Malayalam Article on Cost-effective House Construction

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Panel Doors & Flush Doors

Panel Doors

Panelled doors can add elegance to an entrance.
Panel doors consist of stiles (the vertical pieces) and rails (the horizontal pieces), with different-sized panels that fit between the stiles and rails. The rails and stiles are glued together, but the panels aren't; they're loose, so they can expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. This is essential for exterior doors.

Flush Doors

Flush doors are practical. Flush doors, which are smooth, can be solid or hollow, but a solid-core door is safer and keeps the house quieter. Because flush doors are easier to make than panel doors, they can be mass produced. Panel doors are usually more decorative than flush doors.

Types of Doors

Doors are a very important feature of our homes. The way a door is operated and the material used for making the door are determined based on the spatial configuration of the rooms and the security and budgetary aspects.

Passage doors swing open and close on two or more leaf hinges, and are the most commonly used doors in Kerala homes. Traditionally, they are made on site and installed by local carpenters.

Louver doors are essentially standard passage doors in which all or some of the panels have been replaced by angled wood slats. Louver doors are typically used for cupboards, toilets, laundry rooms etc because they provide ventilation and privacy. A full-louver panel format offers the most ventilation, but a louver-over-panel format offers the most style because it looks very similar to solid panel doors.

Sliding doors or bypass doors are typically used on areas that have wide openings like a cupboard or master bathroom and slide from left to right. Since they don't swing open you don't have to worry about placing furniture, but only half the opening is accessible at one time.

Bifold doors are generally used to enclose a cupboard, store room, or laundry area. The doors typically have four panels. Bifold doors pivot on pins inserted at the top and bottom edges, which allow you a greater opening space than a sliding door.

French doors offer a dramatic focal point in your home. They hang on hinges located at each side of a wide door opening and swing toward each other, meeting at the center. When both sides of the door are open, you have an unobstructed view.

Pocket doors are interesting architectural elements, and saves on floor space. Basically, a pocket door is a door that is not set on hinges to swing open, but that slides in and out of a space hidden within the wall. Pocket doors come either as singles, which slide open and shut from either the left or the right, or double pocket doors, which slide together and meet in the middle from both the right and left sides.

Type of Construction

Once you decided the type of doors you want to use, then you need to decide how you want your doors constructed: hollow-core, solid-core and wood.

Hollow-core doors are made from thin veneer plywood or hardboard faces with a cardboard core to help keep the door rigid. These doors are lightweight, inexpensive, easily punctured and ineffective as sound barriers. However, the benefits of hardboard is it resists shrinking and swelling, offers a wood-like appearance, is easy to paint and highly affordable.

Solid-core doors look and feel like solid wood doors, but they feature a wood fiber core. They offer greater sound proofing than hollow core doors and are much more durable. Most solid-core doors are designed with the same style and properties of a wood door, but without the high price tag.

Solid wood panel doors can be stained or painted for a rich finish and provide a natural sound barrier. These are the usual exterior doors that offer security.

It is easy to mix and match the types of doors you use throughout your home to complement your home's décor and to economize. You can specify the type of door you want used for each room and space in your new home based on the utility.

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Choosing the right Ceiling Fan for a room

Ceiling fans have been an essential feature in Kerala homes for a long time. The tropical climate makes ceiling fans the cost-effective and healthy option in cooling the interiors of a well-ventilated Kerala Home.

In recent times, ceiling fans have become much more technologically advanced and appealing. They are often a large part of a home's decor. They help to cool the home in the summer and warm it in the winter by circulating air within the rooms. Fans are used throughout the home in main rooms, kitchens, verandahs etc. They add to the rooms appeal and lower dampness.

Choosing the right ceiling fan

Ceiling fans vary based on the quality, style, and size. Check over the differences before making the purchase. If you purchase an inexpensive one, it may seem good when you first use it, but over time it will warp, become off-balance, and wear out. Choosing a good fan to start with is a better idea. You can enjoy the comfort and beauty for years. What you should look for in a fan is the quality, motor, durability, performance, design, and warranty.

