Garage Conversion Arcade Plans

[Purity]

As some of you may know I currently only have space to house about 5 or 6 cabs in a conservatory.

At
some point I would really like to get a couple of pinball machines,
some more dedicated machines, and a bar billiards table if possible, but
I simply don't have the room

Anyway, I've had a long chat with the wife and she has now decided that I can finally use the space in the garage for my arcade

This
is great news because the garage is about 19ft long and 9ft wide. I've
estimated I can probably get 3 times as many cabs in this space

The project is likely to take a long while, as a lot needs doing.

I've made a start today by having a bit of a tidy up, and writing a list of what work needs to be carried out.

I wanted to share my excitment with you, and will update this thread as progress is made.

Hopefully at some point soon, I'll have a nice arcade for some meets in the NW

Purity2011-08-26 20:23:31

 

[DanP]

Nice one Purity, that'll make a cracking game room I went through the same myself a few years back, it's hard work but worth it at the end.

Dan

 

[IDCHAPPY]

That's fantastic buddy, I'd love to the same but my garage I'd a storeroom for my business .
Best of luck though

 

[trm]

Nice one dude

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Well i've bit the bullet and am going to do a similar thing, can have 1 half for all my business gear and the other for me cabs, i reckon i can get 4 in there(which just happens to be what i have) and it get the one out of my livingroom so the mrs cant bust my ass about it

 

[andyman]

That must have been one long chat

Congrats dude, been a long time coming, how excited are you then ??

Andy.

 

[IDCHAPPY]

That must have been one long chat

Congrats dude, been a long time coming, how excited are you then ??

Andy.

Emm, not quite told her about them other ones yet

. I'm going to bite the bullet after our wee holiday up north like to get them all in their new home before it get too cold, then i can start cleaning up the grubby ones

 

[IDCHAPPY]

Going to have a frame like this sitting down that side of the garage so the cabs arent sitting on the floor or touching the wall.

Also means i can get plug sockets on the MDF and get some decoration up on it too. Need to insulate the roof and plasterboard it, get a new door on it into my back garden(the exsisting one's abit rotten) and upgrade the wiring to cope with the extra demand

.

Need to get that bloody safe sold too in the corner of the pic, it's taking up cab space

 

[Purity]

Some progress today. Old garage roof off:

New garage roof in progress

 

[cathaldub]

Wow, looks bigger with the roof off.
I plan to do this when I eventually move out of the apartment and into a house so will be following this

 

[dezbaz]

That's a serious reno Purity. I was the same, not wanting 1 drop of water or even moisture to get on the old games

Games rooms sure do zap a lot of time during construction hey

Nice dedication!

 

[Purity]

Wow just noticed that I've not update this thread since October 2011!!

So I'll try and list what's occured since then:

1) New roof went on.
2) Cleared the ground around the garage to prevent water leaking in
3) Double glazing installed
4) Bricked up the front
5) Installed a big door
6) Cladded the front of the garage
7) Framed the floor on a heavy gauge polythene, and insulated with Celotex
8) Constructed the floor so it is about 10cm off the concrete floor
9) Framed the ceiling and insulated with polystyrene blocks
10) Framed the walls, and insulated with Celotex
11) Put the wiring in for power sockets and LED lights
12) Built some window frames and panes
13) Plasterboarded the ceiling, and walls

and this is where I am now.

A couple of pictures to show you during construction:

and this is where I am upto today:

If you want to read the full ins and outs it is all here:

Link

Purity2013-06-09 23:23:42

 

[frothmeister]

Coming on nicely there dude. It'll be worth it once it's done. You can't beat Cellotex/Kingspan boards.

I've got a similar sized detached garage myself that I did out a few years ago (well my mate did 90% of it

) and it's a really good temperature in there nearly all the time. Only in extreme cold weather do I need to put the heating on in there and cabs run all year round. Well apart from the stuff that would have died anyway.

 

[Purity]

The end is very near now!!! Did the plasterboarding around the door, and metal trims on the window edges.

Just need to do the trims near the door, and resolve a couple of minor snags.

I have an electrician and plasterer in place so hopefully I'll be in a position in a couple of weeks to get the ceiling and walls painted and start moving my cabs, and arcade workbench in there

 

[Bensonrad]

Looking really good dude, how did get on installing the Celotex, I've been trying to install mine over the past month, when I get an hour or so here and there. Still not done yet though, I thought it would be dead easy, but I am forever finding I've cut a bit slightly too wide or tall etc, then I am bashing it in and it starts to crack, and the dust that comes off that stuff is going everywhere.

Maybe this weekend I may do the last of it.....if I get a chance.

 

[Alpha1]

Nice work dude!

 

[Purity]

Yeah the celotex is a pain. I used a long toothed plasterboard type knife to cut it, and when I cut a piece that was slightly too tall or wide I would just run the long toothed knife across the edges and it would trim a bit off without cracking it. Unfortunately this does generate a lot of dust, and it is horrible stuff, and goes everywhere :-(

I was very careful and used a mask and goggles, but one day whilst tidying up, I took the goggles off for two minutes and typical got a bit of dust in my eye. Man it was painful :-(

I was glad when I got the insulation cutting done

You are taking the best approach by doing it a few hours here and there. Working with this stuff all day must be a nightmare, unless you have a proper way to cut it
Purity2013-07-24 23:00:28

 

[Bensonrad]

Yep, my wife and kids did laugh when I came out in the blazing sun on Sunday with mask, googles etc on. Hardly any space to work out there at the mo, as its already become a dumping ground and was like a furnace inside due to the hot weather and sun beaming down. I using a Stanley Knife to trim bits off to make them fit. Next time I am taking Henry out and going to have him on sucking up anything that falls I think.

 

[Purity]

Yeah I started with a stanley knife but found it too difficult, that's when I went for the larger, long knife

 

[guddler]

Pretty sure the guys that did mine used a standard saw to cut the stuff if that helps...