All my pins under one roof - the TRUE holy grail!

[DRANO]

Thanks Barry!
I did play around with a few different layouts including the one you've suggested.
I had layouts that had 18 pins in the main room but no real bar/MAME area... and others with 16 pins and more space for other activities, but I settled on 17 as the perfect balance.

The HVAC is not currently boxed in so I have a very good idea what will fit under it and, sadly, it's just gonna be wedgeheads.

I have games in my current basement with the heads about 2" apart and there is enough room. Sure, hands are a bit close where I have wide body pins, but its never been an issue. In this layout I have allowed 3" between heads. Everything is pretty accurate and to scale.

The nice thing is that my room configuration can remain intact even if I do need to go down to 16; it won't alter the small bar area at all. Sadly I cant't have more games in the garage rotation without losing valuable shop/storage space... so I'd have to start selling off games.

I'll see how the 24" gap goes on those couple of pins. I really don't think it'll be an issue. I currently have 26" between my LOTR and the end of my basement couch and there is tons of room to lean back or slouch, if that's your style.

Any encroaching on my wife's new laundry area and all my plans are up in smoke

 

[mwong168]

Any encroaching on my wife's new laundry area and all my plans are up in smoke

I still think you should try and steal 18" into the laundry room just like you did at work when nobody was looking :lol:

 

[DRANO]

Trust me, I made it as small as I could get away with
I'd need more width, not depth though.
It'll be all good.

 

[DRANO]

A little more progress on the gameroom this weekend.

I finally got done with the boring Kitchen and bath demolition, so on to the man cave!
The largest section of basement was divided into two pieces. A finished room (which mustve been a pool room at some point) and a utlity room/laundry.

The wall had to come down, so I launched my own little perestroika movement

Here's the object of my soon to come aggression:


I blew out the closet, relocated the elctrical and tore out a return air duct:


And the final space. East and West reunited:

 

[DRANO]

Now I just have to relocate the laundry (as per my original CAD plan) and start framing and get my electrical in.

The lowest point in the basement will be just over 72"-73" under the ducts when finished. This will be for my row of gottlieb wedgeheads.
The rest of the space has a solid 7'

 

[WARLOCK]

Nice work and update Adriano. That space will be sweet once you are finished it!

 

[DRANO]

Minor setback.
Sound slike the engineer will not approve me moving my basement support post 2' along the main beam :FP:

This will seriously hamper my bar/MAME area.
Trying to find a reasonable workaround.

Could be worse I guess.

 

[mwong168]

This will seriously hamper my bar/MAME area.
Trying to find a reasonable workaround.

The amount of space a bar takes compared to the number of times you will use it alone versus playing pins is not worth it. I am sure if brewmanager had a choice he would probably blow away his bar and cram 3 more pins in there because all you really need is a small bar fridge and some pingulps on your games. For your MAME all you need is a wall mounted LCD/Plasma and build a podium which sits snug against the wall. When not in use put away in the unfinished furnace or laundry room since I see your existing units are stackable anyways :lol:

 

[superjackpot]

Where does the post, as it sits now, appear on the original floor plan?

If the pole has to stay, the best way to minimize it's impact is to not box it in (with wood, drywall...). Low pile 1/4" thick carpet glued around the outside of the pole gives it some cush and makes it less visible than other options. If the pole ends up in the corner of the l-shaped bar, for example, it won't be so bad. I'm sure you could move it 6 inches or so it it helps... still you'd need to create a new footing regardless.
EDIT: got tired of that oversized pic I drew.

 

[superjackpot]

Where does the post, as it sits now, appear on the original floor plan?

I think I just spotted the two circles on your floor plan.
Perhaps you should consider flipping the bar around, have the opening towards the centre of the room?

The obvious disavantage is how the opening and interior will face the middle of the room.
The advantage will be the ease of getting in and out from behind the bar without having to go around the front the long way all the time. Restocking/cleaning/leaving the room will be easier.

Or you could steal a some room from the laundry and turn the bar 90 degrees

 

[DRANO]

I may have a solution.
It will be less of a "bar", but the 4-man MAME setup would still work.

The main issue is that, if the post is left where it is, the view to the flat-screen is obstructed for some.

Ill post something shortly and you guys can add your thoughts.

 

[DRANO]

Okay,
Here are a couple of other ideas.

Option 1:
I build forward to bring the screen in front of the post and make use of the space behind for drinks, storage, etc...
The "bar" is now more of a console for up to 4 players to use the MAME.

Option 2: I steal a little from the laundry area and rotate the bar to the left. I maintain a full sized bar and MAME (as per my original plan).
The bump-out get's walled in, along with the post, and I can use the outside of this new wall for things like my rod hockey table.
The entrance into the room can be a little more cluttered, and the TV no longer faces the whole room, but a decent compromise.

Or...., I just leave it as-is and live with a post in my bar and don't sweat the TV issue.

 

[mwong168]

Option 2: I steal a little from the laundry area and rotate the bar to the left.

If your wife is ok with this configuration then run like you stole it I think Option 2 makes most sense as not only do you get to have a bar but you can add a rod hockey table too.

 

[Vengeance]

I think with option 2 you are going to run into problems with people playing the games and then people trying to walk by.

If you have people sitting at the bar and people playing games behind them, it's going to leave very little room for traffic in and out of the door.

 

[mwong168]

If you have people sitting at the bar and people playing games behind them, it's going to leave very little room for traffic in and out of the door.

Stackable washer/dryers and move the laundry sink over should solve this problem

 

[DRANO]

Yeah. The space is getting very tight. Gotta be careful.

I'm thinking my original plan may have the best compromise.
Just gotta live with that damn post

 

[superjackpot]

I concur with Adam. Space will be tight coming and going into the room with bar seating on the side.
Stick with option 1/original plan and just minimize the pole. Don't box it in, just wrap it in carpet.
Get a good mount for your tv to give you the option to slide/rotate it when viewing.

Some other bar ideas, not sure what you've already considered... just thinking out loud:
- a wet bar (real easy when you are so close to water/drain)
- pass through to the laundry for easy disposal of empties or whatever. Maybe have a bar sink on the laundry side?
- bar entrance near CC makes for quick bartender egress from the gameroom
- pocket doors- into gameroom(doesn't look doable), but from bar to laundry?
- 2 TVs?

 

[Beafraid]

Drawing on the left.

 

[Vengeance]

If anyone heads into your gameroom when it's finished and they thing they pick up on is the position of the load bearing pole, there is something wrong with them as you plans look amazing thus far.

What program is that anyway? I want to play around with my space.

 

[DRANO]

It's not the look of the pole that bugs me, so much as the way it'll block some of the TV/MAME setup.

The program is Autocad. I use it for work.
Try google sketch-up. It's free and easy to use.

Thanks for all the suggestions.