Choose a fan that fits in with the style of your home and room that suits your taste. There are many colors, finishes, blade designs, sizes, accessories, lighting, and styles to pick from. Options to choose from are polished brass, antique brass, iron, copper, nickel, pewter, chrome, black and other vibrant colors.

Details to consider before choosing a new fan for your home:

Fan Size:

To utilize the most efficiency the fan needs to fit the size of the room. A general rule to follow is 29" to 36" fan diameter for a room up to 75 square feet, 36" to 42" for rooms up to 144 square feet, and 50" to 54" for rooms up to 225 square feet.

Height from the ceiling:

The fan should be more than 7 feet over the floor in the middle of a room to get the most comfort, circulation, safety, and decor from it. The best height is 8 to 9 feet from the floor.

Blades:

The blades create the circulation, so their position is very important. The blade brackets should hold the blades at a 12-15 degree angle. The weight of all blades should be the same. This allows optimum circulation and avoids fan wobble. Less than 12-degrees on the angle will lower the circulation, higher will increase it.

Motor:

The motor is the most important part of the ceiling fan. A high-quality motor should have heavy-duty windings and sealed bearings with permanent lubrication. This will insure quiet operation and long life.

Lights:

Lights on a ceiling fan can add to your decor and create the final touch to your room lighting. There are various styles of lights to choose from on ceiling fans. They range from classic to antique to contemporary. You can also add opal, marble, crystal, glass, and hand blown glass on the fitter, or shades. You can often choose a fan and light kit separately to satisfy your taste and compliment your room's decor. You can also choose between up and down lighting to add ambiance to rooms like your living or bedroom. But the cheaper option would be to buy fans that have built-in light fixtures on it.

Finish:

To avoid blistering, fading, corrosion, and tarnishing, be sure that the blades have a high quality finish. If they are not high quality, the blades will quickly peel, bubble, or corrode. Brass is long lasting and scratch resistant does not need polishing and the painted finishes are thick and durable when properly coated.

Warranty:

A good warranty is always the best option. If you choose your fan carefully, you will find that many manufacturers with high quality fans offer a long warranty period and even in-home service.

Installation:

You can usually install a ceiling fan on your own. The installation is not difficult and the fans come with step-by-step instructions. Support systems are normally provided to allow hands free wiring. Just be sure the fan and home wiring is compatible.

Cost:

There is a wide range of prices in Kerala when you go shopping for a ceiling fan. The price will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and depending on the ceiling fan's features. The old saying "you get what you pay for" definitely applies to ceiling fans.

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Feng Shui for a Soothing Bedroom

Feng Shui (translated as- 'Wind Water') is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive energy.

A good Feng Shui bedroom is a bedroom that is inviting, exciting and soothing at the same time. Whether you are there for a quick nap, good night sleep or a pleasant evening, there are a variety of simple, practical and cost-efficient ways to create the perfect feng shui bedroom.

Bring good energy into your bedroom with some of these basic feng shui bedroom tips.

• Let go of the electronics like the TV and computer or exercise equipment.

Good Feng Shui energy is destroyed when these items are present in your bedroom.

• Let in the fresh air by keeping the windows open whenever possible and/or using a high quality air-purifier.

You can’t achieve good feng shui if the air you breather in your bedroom is stale and full of pollutants. While plants enhance the look of your room, they are not good Feng Shui, unless your bedroom is large enough to have the plants far from your bed.

• Use a dimmer switch to adjust the energy accordingly or have multi -levels of lighting in your bedroom.

Since light is one of the strongest manifestations of energy it is very important to have good lighting in the bedroom. Of course the best Feng Shui lighting is candles, but be sure they are organic and properly placed.

• Use soothing colors to achieve a good feng shui balance in your bedroom.

A true Feng Shui has a balanced decor to promote the best flow of energy for restorative sleep, as well as sexual healing. Best colors for the bedroom are considered the so-called “skin” or natural colors, and which range from pale white to rich chocolate brown.

