Projection Screen

PROJECTION SCREEN PROJECT
We first made a simple projection screen, approximately 6' by 4', but then realized that the room we had deemed our "media room" had enough room for us to create a larger projection screen. So, we looked all over the internet, and found a great screen project that was definitely do-able. And that is how it got started. We've tried to document the building of this 8.5' by 4.75' projection screen. The following is what we did for our screen.

First, the supplies: 4 long 4" by 1" by 10' boards (We used pine, good cheap stuff!) 8 "L" braces Eye Hooks (2 Large for the ceiling, and 2 small for the screen) A mitre saw, a drill, and a bunch of screws Black fabric (we used thick-matted) & Screen material Staple Gun

		I mitred the boards at a 45 degree angle. I used a cheap mitre-ing set that I bought from Home Depot. If you've got the cash to spend, I suggest getting a real mitre saw so your cuts are as precise as they should be.

After you've made those cuts, the boards should fit perfectly together to make a nice frame for your screen.

		I then screwed the L braces to connect frame. Just recently, I've always started with pilot holes when it comes to screwing anything in. I found that it makes the screwing in part a little easier, and it lessens the risk of the wood cracking. Because of the size of our screen, I had to put extra (smaller) L braces on the inner part of the frame (not shown). I used 8 braces all together to create a nice sturdy frame.

We bought approximately 3 1/2 yards of thick, black, matte-like fabric that we used to cover the frame. The darker the fabric, the better. Also, I would suggest not using any shiny black fabric so as to lessen any glare the image may have on the frame itself. We just wrapped and stapled the fabric over all parts of the frame, totally covering it, and making sure that we only stapled the back.. I didn't worry if the staple job wasn't perfect, because it's black, and you won't really see those little things.

		This is the frame fully covered in the fabric. The black frame adds some cool-factor to the screen.

Next, it was time for the screen material to be put on. It took a little time to get it taut, but enough staples helped to get that accomplished. We made sure to double up on the staples to get it really taut. Another thing we did was to put a layer of black fabric over the screen material in the back to get rid of any reflections from behind the screen coming back at the screen itself. We bought some really cheap fabric ($1/yd) from Walmart for that part.

		This is the screen after all the fabric has been applied. Cool, huh?

I drilled holes on the ends of the top of the screen for the eye-hooks, as well as on the ceiling. I attached the two hooks together with a clamp, but you could use anything you want. To make it easier on us, we made sure to put the hooks directly on top of each other so we did not need to deal with getting it level.

		This is the finished projection screen. To add some more spice to the screen, we completed the theater-style look with some velvet curtains along the walls. We've got more plans for this room, and when we're fully done, I'll add another site for it.