your pain.

[FirGir]

I am confident I read them in advance, and just as sure I miscalculated their weight.

[FirGir]

When you're having way too much fun to finish your build...

[wbond]

Small piece of replacement garage door glass $20, having your own sim PRICELESS!!!!!!!

When you're having way too much fun to finish your build...

[FirGir]

Sometimes when playing Bethpage Black you just have to STEP ON IT!!

[FirGir]

Golf cigars. I didn’t even think about it when choosing a spot for the sim, but going with the garage location allows for golf cigars. I enjoy a cigar at times when golfing.

[FirGir]

Thought I'd posted a photo of the status of the build. Been stuck here since spring but looking forward to more improvements this winter.

[mikestuewe]

Small piece of replacement garage door glass $20, having your own sim PRICELESS!!!!!!!

Oh I can put a price on it...