• Choose your images cautiously, since images carry powerful feng shui energy.

Best Feng Shui advice for bedroom art is to choose images that represent things you see happening in your life.

• When it comes to your actual bed here are some basic guidelines:

Be sure your bed is accessible from both sides, have 2 bedside tables and avoid having your bed face the door. Having a well-balanced, good-looking bed with a solid mattress, high- quality organic sheets and comforter helps create a positive, harmonious energy.

• Keep all the doors closed at night.

Be sure to have your closet, bathroom and bedroom doors closed to keep in the natural flow of energy you need to strengthen you body and mind while you sleep.

Creating the perfect Feng Shui bedroom depends on personal taste, but the goal of each item you choose should reflect love, healing and relaxation.

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Design of a Kerala Nalukettu

Nalukettu is typically a rectangular structure where four halls are joined together with a central court yard open to the sky. The four halls on the sides are named Vadakkini (northern block), Padinjattini (western block), Kizhakkini (eastern block) and Thekkini (southern block).

The outer verandahs along the four sides of the Nalukettu are enclosed differently. While both the western and eastern verandahs are left open, the northern and southern verandahs are enclosed or semi-enclosed.

Designated Functions

The designated functions of the four halls are as follows- Kizhakkini is for prayer and pooja, Thekkini for keeping wealth and for human dwelling, Padinjattini for storage (crops and grains in the olden days) and Vadakkini for Kitchen.

Nadumuttom

The courtyard created at the centre by these four halls is auspicious and is called Nadumuttom or Ankanam. As the Ankanam is usually sunk it is also called Kuzhi(pit)-Ankanam. The protruding roofs of the four halls formed shady verandas and protected the rooms from direct sunlight, keeping them cool even on the hottest of days. The inner verandah around the Ankanam is open.

Advantages of the Nalukettu Design

In the Nalukettu design, all the rooms are open to a common court yard which helps the family to interact more often. The open courtyard provides natural ventilation as well as adequate lighting for the household, offering a healthier environment. Abundant sunlight falling inside the house through the open central courtyard acts as a natural disinfectant and limits the presence of bacteria and fungus inside the house. The inside open verandah with open court yard provides ample space for children for their activities.

Ettukettu and Pathinarukettu

For larger homes and wealthier families, there are more elaborate forms of the Nalukettu, called the Ettukettu (eight halled with two central courtyards) or Pathinarukettu (sixteen halled with four central courtyards).

Thachushasthram, or the Techniques of Carpentry and Traditional Vaastu, is the governing science in the architectural form of Nalukettu. This branch of knowledge was well developed in the traditional architecture of Kerala and has its own branch of literature under the titles- Tantrasamuchaya, Vastuvidya, Manushyalaya-Chandrika, and Silparatna.


Modern Nalukettu Design

‎'Nalukettu' is our Traditional house design concept and suited to our climatic and topographic conditions. In modern Nalukettu designs, architects try to incorporate aspects of modern living into the traditional design structure.


For example, in ancient times, Keralal homes did not have the modern plumbing and sanitation systems that we now have. Hence the need for an adjacent well or pond. Upon the advent of water pumping systems and efficient waste disposal methods, these elements have ceased to be essential factors of a house.


Likewise, other aspects of Nalukettu design have to be analyzed so as to ascertain their relevance in today's setup; as well as provision for including modern appliances have to be introduced in the design.

More links on Nalukettu-

Protect your home with simple measures

Although Kerala has one of the lowest crime-rates among the States in India, our wealthy NRI homes sometimes fall prey to thieves and burglary, especially when the family is away. An important step in preventing burglary and increasing your home protection is making sure that your home is as secure as possible. Many homes are easy targets for burglaries without you even realizing it, especially new homes.

