If you are asking how to build a riser platform for home theater I’m assuming you do not have professional framing tools like an air or gas actuated framing gun. You are most likely a do it yourself type of person with some basic knowledge of working with materials and your hands. Lets explore building a riser platform for home theater.
When building a riser platform for home theater basic building techniques are involved. You will be using rough framing materials, a skill saw, hammer and nails. You will be joining these materials together with nails or screws depending on your preferred method. Although it is called rough framing you still need to be as precise as possible when cutting your material. Lets explore riser platforms for your home theater and how to build them.
What Is A Riser Platform For Home Theater
If you have more than one row of seating in your home theater you might want to consider using a riser platform. A riser platform for home theater does what it says. It raises the rear seating above the front seats. This allows the viewers in the rear row to be perched above the viewers in the front row. Without a platform riser viewers in the back will be staring at the back of their friends heads. Not an ideal situation. Some home theater seating can be purchased with risers manufactured in to match the seats. These risers are placed directly under the seats without any platform. They appear as high positioned seating but getting into them may be difficult for the elderly or the very young. Your best bet is to build a platform that allows room to step up and walk to your seat and sit down normally without having to climb up like a cliff hanger. A riser platform also gives that built in custom feel like the room is actually a theater.
Tools You Will Need
Measuring Tape
Small Square
Framing Square
Skill saw/Circular saw
Pencil
Hammer or Screw Gun
Hammer Hook (optional)
Tape Measure Holster (optional)
Pouch for fasteners (optional)
Materials You Will Need
2X8 framing
3/4inch plywood
2 1/2″ decking screws or 10d common framing nails
How To Build A Riser Platform For Home Theater
You are basically building a box which is fairly easy to do. Determine the size of your riser platform and cut your 2x8s to length. Lay the 2x8s on their edges and nail or screw one end to another end creating an L shape. One leg of your L will be the width and the other will be the depth. Now attach 2x8s every 16″ until you fill up the whole width of your box. Now attach the opposite end of the box with your last 2×8 into the ends of your beams. Now cut your plywood to fit over the beams and attach plywood to the beams.
Now you have a box thats ready for any kind of finish. You can wrap it in carpet, nail wood flooring to it, lay floating flooring on it, linoleum tile, ceramic or porcelain tile, paint it and anything you can imagine. Although for a home theater carpeting seems to be the preferred choice to help deaden any sound deflection.
How High Should Platform Riser Be
In this example we used 8″ as the height. 8″ max. is the standard height of a step. A 2X8 measures 1 1/2″ X 7 1/2″ plus 3/4″ which gives you approx 8″. If you go higher than 8″ you will need a step in between each riser. For example if your riser platform is 12″ high you should add a 6″ step in between to split the difference. No single step should be higher than 8″ and that’s the maximum height any step should be. Depending on the design of your theater you will need to configure your layout as simple as possible. You might need to access the rear seats from the front or from the side or both sides. If you nail 3/4″ tongue and groove wood flooring make sure you remove 3/4″ from your 2×8 framing to keep the height of your step below the 8″ threshold.
How Big Should Riser Platform Be
Measure your seating to determine the size of your platform. No part of the seat should hang over your riser platform. In between the seats from front to back you should allow for a minimum of 2′-6″. This should be sufficient room to walk in between the seats and recline the seat without hitting the chair in front of you. For example octane-turbo-XL700-dimensions for a single reclining seat measures 37.5″wide X 66″ long fully reclined position. So if you have three recliners in the back row your riser platform will measure 114X66.That is if you are using three separate recliners each with it’s own arm rests. This result gives you six arm rests. If you purchase connected recliners the arm rests are integrated and makes the seating narrower. End result is four armrests but the two middle arm rests are shared. The depth of the seat is 66″ but you may want to add more for the extra needed leg room.
Home Theater Riser Platform Cost
To help reduce the cost of materials we will use 2x4s in between for the beams and add a short support piece from the 2×4 beam down to the floor. If you have access to both sides you should use a full 2×8 all around the perimeter. If your riser platform is spanning wall to wall you only need two 2x8s. One in the front and one in the back. We are going to price out a 12ft x 8ft riser platform. We are in May of the year 2021. Lumber prices will fluctuate so keep that in mind. Lumber prices are taken from Lowes.com before taxes. You can nail the 3/4 plywood with the 10d nails unless you want to spent the extra on 8d nails.
Materials List:
2x8x8ft $13.58ea x2……………………………………………..$27.16
2x4x8ft $7.89 x11…………………………………………………$86.79
2x8x12ft $20.98 x2………………………………………………..$41.96
3/4″ or 23/32 plywood OSB $61.98 x3……………………….$185.94
10d Bright Common nails 5lb box $15.28 x1………………..$15.28
or
2 1/2″ deck screws 5lb box $26.98
Carpet PebblePath 15pack 24in peelnstick $95.40 x2……..$190.80
Total…………………………………………………………………….$547.93
I used peel and stick carpet tile because I think most anybody can install that on their own and its nicer than peel n stick Linoleum for this application.
Home Theater Seating Dimensions
The following home theater seating dimensions are measured with one single recliner fully extended. Take into consideration extra space for taller people. Their feet may hang over the edge of the recliner. You may want to add 12″ to the fully extended dimension. This will help you determine how big your riser platform should be and how many chairs you can fit in your space.
Octane-Turbo-XL700-dimensions…………………….37.5″ x 66″
Seatcraft Bonita…………………………………………………38.5″ x 68″
Yaheetech Recliner Chair …………………………………27″ x 61″
Ashley Boerna Recliner Chair…………………………….37.25″ x 72.50″
Building an elevated back row for your home theater seating can be a challenge but if you plan out your attack before you do anything it will turn out to be a useful exercise. You might be building your riser platform from wall to wall, or in a corner, or on one wall or in the middle of the space. If wall to wall you will access the back row from the front. In a corner you could possibly have access from front or side. On one wall or in middle of the room you could access back row from both sides. See the diagram below for a corner plan design.
If you have had any hang ups about building your own riser platform for home theater I hope this article helped you get started on the right track and motivated.
