Off Duty, Technology - Army Times

10 tips for the perfect ‘Man Cave’

Courtesy of licensed contractor Jason Cameron, here are 10 tips for building your own ultimate “Man Cave”:

1. Take some time to walk through the space and visualize what you want your Man Cave to look like. Be realistic.

2. Pick an object (pool table, jukebox, picture) that you like and will make part of the room as your inspiration.

3. Measure your space (length, width, height) and transfer these measurements to graph paper using a quarter- or half-inch scale. The more details you work out on paper, the easier the task will be.

4. Make a list of all the materials you will need. If you’re working with a budget, leave yourself a 10 percent to 15 percent allowance for unforeseen costs. There will be some!

5. Make a list of all the tools you will need. What you don’t have you can either borrow from friends and family or rent.

6. If your build requires plumbing, electrical or heating/air conditioning work, contact licensed professionals for their input or services. Don’t tackle something you’re not comfortable with. If you hire a contractor, get a signed quote.

7. Before you start your build, make a step-by-step list of what needs to be done in order. Schedule these plans with your contractor.

8. Ask friends and family to help with the build. Try to get people with some building skills so that they might help you direct your plan of attack.

9. Set goals for yourself and your team to accomplish each step of the build in a given time frame.

10. If you hit a wall (figuratively speaking) and have a question about any aspect, go to www.diynetwork.com, or watch “Man Caves” for answers.