Simple everyday measures can be taken to increase your home security without even purchasing a security system. The following is a home protection checklist that hits on important security issues:

• Burglars prefer to target empty residences

Piled up newspapers is a sign that you are not at home, so make sure you stop your newspapers when you go on vacation and have a neighbor pick up your mail. Although it is a bit difficult, it's a good idea to leave your drapes/curtains slightly open and set your television, radio, and lights on timers so it looks like someone is home. If you can, leave a car in your driveway, even if it's your relative's.

• 90% of all intruders choose not to enter a residence that is well lit

Be sure that you have lights installed around your home, particularly around your front door, driveway and rear porch or patio. Most intruders don't get the idea to break into your home until you give it to them.

• Most burglars look for something worth stealing

Making valuables visible from outside the home, such as having bikes, tools and appliances visible from outside and your shades and curtains open to view home electronics and other valuable items. Be sure to put your home to bed at night by making sure all shades and curtains are closed and all points of entry are locked. It's also a good idea to get in the habit of locking first floor windows.

• Burglars observe your daily behaviors

Regular routines give burglars an estimated amount of time to complete their job, which allows them to be more careful without getting caught. Try not to be too predictable with your daily schedule, come home earlier or leave late for work on some days. Everyone likes to have a spare key hidden, but choose your spot carefully. Avoid common spots like under the doormat, above doorways or anywhere close to the door.

• Over 40% of home burglaries are termed by police as "no force" entries

Leaving your home with windows or doors unlocked or even open is an invitation for burglars to come in. You and your family have to practice and remind each other to always close and lock all doors and windows when leaving the house unattended for several hours.

• Don't let them know who you are

It may go without saying, but it is worth repeating: a lost key with no address is worthless to a thief but it's like a treasure map if your address or name is on key.

If you have installed a Home security device like a burglar alarm, remember to lock the door and arm your security system. Locks and security alarms cannot provide home protection unless they are used properly.

As in many developed countries, you can also enlist the help of neighbors and start a neighborhood night watch in your place in Kerala. A neighborhood watch is a support group in which all neighbors in your community help each other by watching each other's homes. Neighborhood night watches are especially great for communities where there is a high crime rate or many elderly people who live around the area. A burglar will not be able to get away as quickly if he has more than one person keeping an eye out. In fact, having a neighborhood watch may be enough to deter an intruder all together.

Remember that your home is the only environment where you have control over who can get close to you or your family. Most people only think about making their home secure after a burglary has occurred.

To determine how secure your home is, think like a robber. Below are a few points to consider in order preventing break-in.

How do thieves enter your house?

• By picking the padlock/ grille using a screwdriver or any sharp object
• By opening the window grill using a jack
• By sawing/ cutting the padlock using a cutter
• By entering through the roof (altering the roof tiles)
• By entering through the ceiling after breaking it
• By entering through open windows, doors or gates
• By using duplicate/ master keys
• By posing as bogus officers
• By entering through an unoccupied neighbouring house or shop

How can you prevent house Break-Ins?

• Install a door viewer at your main door and observe other safety precautions such as having your door chained with a padlock
• Your exterior doors should be constructed of solid wood or metal for the most protection against break-ins
• Leave your lights on when you are out so as to give the impression that there is someone at home
• Have adequate lightings outside your house. Keep your front and back porch lights on (advise to be from 7:00pm to 7:00am)
• Ask your neighbours to keep an eye on your house while you are out
• Ensure that all gates, doors and windows are locked before you go out or go to bed
• Do not hide keys outside your premises. House breakers know all these hiding places
• Equip your house with a security system
• Ensure that your garden is clean – cut grass and trim bushes to eliminate hiding places

More links on Protecting your Home-

Creating a Home Theater

In Kerala or elsewhere, most of us don't remember the last time we watched a movie in a theater. 24 hour channels and almost simultaneous DVD releases of movies have made it more comfortable for us to watch our favorite movies at home instead of having to queue up at a theater. Work pressure and other time constraints contribute to the decision of staying at home to watch a movie. This is why many modern home builders in Kerala opt for a theater experience at home- the Home Theater!

