Building a secret gaming room...

[Crazy Climber]

It's in an old coal room, was going to keep it a secret from the Wife but everyone here saying how terrible I am was just too funny so I showed my Wife the responses. I'm still going to keep it a secret, she will forget over time, lol.

Basically the only entrance will be under the stairs via sliding bookcase (yup, just like the movies) Here is the start...

The future secret entrance area

Updates - 4/29

Finished the main exterior wall so it is semi-secret now

Started to get to work on sealing up the cracks in the walls and insulating everything. The room has always been cold and although our house is pretty bug free, any spiders getting in are doing it through this room so going to have to fix that

Update 5/4

Put some sheets of plywood over the insulation and decided to go with some nice "naughty" pine for the interior

The floor is next and it looks like absolute hell. As much as I want to just slap a piece of carpet over it and call it a day I better do it right....

update 5/5

Made a CNC routed composite aluminium pipe cover for the ugly water pipe and started on the ceiling. I am also planning on cutting some high polished aluminium "mirror finished" space invaders to go over the bronze planks I am putting up there now, guess we will see how it turns out

Update 5/8 - still a ton of work to do but I have the interior far enough along to put some stuff in. Probably leave it like this for a little while, tired of spending every free moment working on it, lol

[Arkhan]

The idea sounds cool. It could be neat to have a secret passageway.

 

But, you have to hide it and your purchases from your wife?

 

I call shenanigans.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Arkhan

[Ransom]

Hidden gaming room would be very cool. IIRC, there's another member here who has one. I believe it was built with access under a stairway.

 

On the other hand -- and maybe it's just me -- but if I couldn't trust my wife with such info, I'd have to re-evaluate my marriage.

[Metal Ghost]

The room itself is a cool idea, but I'd be pretty hurt if my wife felt the need to create a secret room in the house to do 'fill in the blank' hobby. I don't know, call me a stick in the mud but I see this causing more problems than it's worth down the road, and the really big types of problems. Not the 'my 2600 got juice spilled on it' types of problems, but the 'my wife wants out of this marriage' types of problems.

 

Also, are you really able to call in sick 12 times a year??

 

Me, if I had a cool room like that, I'd like to share it with my wife as a sort of inside joke on the kids! I totally get where you're coming from....our bonus room above the garage went from my poker/game room/man cave to a kids playroom (1 of 2 no less!). But I know it's not forever, and she's been great trying to give me my space too....that bonus room for example: poker table is still in the back half of it and my 'stuff' is on wall shelves out of kids' reach.

[Crazy Climber]

The idea sounds cool. It could be neat to have a secret passageway.

 

But, you have to hide it and your purchases from your wife?

 

I call shenanigans.

Well again...I don't "have" to hide it but for the reasons listed above I think it would be better

You guys might have cool wives that love classic video games but I surely do NOT! lol

 

Hidden gaming room would be very cool. IIRC, there's another member here who has one. I believe it was built with access under a stairway.

 

On the other hand -- and maybe it's just me -- but if I couldn't trust my wife with such info, I'd have to re-evaluate my marriage.

Really? Re-evaluate the marriage? Again, yeah, I could tell her but there would be absolutely no benefit to it. It's not like I'm cheating on her, I'm building a secret video game cave, pretty light as far as marital problems go. I could think of 10 worse things off the top off my head worth re-evaluating a marriage, building a secret video game cave is NOT one of them, lol. Just saying...

[godslabrat]

You have GOT to be kidding about the idea of having a room in the house your wife doesn't know about, right? I mean, the secret room is cool and all, and I'm guessing you weren't totally serious.

 

Also... if she knew about it, I can think of other things that room could be used for. Sounds like the best dual-purpose hobby room EVER.

[godslabrat]

Well again...I don't "have" to hide it but for the reasons listed above I think it would be better

 

The "reasons listed above" boils down to your kids will wreck your stuff (not if you "enforce" the ban on the place, it's called being a parent, look it up) and you want to hide your expenses from the wife (which completely ruins the concept of sharing your lives and personal worth, it's called being a husband, look it up).

 

Dude, this project has gone from being "fun idea" to "seriously not cool" in the span of one post.

[Pixelboy]

Remember to add a retina-scanning device on the secret door.

[Rex Dart]

Seems to me that door locks are the answer. Not lies.

[Crazy Climber]

The room itself is a cool idea, but I'd be pretty hurt if my wife felt the need to create a secret room in the house to do 'fill in the blank' hobby. I don't know, call me a stick in the mud but I see this causing more problems than it's worth down the road, and the really big types of problems. Not the 'my 2600 got juice spilled on it' types of problems, but the 'my wife wants out of this marriage' types of problems.

