100 Inch Projector Screen for $20

This extremely cheap and easy project took me roughly 15 minutes to
complete, and 10 of that was clearing space enough on my floor to cut the panel and lay out the location on the wall using the projector itself as a guide.

I researched many different methods and materials before starting, some of which may be better, some not. I saw possible materials ranging from black out cloth to paper to just paint on a wall. I decided to use none of those things when I stumbled upon 8'x4' plastic wall panels at my local Home Depot.

I chose the plastic paneling in the end for a few reasons; ease of cleaning (spray with any cleaner you wish & wipe), strength (paper could tear easily, as could black-out cloth), it's light weight, and most important, it's cheaper than any other method except the paper.

You will need the following materials:

• 1/16 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. Plastic Panel

• 9 1/2" Screws (silver)

And the following tools:

• Snips, shears, or razor knife
• 4' Level (also use as straight edge to mark any cut lines)
• Cordless drill (or screwdriver)

Using straight cut tin snips (the yellow handled type) I cut the plastic down to 5'x4' to accommodate the space I had available on the wall, as well as the distance from the projector to said wall. It could also be easily cut with a razor knife or shears, the snips were simply the closest tool to my hand at the time.

You could choose to leave it 8'x4' for an even more preponderant screen, or cut it to a specific aspect ratio and size if you wish. The largest 16:9 you can get from an 8'x4' panel is 85"x48" I believe.

Also keep in mind that required ratios can vary greatly depending on your chosen media format. For example: HDTV=1.78:1, normal TV=1.33:1, DVD=whatever they felt like on the given day they made it; with some movies going all the way to 2.35:1. I decided that I could fit a decent sized picture within any of those ratios onto a 5'x4' (5:4) screen without an annoying amount of white space left over.

I mounted it with four 1/2" screws across the top, three across the bottom, and finally one on each side in the middle. I didn't bother with anchors because it's very light weight and has been in place for a few weeks now with no shifting.

Hanging it level was a cinch to do solo, though an extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt. Use silver screws and keep them within an inch or so of the edge so they can be covered with a border if you use one, and won't stand out much if you don't. I hardly even see them when the room is dark and the projector is...well, projecting.

It has different textures on either side; I used the smoother of the two. I can't say this is any better than the other, only that I'm quite happy with the picture quality as is.

The contrast is at least as crisp as it was on an old Da Lite Flyer I was using before. The color is actually better due to the fact that the old screen had picked up a yellowish tint throughout the years, and anyone familiar knows cleaning them isn't really feasible.

Inevitably somebody will tell me how easily they can clean their screens, so let me just say that the 40"x40" Da Lite was also too small and too square.

I've read many places that adding black borders or trim to a screen makes a huge difference in the viewing experience, though I've never really read why exactly. Some say it makes the image pop more, some that it improves contrast, others that it keeps the light contained, but most just say "you should do this".
They may very well all be correct, but as I've said, I'm quite happy with my picture quality without them. It does leave little to be desired when the room is well lit because it appears unfinished.

It's located in my man cave though, where aesthetics concerns are ranked right up there with concerns on what beer and red meat are doing to my figure. (In other words, I don't care that much.) I have very dark green walls, so maybe that eliminated my need for borders. I've also read that black curtains covering unused portions of the screen have basically the same effect, though I've had no issues with the left over screen that's not being projected upon either.

It's not the most refined looking screen in the world, but it's very functional. I may yet trim it out, if so I'll update this with finished pictures.

Thanks to Instructables for featuring this, I was pleasantly surprised and am very grateful for the free premium membership. And thanks to all of the members that took the time to view and favorite as well.