Home theater is difficult to define because in actuality it's really just a vague term for how you approach home entertainment. Generally speaking, a home theater system is a combination of electronic components designed to recreate the experience of watching a movie in a theater. The image and the sound, together with the right equipment, can create the ultimate home theater experience.

If you're looking to design a home theater system, you have a lot of decisions to make. First youʼll need to decide what room you want to install your home theater and how far you want to go. Turning a family room or flexible space into a media/TV room is a lot different than creating a fully functional home theater.

Once youʼve decided the level of home entertainment you want from your new home, then you can begin to select the necessary components to create your own personal home theater. What you choose for your home theater system will depend on how much money you are willing to allot to this space and how important certain areas of performance are to you. So whether you are planning on spending Rs.25000 or Rs.25,00,000 you should spend time understanding what each component does, so you can choose the right equipment to satisfy your audio and visual needs.

Basic Home Theater Components

The basic necessities to create your home theater are a 27-inch or larger television, movie playing device (DVD is recommended), speakers, a surround sound capable stereo receiver, all the cables and connectors and a high-quality surge protector. If you are building anew home, it is a good idea to spend a little extra money for better quality equipment. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Think of your home theater system as if it is a jigsaw puzzle. Many pieces fit together to complete the presentation. The pieces must be in the right places. With a home theater system, the pieces can be placed in many different positions to work together producing theater-like picture and realistic sound. If you know a little about each of the components, you will have an easier time deciding what you want.

The primary parts of a home theater system:

Television

With the television, the first thing that you are going to choose is the size and shape. For all the new movies in wide screen format, you will need a rectangular TV with a 16:9 ratio to view them in the original format. A traditional TV is square with a 4:3 ratio and will show the wide screen smaller with black screen above and below the movie. The best advice on the size you choose is the largest you can afford. 27 inches is probably the smallest you should accept.

The distance between the screen and where you sit to view it should be equal to about three times the screen size for optimal viewing. So for instance, you have a 40-inch TV, it should be ten feet (120 inches) from you for best viewing. With this in mind, it may be to your advantage to layout your floor plan in the room with the TV ahead of time.

Decide where the TV will be and where people will be sitting. Measure the distance and choose a TV size accordingly.

Projection TV - Front or Rear

Projection TVs work differently than conventional TVs. They form a small image on a device inside the projector, either a CRT or LCD, and then shine that image onto a large screen located elsewhere.

There are two types of projecting TVs - rear or reflective projection and front or transmissive projection. With a rear projection, the screen is located within the TV box itself. Light reflects off the projection display panel and is then projected onto the screen. On a front projection TV there is a separate screen which, allows for greater size that sends the picture across the room to a screen, much like a traditional movie projector.

Both systems have four basic parts -a projector, screen (separate or built-in), control panel (separate or built-in) and a sound system (separate or built-in).

Most rear projection TVs for home theater systems tend to look like very large- screen (up to 80-inches) conventional televisions. Each one is basically a large box that contains all of the above parts, while front projection TVs are spread out across your room in four components. Cost for either system starts around Rs.75,000 and escalate to well over Rs.25,00,000 (for a front projection TV).

Plasma/LCD

Plasma and LCD TVs are the newest television technologies. They have excellent picture quality. Plasma TVs have larger screens, better viewing angles, superior image refresh rates, and lower costs. They are a perfect choice for home theaters.

LCD TVs are rapidly improving, but still have problems such as ghosting trails on fast moving images, small screens, and higher costs. However, they do have longer life spans, lower weight, lower power consumption, and no burn-in risk.

HDTV (High Definition Television)

High-definition televisions carry a more detailed image with a digital signal, which is encoded with surround sound information. All of the televisions mentioned before are available in HDTV. Some of them might require a separate HDTV decoding tuner though. These televisions can be viewed much closer than ones that do not have high definition because they have such a high resolution. These TVs will become necessary in the future because the FCC now requires television programming to be broadcast in digital format.

Screen

The screen is what you are actually viewing your home theater on. There are different materials used to make these screens by the manufacturers. Most are matte-finished screens or acetate sheets with complex technologies to improve brightness and clarity. Knowing which type of screen you want will clear up a lot of issues before you make the purchase and bring it home.

