Basements are a prime spot for home theaters. They’re away from the rest of house so you can decorate them as you like and crank the audio without bothering anyone. They’re also a blank canvas, giving you and your contractor the liberty to build them out however you want. On the flip side, there’s always a possibility that the room could flood, and with few (if any) windows or doorways, it could be difficult to escape the room should you need to leave the house quickly.

These were a few of the concerns Ryan Herd of 1 Sound Choice faced when building and designing a home theater for clients in northern New Jersey. While most of the newly dug basement’s water issues stemmed from poor grading on the exterior of the house, Herd installed a sump pump and sealed the concrete walls and floor with Drylok masonry paint for extra protection.

Still, accidents do happen, and in the event that water did seep into the basement, Herd wanted to be sure that the homeowners could get to the source of the problem quickly. Cleverly designed hatches and doorways became his weapons of defense. For example, the tiered features a hatch that opens should the homeowners need to get to the concrete surface in the event of a flood. A door built into stage beneath the 119-inch Screen Innovations screen, meanwhile, provides quick and easy access to the sump pump that Herd installed there.

Access to the home’s plumbing system and wiring was also considered during the build out. For this, Herd designed 4-by-8-foot panels for the ceiling that could be easily removed one piece at a time. Made of acoustical material and finished with fiber optic lights, the panels also help soundproof the room and provide a decorative touch. A larger acoustical panel on the wall pops off to reveal a window that can be used as a fire escape.

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