 

Also, are you really able to call in sick 12 times a year??

 

Me, if I had a cool room like that, I'd like to share it with my wife as a sort of inside joke on the kids! I totally get where you're coming from....our bonus room above the garage went from my poker/game room/man cave to a kids playroom (1 of 2 no less!). But I know it's not forever, and she's been great trying to give me my space too....that bonus room for example: poker table is still in the back half of it and my 'stuff' is on wall shelves out of kids' reach.

lol, no I likely would not be able to get 12 days off a year but maybe a few

Seriously, there has to be another Al Bundy like me here on Atariage that "gets" this idea. I am amazed by you guys thinking this would ruin a marriage, etc blah blah

It's a secret video game cave, not an affair, not a gambling or alcohol problem, not a seperate family, not, well you get it

 

You have GOT to be kidding about the idea of having a room in the house your wife doesn't know about, right? I mean, the secret room is cool and all, and I'm guessing you weren't totally serious.

 

Also... if she knew about it, I can think of other things that room could be used for. Sounds like the best dual-purpose hobby room EVER.

Totally serious

Remember to add a retina-scanning device on the secret door.

That would be sooooo cool! Probably not a realistic possibility though, lol

Well again...I don't "have" to hide it but for the reasons listed above I think it would be better

 

The "reasons listed above" boils down to your kids will wreck your stuff (not if you "enforce" the ban on the place, it's called being a parent, look it up) and you want to hide your expenses from the wife (which completely ruins the concept of sharing your lives and personal worth, it's called being a husband, look it up).

 

Dude, this project has gone from being "fun idea" to "seriously not cool" in the span of one post.

Wow, really? It is "seriously not cool" that I am building a secret gaming room in my house that nobody will know about?

Now I am a bad parent and father because of it? I am a little surprised at the responses from you guys. Really, this isn't that big of a deal? My Wife would not leave me over it if she found it (which lets face it, she will someday) she would probably just shake her head and laugh. I'm building it in an abandoned coal room for christs sake, most people just fill these with dirt, it's a shitty room. Anyways, I thought the whole secret room would be pretty cool, kind of like an episode of "King of Queens" or any other number of light hearted sitcoms where the husband tries to "get away" with something/etc.. I guess if everone is so offended by it and thinks I am a terrible husband and father I'll stop with the updates and keep it to myself. My Wife will find it one day, we will have a laugh and a funny story to tell people over drinks. I would rather not have my fun little project ruined by everyone telling me what a bad husband I am. Sorry guys, didn't realize building a secret game room was such a terrible thing...

[phaxda]

Speaking as a married guy, let me just ask where you are planning to tell her you are going when you escape to this secret hideaway? "Friend's house?" "Long bike ride?" "Off to party with hookers and blow?"

 

Cause trust me, it's not the room itself that will get you caught - it's the lying about where you're actually going all those hours when she doesn't see you and expects you to be doing stuff with her. Unless your wife never expects that you will do stuff together, in which case I suppose you're kind lucky in some ways or just have a different kind of marriage than the one I do... guess they are all different really!

 

Just saying, I can barely time find to sneak away to the room my wife knows all about...

 

If you're talking about hiding it in the sense that it has a secret bookcase door or something like that I say very cool! I would love to have something along those lines...

[+5-11under]

Sitcoms aren't real... .

Just tell her something like... hey, since it's just a furnace room (or whatever), I'm going to set up a couple of video games there too, so they're out of the way.

[Arkhan]

The point is that it's not cool because you're making a secret room to hide OTHER things which include things you purchase from your wife.

 

Also, those sitcoms, you should note the use of the word "try". As in, it doesn't work out.

 

You'd have to be extremely lucky to have your secret room not be found out. Especially when you're in your basement playing Atari 2600 under the steps. Unless you intend to play with the volume down and never make much noise in there, I'm pretty sure your wife will find out eventually.

 

Unless shes a complete tard.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Arkhan

[Reaperman]

I think that you should build a secret room for your family, and turn the rest of the house into your game room. It'd be easier to maintain that secret.

 

 

I can't think of a way to have a room be secret from anybody living there and still be 'in' the house. Somebody's going to notice if anything larger than a walk-in closet is missing, and I like my video games loud. How I would do it: build an out building. A garage with a level below it, or an attic (properly temperature controlled) above it. Since it's a garage, it might be worthwhile to make an inspection pit as well.

 

Another idea might be to redo the rear patio, putting in a concrete slab--naturally the slab would be the top of a concrete room, which would be accessible from the basement. Hopefully you have basements there because we don't.

 

Or you could just bury a school bus and hope the ATF doesn't misunderstand.