Receivers

The receiver is basically the brain in most home theater systems. All of the audio comes together here. The receiver decodes signals from the inputs (DVD player, satellite dish, cable television) and routes them to the proper outputs (television and speakers). A good receiver has inputs and outputs, a built-in timer, surround sound capabilities, built-in amplifiers and equalizers. Prices range from Rs.50,000 to Rs.2,50,000. Be sure that the receiver you choose has at least 100 continuous watts per channel and enough outputs for all of your speakers.

Amplifiers

Pre-amp and power amps can be bought separately, but most receivers come with them. The pre-amp equalizes the audio signal while the power amp boosts it. Purchasing them separately allows you the ability to fine-tune and upgrade individual speakers. You are more able to get superior sound at high volumes this way, but the extra cost can range Rs.50,000 to Rs.5,00,000 per unit.

Controller

A controller replaces the receiver in a state-of-the-art home theater. What the controller will do that a receiver will not is control both the audio and the video. You will need a separate tuner for radio stations if you use a controller.

CD Player

To listen to your favorite music, you will need a good quality CD player. They can be purchased in a one player or a two-piece players, where the unit that houses and spins the discs is separate from the DAP (Digital Audio Processor) where the disc information is processed. Since the DAP can be used with other components, you will get more usage if you use separate components. The DAP has several input and output jacks.

DVD Player

One of the most popular parts of the home theater system is the DVD Player. DVD's (Digital Versatile Discs) are a versatile multimedia platform for music, movies, and computers. They have better picture quality and most have Dolby Digital or DTS sound that you like at the theater. Most DVD movies have an on-screen menu to watch certain parts, learn about the movie, and more very quickly. High-end players are usually compatible with audio CDs and equipped with viewing options in letterbox for wide screen TVs and standard.

VCR

VCRs still remain very popular because of the ability to record. They do not have the wide screen or surround sound capabilities though. The tapes will also eventually wear out.

DSS RECEIVER

The DSS (Digital Satellite System) is not like the satellite dish of yesterday. It is much smaller and more technically advanced. The signals they receive are much better giving superior imaging like laser disc players with CD quality sound. It is easy to set them up and tune them in. They can handle six-channel surround sound and high definition television. The monthly cost is about the same as cable.

Speakers

Sound is half of the experience of the home theater system. You should try to get the best speakers possible. They should be capable of reproducing a wide range of frequencies without distortion. Listen to the speakers before you purchase them. Follow the rule that no two speakers sound alike, so choose by personal preference.

Your home theater should have six speakers or more to create the best sound. These should include left, right, and center speakers across the front. There should be a couple of surrounds and a subwoofer or bass for the low, loud vibration feel.

Cables and Interconnects

As unimportant as it may seem, cables and interconnects can be the difference between a good and a great system. This is true no matter what type of system you choose. Unrestricted flow of the output through the cables is important. If the cables are not the right quality or type, they will not allow this. Select heavy gauge cables and gold plated connectors.

If you are concerned about the appearance of these cables, go with a flat speaker wire. They are as thin as a credit card yet flexible enough to make corners. They can be mounted on walls or ceilings. You can wallpaper or paint right over them.

Remote Control

Try to buy a universal remote control to avoid clutter and confusion. Pretty much every piece of electronic equipment comes with a remote now, and after a while there are so many you can't keep track. Universal remotes are pre-programmed to control many devices by many different manufacturers. They come with easy to follow instructions so setup is quick and easy. A remote with an illuminated keypad or backlight is the best option. If you have equipment that is in a closed cabinet, choose a remote that is radio frequency-capable.

