Dont Taze Me Bro Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Ok, so while I have the man-cave in my bonus room above my garage with the best TV in the house and sweet surround sound........the women (aka my wife and 6 yo little diva) have invaded and basically, it's more of an upstairs den now than the man cave it used to be. RIP........ So, we have a two car garage, I park outside in the driveway and my wife parks in the garage. So I've wanted to turn the one half into a mini-man cave. Ive got a beer/soda fridge out there and a treadmill. Well today, I bought a fairly cheap RCA 32" LED to toss in the garage and plan to put it on top of the fridge for now (nowhere to mount it yet). My wireless connection is actually perfect in there, so I plan to hook up my Apple TV to watch Netflix. Eventually, I might look into putting a wireless satellite receiver in there. So, what are y'alls set-ups if you have TVs in the garage. Anything I should be worried about as far as temperature? Will it kill the life of the TV real fast? Any recommendations on set-up? Etc. Also, does anyone have any experience with putting a TV outdoors in the summer time? I have often thought of mounting one on the back porch during the summer time so we can grill out and chill and view a movie or ball game. I live in Charlotte, NC so it can get fairly hot in the summer (high 90s to 100) and humid. Winter is winter, but it usually stays in the mid teens at worst. I don't want to have to replace this TV every year and don't want to ruin it, so any tips on making it last in those environments would be appreciated as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balki1867 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 There's a bar I used to live near (in Chicago) that had an outdoor patio area with two flat-panel TVs. I didn't check it up close, but it appears that during the winter they'd put cardboard boxes over the TVs (no idea if there was anything more insulating them inside the boxes), and that seemed to do the trick. The setup was fully exposed to the elements in terms of temperature, but they were under an overhang, so they weren't getting snowed/rained on. Granted, when a bar's TV breaks they can write it off pretty easily and go buy a new one, so this probably wasn't a pressing issue for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFromYellowstone Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Is there any way you can bribe them by moving the nice tv into the house so they stay out of the original man cave lol? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubble Screen Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I would just reclaim the man cave, myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Watching movies in August will be awesome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 I would definitely build an enclosure with a lock for any television that I was putting outside. Even then I wouldn't feel comfortable with it. Personally, I would reclaim my original space...by adding more to it. A few Sports Illustrated (Swimsuit issue) or Playboy model pics should do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
757SeanTaylor21 Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Agree with others...def put a sign on the door stating man cave and man only allowed...and that nice little led tv you put somewhere else in the house to occupy the little one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Man up fancy pants. Wipe the glitter off your face and get the pastels out of your wardrobe. Your estrogen level is so high that you may as well be menstruating daily. Next thing you know all three of you will be sharing rocky road and a box of tissues while watching the latest rom-com. It's time to put on some flannel, get the tools out of storage and take back what is yours. Stop watching a weak ass 32in tv in your garage and start living a 60in dream in your house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dont Taze Me Bro Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 LOL - y'alls posts are great. They haven't taken it over completely, but when my wife has to work from home some evenings (which is alot), she has to up there because it's the only place I have an empty desk. We have another room in the house right now that we plan to turn into a guest room/office and once that happens, it will be easier to relocate that desk and migrate them to the other side of the house. But that will be a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 The old smelly dog is no longer welcome in the living room, so the discussion is whether it should be put in the garage or outside completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsluggo Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 "Old Smelly Dog" === "Corcaigh" ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 "Old Smelly Dog" === "Corcaigh" ? "Comparisons are odorous", as they say. Absolutely not. One of the reasons we don't have a dog is in case I smell worse. Anyway, the kids are gone now so we have 'his and hers' separate couches when we need our space. And I have the remote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dont Taze Me Bro Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 The old smelly dog is no longer welcome in the living room, so the discussion is whether it should be put in the garage or outside completely. LOL, not in my case man. When we built the house (no kids) that was my man cave, mini beer fridge, TV, stereo, PC for gaming, PS2, sofa and chair. I spent the majority of my time, like 95% of my time awake up there for years. Honestly, I felt like I had my own apartment lol. When the wife got pregnant, I turned our guest room into the nursery/bedroom for our daughter and the man-cave/bonus room into the guest room. At the time, it was a tube TV up there and old ass stereo with huge tower speakers from 1975 (not kidding). We gave the fridge to my sis-in-law who needed it for college. I then claimed the dining room and turned it into my room (man-cave wont apply as no door). I moved my PC down here along with another TV. There is no door on it, but eventually I started working remote from home, added another desk for my work PC. So the only one using this room is me. After missing the man-cave for 4 years, I decided to bring it back. I then bought a nice 3D TV, a new sectional sofa, surround sound and a new mini-fridge for beer. The only desk available to work on for my wife is in that room and thats the only place it can go right now. So, a lot of time, she's up there working. Which is fine, in time, the room will be free again for me to reclaim. As far