 

With each of those options, somebody could easily see you putting it in since they're living there.

[Ransom]

The lying is what I can't get past. Lying to your spouse is just a major, major warning sign that there's something wrong. I realize everyone's different, and perhaps it's true that when she discovers this tower of lies (the room itself, the things you've purchased to put in it, and all the times you lied about where you were) she'll shake her head and laugh. Is that what you'd do if she did something similar?

 

Have you considered what would happen if she or the kids need you while you're in your secret room? If something horrible happens while you're in there, and you could have stopped it if they'd known you were there, what will the reactions of those around you be then? For that matter, how will you feel about yourself at that point?

[Crazy Climber]

Sitcoms aren't real... .

Just tell her something like... hey, since it's just a furnace room (or whatever), I'm going to set up a couple of video games there too, so they're out of the way.

Bah, thats no fun. Secret game room!!

The point is that it's not cool because you're making a secret room to hide OTHER things which include things you purchase from your wife.

 

Also, those sitcoms, you should note the use of the word "try". As in, it doesn't work out.

 

You'd have to be extremely lucky to have your secret room not be found out. Especially when you're in your basement playing Atari 2600 under the steps. Unless you intend to play with the volume down and never make much noise in there, I'm pretty sure your wife will find out eventually.

 

Unless shes a complete tard.

*sigh...

You guys must have some pretty strict wives if they would seriously be that hurt/mad about something like this. If my Wife finds out (which teah she will someday) she will just think I am an even bigger nerd than I already am. She will laugh with her friends about how I built a secret video game room and there husbands will think it's cool. I feel bad for you guys that something this small could ruin your marriage. It was really meant to be light hearted but I can see around here you guys have different opinions, thats cool though, now I know

[Crazy Climber]

The lying is what I can't get past. Lying to your spouse is just a major, major warning sign that there's something wrong. I realize everyone's different, and perhaps it's true that when she discovers this tower of lies (the room itself, the things you've purchased to put in it, and all the times you lied about where you were) she'll shake her head and laugh. Is that what you'd do if she did something similar?

 

Have you considered what would happen if she or the kids need you while you're in your secret room? If something horrible happens while you're in there, and you could have stopped it if they'd known you were there, what will the reactions of those around you be then? For that matter, how will you feel about yourself at that point?

Dude, you are reading way too far into this. It's a secret room with video games. My wife pretty much knows how much I spend on games, we share the same checkbook, lol, this would just hide the quantity but really when it comes down to it not that big of a deal. She buys clothes, I buy games, we are both aware (we just don't mention what we spend to each other usually, lol) but we can aford it so it's fine. Was not meant to be such a big deal, lol

 

What if the Wife and kids need me while I'm hiding in my nerd cave?? seriously? What if they need me while I'm in the garage, or at the store, or talking to the neighbor in his yard or any other number of things I do for a half hour without telling her, lol

[Crazy Climber]

I think that you should build a secret room for your family, and turn the rest of the house into your game room. It'd be easier to maintain that secret.

 

 

I can't think of a way to have a room be secret from anybody living there and still be 'in' the house. Somebody's going to notice if anything larger than a walk-in closet is missing, and I like my video games loud. How I would do it: build an out building. A garage with a level below it, or an attic (properly temperature controlled) above it. Since it's a garage, it might be worthwhile to make an inspection pit as well.

 

Another idea might be to redo the rear patio, putting in a concrete slab--naturally the slab would be the top of a concrete room, which would be accessible from the basement. Hopefully you have basements there because we don't.

 

Or you could just bury a school bus and hope the ATF doesn't misunderstand.

 

With each of those options, somebody could easily see you putting it in since they're living there.

It's an old coal room that is really crappy Most people around here just fill them with cement or dirt. My Wife would likely not give a shit if I made it a game room, I just thought it would be fun to do a "secret" room that only I knew about and could call in sick to work and play video games in once and a while but the backlash here was incredible so I stopped the updates

[Reaperman]

I probably wouldn't keep the secret from my wife, but I think the idea of a hidden room is just awesome. My wife's always told me that she wants a room she can hide all my video games and tv's in so we can hide them all from guests (she thinks they're messy and has a point). She halfway got her wish when I got my man-cave, but wouldn't you know, when company visits, she runs tours of that now.

 

Who wouldn't want a secret room? Maybe it was all those scooby doo episodes I saw as a kid. Down here, there are a number of buildings with secret rooms built in. We have old dungeons (white slavery), underground railroad stops, backroom speakeasies, one bar I frequent has had fake bookcase doors on the bathrooms for as long as I can remember. All awesome.

 

Since your wife probably knows the coal room exists already (in some form) I'll bet a lot of the groans on here will disappear.

