DIY Network

Entertainment-Center Patio Who says movie night has to be indoors? From "Yard Crashers" episode DYCR-106

The Yard Crashers crew already created a great set of redwood and stone steps for access and a classy redwood arbor for an entryway – now it's time to show off the actual destination: a custom outdoor entertainment center perfect for showing movies! It's like having your own drive-in, without having to get in the car.

There's plenty of room for outdoor fun...

... plus the perfect spot for a moonlight movie.

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Entertainment-Center Patio

Materials:

rototiller (rented) grading rakes or iron rakes shovel lawn roller (rented) 3/8" Sierra limestone gravel wheelbarrow weed fabric

4x4 redwood lumber scrap lumber and plywood forming stake landscape lighting all-weather speakers outdoor theater equipment

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

• Grade the area. This site used to be a track for remote-control cars, so it was riddled with tunnels and small ditches. The crew and homeowners cleared away boulders and used professional-grade rototillers to loosen the soil and make it easier to work (figure A). After knocking down the high spots, use grading rakes or iron rakes until the entire area is close to level.

• Tamp down the area. Use lawn rollers to compact the soil for a stable surface. These available for rent and are normally used to roll new sod so it connects to the soil underneath. To use, fill the roller with water and push it like a lawnmower.

• Install weed fabric. The best theaters never have weeds, and neither will this one. Cover the entire area with a sturdy weed fabric, overlapping the rows of fabric by 1 foot or more to prevent gaps.

• Spread gravel. The crew topped this area with 3/8-inch Sierra limestone; its silvery, grey/green color complements the olive trees in the yard. Spread the gravel throughout the area, building it up to a depth of about 4 inches (figure B).

• Add a horseshoe pit. For more active fun, the crew installed basic horseshoe pits around the seating area (figure C). To build a simple horseshoe pit, dig a squared-off hole a few inches deep and box it in on three sides with redwood. A piece of plywood supported by a simple wooden frame serves as a backstop, and a forming stake driven into the center of the pit makes a perfect target post. Cover the bottom of the pit with a deep layer of sand to finish.

• Accessorize! To turn this space into an outdoor movie palace, add landscape lighting, speakers, a projector and an inflatable movie screen. This heavy-duty screen (figure D) inflates in minutes, but folds down to the size of a golf bag for easy storage.

  limestone gravel - Hastie's Capitol Sand & Gravel
  landscape lighting - MJM Lighting
  speakers - OWI Inc.
  inflatable movie screen, projector - Open Air Cinema
  

  
  

  RESOURCES :
  project materials
  Open Air Cinema
  Website: www.openaircinema.us
  

  project materials
  MJM Lighting
  Website: www.mjmlighting.com
  

  project materials
  OWI Incorporated
  Website: www.owi-inc.com
  

  project materials
  Hastie's Capitol Sand & Gravel
  Website: www.hastiessand-gravel.com/
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Redwood and Stone Steps
  	Redwood Arbor
  	Entertainment-Center Patio