All-in-one systems

If it is easier for you to choose a package system than trying to sort out and purchase all the components you need separately, there are all-in-one home-theater-in-a-box packages available. These can cost anywhere from Rs.15,000 to Rs.1,50,000. You should get pretty much everything you need for a basic setup. Most are relatively easy to setup and install, but know that most will not allow upgrades or integration in the future

Tips for setting up the system

The important thing to remember when you start with your home theater is that you want it to feel as close to a real movie cinema experience as possible. Put the system front and center at eye level, rather than off to the side. Sound travels better from the speakers if they are mounted on a wall or set on stands, not on top of bookshelves or cabinets. The three front speakers should be aligned with the television screen and the two in the rear should be one on each side of the listener just a little above ear level.

If you must stack the equipment, leave a minimum of 8 inches between them and the wall to allow for ventilation and easy installation. The receivers will create the most heat so put them on top of the stack or better yet, on their own shelf.

Power cords can cause interference and decreased signal quality for cables and wires. Don't bundle your wires and cables or place them close to the power cords. A notable tip, test your speakers before you trim the speaker wire to avoid cutting them to short and finding that you don't like the sound and have to move them.

Hiding speakers in the ceiling and walls is a great idea in most rooms, but in a home theater, you may want to keep the speakers away from those surfaces. In a home theater freestanding speakers that stand on the floor and are housed in their own cabinets or box enclosures are the best option, because this type of speaker is specifically tuned to its enclosure and produces a better sound quality than other types of speakers. The only drawback to freestanding speakers is that they take up additional space. In new construction, you can have your contractor/designer build the speakers into the design of the room.

For example, they can be contained inside architectural details such as columns and prosceniums, or they can be placed behind walls that have been covered with acoustical fabric.

Modifying existing rooms into a Home Theater

Tips for odd-shaped rooms

Since not everyone's entertainment room has the ideal layout for a home theater system, we've come up with a few tips to help you deal with odd-shaped rooms.

• If your room accommodates it, try to make sure your listening position is somewhere in the middle of the room (i.e. away from the back wall) to improve the front soundstage and help the surround speakers work better.
• Position the main speakers so that they fire into the length of the room, rather than the width.
• If you want the best surround effects, place the surround speakers on floor-stands. You'll want them to be at roughly equal distances from your listening position.
• If stands aren't an option, you can also wall-mount your surround speakers. You can even mount them to a joist in the ceiling, if you've got a ceiling-mount bracket, though your speakers might not sound their best when placed that high. Again, you'll want your surrounds to be roughly equal distances from your listening position.
• For a really clean look, try in-wall or in-ceiling surrounds. Check out our placement guidelines for these types of speakers, or watch our short in-wall speaker installation video to get an idea of what's involved.
• If you have to place the rear speakers at different distances from your listening position, then you can use the speaker levels in your receiver to help compensate for that difference, or rely on your receiver's auto-calibration to handle that for you. It'll work best if the difference in distance is 5 feet or less.
• You can also adjust speaker levels to compensate for differences in distance between your front left and right speakers. However, we recommend you try and place them equidistant from your listening position, or within a few inches of that, whenever possible. You'll notice more subtle differences in volume and timing in the front soundstage than you will in the back.

Below we've come up with a few simple diagrams so that you can see our tips in action.

Window in a bad place

Here we moved the speaker to the back to avoid a window. You'd probably need to increase the left surround speaker's levels on your receiver to compensate. Alternatively, you could mount the speaker higher up, above the window.

Door in a bad place

Here we moved the speaker to the back to avoid a door. Again, you'd probably need to increase the right surround speaker's levels on your receiver to compensate. You could also mount the left speaker further back, so that the two speakers are equal distances from your listening position.

Diamond layout

Here we placed the listening position in the middle of the room, so the front speakers fire lengthwise into the room. We also mounted the surround speakers in the corners of the room, at equal distances from the listening area.

Open floor plan

Again, we placed the listening position in the middle of the room with the front speakers firing lengthwise into the room, and the surround speakers mounted on the side walls at equal distances from the listening area.

L-shaped room

In this L-shaped plan, we chose a space clear of doors and windows, and placed the listening position in the middle. The front speakers are firing lengthwise into the space, with the surround speakers mounted on the side walls at equal distance from the listening area.