Basement Reno

[Vhex]

Hello all
I'll be getting my first pinball machine soon! Woohoo! Looking forward to the dive into this new hobby for me.
As far as this thread goes, my question is simple. I'm renovating my basement soon, and looking for ideas or suggestions for anything relating to the addition of pinball machines. Did you get a pin in your basement and wish you had or didn't have something for it? Example: pot lights? Carpet vs laminate? 15amp outlets?

Currently The basement will have the 1 pinball machine, I don't expect to have more then 2 or 3 at one time. Other then those the basement is also a tv viewing and gaming pc area.

As for workshop space there will be a bit of space left unfinished for a work bench small repairs and tinkering space, and if I get real serious about pins the garage has a studio work area that's insulated and heated I could take over with pinball.

Thanks for any suggestions everyone!
Craig.

 

[EvanDickson]

Off the top of my head, a pinball with a topper can be up to about 7' high, make sure there is enough height clearance for your machine.

Pins are big, heavy, and awkward. When renovating don't do anything tricky to yourself like design a stairwell with a wall and a turn at the bottom that you can't move the pin through (watched a landlord do this to a house I was living in once, it was hilarious. He decided to turn the basement into a separate apartment. He made the staircase thinner, built a wall along side the whole thing, and made a 90 degree turn near the bottom. no way to even get a stove / fridge down there, let alone a couch or a bed. )

Pinball and stairs aren't the best combination, so maybe get yourself a stair climbing dolly to move them up and down. Pricey, but not as pricey as a lifetime of back problems if something goes wrong moving a pin on stairs.

If you're moving around walls or anything like that, and assuming you have some basement windows, try to design a layout where the pin won't get ever sunlight shining on the glass. It's really hard to play a pin with sun reflecting off the glass. If not moving walls / windows, still consider this when figuring out where in the room(s) to locate your pin(s).

 

[superjackpot]

Congrats on your first pin! It's a great hobby.

Plan your electrical for pinball machines. Put them on their own breaker(s), ideally no more than 4 pins per 15A circuit (max #pins has so many factors). Allow for expanding to hold more pins even if you plan to "only" have 2 or 3 . Outlets can be installed higher than normal for cleaner cord management. Upgrade the panel now if you are low on space. Look at whole home surge protection.

Plan your lighting in advance. You don't want to have primary lighting directly over the playfield glass. Secondary lighting that is above the game is handy when working on your pins. Nothing wrong with having extra switches/dimmers/wiring to support selective lighting (good rule for the whole basement). Depending on the ceiling type with open or dropped being the most flexible, it may be inconvenient to make changes later. Wall sconces are an alternative to overhead lights.

Look at all flooring options. Choice really depends on overall plans for the layout of your basement. Are your games in a dedicated game room or area of the basement? Hard flooring under a game is better for moving games, but not the most comfortable for standing. A hard durable floor with area rugs for seating can work. Carpet is usually more comfortable, and better for home theatre sound. Moving games in and out is more difficult over carpet (dolly/cart dependent) and frequent use of a cart will stretch (wrinkle) wall to wall carpet. You want a warm floor, and some cushion under your feet when playing pinball (runner with padding helps here). So many things to consider. It really depends on the overall layout.

There's sound insulation between the basement and upstairs. You can take steps to keep the noise in the basement. Not a bad idea to run another duct or two to spread your a/c around. A bunch of running pins will heat things up.

As mentioned above make sure you can easily move your games up/down your basement entrance. Makes doorways wide enough for easy pin movement between rooms and to avoid having to take the door off its hinges, or the head off the game for those wider games. If windows can't be avoided, you can put UV film over the glass to keep games from fading.

 

[BMHouze]

Another vote for wide doorways. I founf 80s era pins are wider. I have not bought a wide body.
I also bought a set of recessed center dollies to make moving the pins around the basement easier.
I have different set ups determined by the number of machines I have.

Also keep them away from rooms that people may smoke in.

 

[GUARD]

Plan for more machines.

Because my basement is just over 6 feet high I converted my detached garage into my man cave. Placed the pool table so that I could get one more pin beside the 2 I already had.

Now that i have 5 and a cocktail table I might have to move one or 2 pins into the back room of the house once they get back from The Church or try very carefully to slide the pool table over a foot or so.

 

[mwong168]

Welcome to PBREV and congrats on your first pin! I think SuperJackpot covered most of the bases and I know he liked to do his research when it comes to things like this. Please post pics as you go along and make progress.

Currently The basement will have the 1 pinball machine, I don't expect to have more then 2 or 3 at one time. Other then those the basement is also a tv viewing and gaming pc area.

I said the same thing too when I first got into the hobby and somehow I've been through over 40 pins and settled on my current 12 over the past 7 years. Never say never in this hobby

 

[Vhex]

Ok, these are some great tips to work with.

I think the lighting will be pot lights, but using the Philips hue bulbs in them so I can control the colour and brightness of each bulb. Then I can have a "pinball" scene setup for gametime!

Flooring were leaning towards a thick hardwood looking laminate, I assume the pins will have to go in rubber foot pads to prevent easily sliding and scratching the floor. Are there any better solutions for this?
Also I'll likely use one of those anti fatigue mats usually used in a kitchen for standing on in front of the pin. And once the collection grows maybe a runner with a nice underpad.

The stairs are straight and that won't change, and I'll be changing one doorway, I believe it's 32" right now and I expect that to stay the same.

Thanks for the tips fellas. Keep'm coming if you think of anything else!

 

[Vhex]

Please post pics as you go along and make progress.

I'll definitely get some before and after pics and maybe a few during to share here for ya. The work itself won't be starting for a few months, just getting quotes and planning right now.
The pin is going to start on the main floor until it's home is complete in the new basement.

 

[Beafraid]

If you are going to use any type of manufactured flooring like laminate please research it. Buy Canadian or USA. Stay away from made in China.

Research the type of glue or.resin or whatever the core is made from. Concern yourself with what is off gassing

I speak from experience.

 

[Vhex]

Basement reno is done, and looking pretty good, still have some decorating to do, but the main pieces are in. I'll post some pics from beginning to end.

Maybe i can fit 4 pinball machines along the wall where my Lord of the rings is. we'll see!

 

[Vhex]

more of the progress pics

 

[Vhex]

and the final product (for the most part)
the bathroom was already there before we started, except it had 2 doors for some reason, so one was taken out.

 

[Vhex]

just the wall where the pin's will go. soon it will be time to decide on the next machine!
can definitely fit 3, but i'm hoping 4 can squeeze in there.

 

[staydown]

Looks great, love the shoe nook on the stairwell.

 

[CJBob]

Cool, thanks for sharing. 3 and then consider an arcade cabinet for those who don't like pinball (I'm not sure what's biologically wrong with these people, but they do exist)

 

[mwong168]

Basement looks great. The landing by your side door looks very tight and I assume a folded pin can squeeze through?

 

[Vhex]

Yeah the landing isn't huge, but thankfully it's straight from the door down the stairs, so it wasn't too difficult getting the pin down there.

The shoe nook was actually the last thing that still had a bit of work to be done on it. Here it is now all finished. (Doggy station and storage)

 

[Mike Walsh]

Wow! Awesome job!
The cat seems to like it too! Ha!
What pins are you thinking of putting in?

 

[Vhex]

What pins are you thinking of putting in?

I haven't decided on the other two pins yet, was thinking one more dmd and one SS. Then my wife wants a pachinko machine too.

I really want a Rick and morty pin, but I don't think it will ever happen.