as the mini-man cave in the garage, well I had decided to put a TV out there regardless cause thats where I plan to work-out (treadmill/weights). Its not to get away from my family. But knowing I have half of the garage available, I was curious if anyone else had a set-up and what it was. Hell, I might as well make the most of the space lol. When we get new furniture, I'll have a chair and a half and full sofa I could put out there if I wanted to. Now as far as the TVs for outside, that's a different project I'm looking into. Wanted to get an idea if anyone had done that and what they did and how long **** lasts, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Every other person in Houston does this. I love watching sweaty people sitting in a garage watching Nascar as I drive home on a Saturday night in August. Also, you are using the phrase "man cave" a lot. I suggest stopping that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dont Taze Me Bro Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 Every other person in Houston does this. I love watching sweaty people sitting in a garage watching Nascar as I drive home on a Saturday night in August. LOL, like I said, thats where the exercise equipment is right now, so putting a TV in there was a given for me. I plan to mount some fans too, so its not crazy hot while I work out. I do not plan to sit in a 100 degree garage in July/August to watch TV But, if I got the space to convert into a mini-man cave, why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 But, if I got the space to convert into a mini-man cave, why not? Because when you sell your house, having a two car garage is a lot more appealing than a "mini man cave" with fans mounted to the ceilng like a laundromat in Brooklyn in 1974. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 When we get new furniture, I'll have a chair and a half and full sofa I could put out there if I wanted to. Now as far as the TVs for outside, that's a different project I'm looking into. Wanted to get an idea if anyone had done that and what they did and how long **** lasts, etc. How your "man-cave" should look: How yours currently looks: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 A certifiably crazy person layed on the furniture in that second picture. I'm deeply deeply troubled by the floorplan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Has anyone actually ever spent more than an hour in a sealed garage? Because that's fun in any season. It's 95 degrees and smells like turpentine. Fun! Like I said, this is a very popular (and troubling) thing in Texas. And the only way to do it and not die is to have the garage door open while the game is on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dont Taze Me Bro Posted May 23, 2014 Author Share Posted May 23, 2014 Wow, not the direction I thought this thread would go LOL. So Daveakl, I can assure you that my man-cave still looks exactly like I wanted it to look The desk I bought for the room in case I wanted to move my PC back up there and completely take over the room. Other than the wife's work laptop and some office paperwork on the desk, still the man-cave appeal. The girls are just up there a lot due to my wife having to work from home on projects. Also, to clarify, I'm not going to furnish the garage or make it a primary place to watch games. I'm putting in the TV because thats where I'll be exercising. Any fans I mount will be removable, anything I do can be undone in case we decide to move. Tossing a sofa or chair in there is a thought. Ive seen some man-cave garages too, where people have it furnished and unfurnished. I was just curious if anyone had a set-up like that and any ideas. I'm actually more interested in ideas for hooking up a TV outside so when it's not too hot, we can grill out and enjoy a movie/game as a family. More so, recommendations on to mount or not mount, placement, brand of TV, how bad the elements would mess it up, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveakl Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 So I am in Raleigh and a bunch of people in our neighborhood have TV's outside. What you have to worry about is the moisture getting into it and causing it to fry. I had looked into putting one outside and getting a TV that was designed for it but those are crazy $$ because they are sealed shut and have special fans to vent the heat out. Most of the people here just keep theirs covered and bring it inside during July and then also during the winter. If it goes it goes so they usually get theirs from Costco or BJ's or another discount place. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corcaigh Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Aside from all the very helpful style advice you have received ... I'd expect an indoor TV outside to have issues. Assuming you have it covered and the garage won't get that cold so that it won't freeze, the internal heat generated will probably mean it will be OK in the cold months. However, heat dissipation might be a big deal in the summer time I would think, and condensation overnight might destroy it pretty quickly. A certifiably crazy person layed on the furniture in that second picture. I'm deeply deeply troubled by the floorplan. You need floor space and room to work in order to properly chop up a body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lombardi's_kid_brother Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 In all honesty, if you are going to do this, you really need to insulate the garage and put in some ventilation. Because, otherwise, you can only really use it in Spring and Fall and only then if garage door is open. Otherwise, your tv is going to have the same problems it would outside (aside from direct exposure to precipitation, which I guess is pretty significant) and you are going to be watching sports in a pretty miserable environment. Do you currently exercise in the garage? And if you do, is the door open or closed while this is going on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.T.real,lights,out Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 My GF father has his TV mounted in the garage but he keeps it heated during the winter. They sell TV enclosures but they are crazy expensive. If you're gonna put one outside i would get a quick release mount and just take it down when youre not going to be using it. But love everyone elses comments. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 Make sure that you can find some cheap knotty pinewood paneling to make it classy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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