Edited April 27, 2012 by Reaperman

[Arkhan]

make a hidden room that your wife knows about.

 

I still think its goony that you have to hide your quantity of purchases from your wife. Does she hide the quantity of clothes she buys?

 

Does she get a secret room to prance around in new outfits in? lol

[Ransom]

The lying is what I can't get past. Lying to your spouse is just a major, major warning sign that there's something wrong. I realize everyone's different, and perhaps it's true that when she discovers this tower of lies (the room itself, the things you've purchased to put in it, and all the times you lied about where you were) she'll shake her head and laugh. Is that what you'd do if she did something similar?

 

Have you considered what would happen if she or the kids need you while you're in your secret room? If something horrible happens while you're in there, and you could have stopped it if they'd known you were there, what will the reactions of those around you be then? For that matter, how will you feel about yourself at that point?

Dude, you are reading way too far into this. It's a secret room with video games. My wife pretty much knows how much I spend on games, we share the same checkbook, lol, this would just hide the quantity but really when it comes down to it not that big of a deal. She buys clothes, I buy games, we are both aware (we just don't mention what we spend to each other usually, lol) but we can aford it so it's fine. Was not meant to be such a big deal, lol

 

What if the Wife and kids need me while I'm hiding in my nerd cave?? seriously? What if they need me while I'm in the garage, or at the store, or talking to the neighbor in his yard or any other number of things I do for a half hour without telling her, lol

 

Okay. Some husbands and wives agree that adultery is OK. Everybody's different. If you've agreed that hiding things from one another is OK, who am I to complain?

 

To get back to the main topic, a secret room would be awesome. I've imagined having a house with one since I was a kid. I hope you'll share some pics when you get it completed.

 

(BTW, here's the secret room I was thinking of. It was CVGA who built it.)

[phaxda]

My wife does the same thing (gives tours of my "office") and some of her friends still talk about how awesome the game room is (was). I am having to repurpose my game room for the usual thing that eventually happens to lots of married gamers.

 

If I had a little "coal room" or something I would totally do the same thing. If we ever buy a house I am totally getting one of those little shed things.

 

I probably wouldn't keep the secret from my wife, but I think the idea of a hidden room is just awesome. My wife's always told me that she wants a room she can hide all my video games and tv's in so we can hide them all from guests (she thinks they're messy and has a point). She halfway got her wish when I got my man-cave, but wouldn't you know, when company visits, she runs tours of that now.

[sqoon]

My Wife would not leave me over it if she found it (which lets face it, she will someday) she would probably just shake her head and laugh.

 

This whole idea, to me, borders on being scary. In a good marriage, there are no secrets. I have known couples that had separate checking accounts, nights out with the pals, etc. and those have generally been marriages headed for a crash. Maybe you have an "open" marriage or something similar, but this does not sound healthy. Not the fact of having the game room, but the whole premise of dishonesty and overall secrecy that is going along with this idea.

 

Now, if your wife is in the know and you two agree to building some secret passageway through a bookcase into a hidden game room, then great. Maybe to hide the valuables from the grandkids or possible thieves. Just let the wife know up front.

[Crazy Climber]

make a hidden room that your wife knows about.

 

I still think its goony that you have to hide your quantity of purchases from your wife. Does she hide the quantity of clothes she buys?

 

Does she get a secret room to prance around in new outfits in? lol

It's not that we "hide" it, we just don't mention it. Yes, no way in hell my Wife tells me exactly what she spends on clothes, same with my games. I wouldn't lie if approached about it but why let her know, lol..

 

Anyways, all these responses were just too damn funny so I called my Wife and showed her all you guys that thought this was such a marriage ending offense. As I thought, she laughed hard, agreed that building a secret game cave and hiding video game purchases ending a marriage is rediculous, then proceeded to tell me to use that dumpy room for whatever the hell I want because it's gross and has spiders, lol. I'm still going to hide it, she will forget about it

[Crazy Climber]

My Wife would not leave me over it if she found it (which lets face it, she will someday) she would probably just shake her head and laugh.

 

This whole idea, to me, borders on being scary. In a good marriage, there are no secrets. I have known couples that had separate checking accounts, nights out with the pals, etc. and those have generally been marriages headed for a crash. Maybe you have an "open" marriage or something similar, but this does not sound healthy. Not the fact of having the game room, but the whole premise of dishonesty and overall secrecy that is going along with this idea.

 

Now, if your wife is in the know and you two agree to building some secret passageway through a bookcase into a hidden game room, then great. Maybe to hide the valuables from the grandkids or possible thieves. Just let the wife know up front.

Seriously, you guys are too funny. It's a hidden game room, not a dead prostitute, lol