Building a Home Dungeon — The Construct
For years, it’s been on my wishlist to convert our detached, two-car garage into a commercial photography studio. Saccharine Purr got on board with the idea earlier this year, especially once I floated my concept for a mixed-use home dungeon, photography studio, entertainment room, and content creation space. After almost two years of not running any international corporate events myself, I was itching to build something shiny to entertain people.
Saccharine Purr also decided that she wanted to start an OnlyFans, not necessarily to turn a profit (although that would be nice), but to document every penny that it costs to create content. She wanted to start publishing Total Project Cost (TPC) spreadsheets to show just how much time and money content creators have to spend in order to create quality content.
This is our documentation of the costs involved in building a modern home dungeon and content creation space. Some of the renovations were completed years ago as part of our vanilla lifestyle, so those costs have been omitted. Ongoing costs will be added to this page.
Estimated Cost of The Construct
as of December 2021: $18,391.00
The Studio/Dungeon
The most extensive renovation of The Construct was converting the first floor of the two-car garage into a weather-sealed, year-round concept space. Unfortunately, the previous owners of the property never finished the garage. The ground floor was uninsulated with no vapor barrier, and utilized syp plywood panel siding nailed directly to the 2x4 studs.
To optimize and maintain resale value of the property, all construction was modular in nature. The garage bay flooring is removable in sections, the garage door insulation is only tacked into place, and all wall panels and trim are lightly tacked with decorative screws. If needed, the studio/dungeon can be stripped to bare studs in an afternoon.
Studio/Dungeon Estimated Cost: $14,934.37
Studio/Dungeon Flooring — $3,142.70
There was about 600 square feet of concrete slab to work with, and decided that the floor would be the most expensive centerpiece of the build, which influenced the look and feel of the rest of the space. Commercial-grade Pergo restaurant flooring was chosen for its durability, water resistance, and rigidity. And there was even an hour-long discussion between Reify Joie, Saccharine Purr, and Creepy Skinny PG to decide which flooring would provide the best non-slip surface for high heels, stilettos, and boots to make those wonderful click-clack sounds on.
Additionally, an insulated, moisture-barrier subfloor was chosen to create a toasty-warm surface for bare feet, and to prevent moisture and condensation from wicking through the concrete slab to the floor.
$1,456.92 — Pergo TimberCraft + WetProtect Antique Barnwood
$1,337.90 — DRICORE Subfloor R+ Insulated Subfloor
$185.88 — 2.37-in x 78.7-in Toasted Chestnut MDF Floor 4-n-1
Studio/Dungeon Audiovisual, Lighting, and Electrical — $1,551.32
Reify Joie spent over 20 years planning corporate events, building convention booths, and implementing office, hotel, and convention center audiovisual, lighting, and electrical systems. So it made perfect sense for The Construct to utilize the same DMX-compatible audiovisual equipment used in convention centers!
$94.99 — Stage Right192-Channel DMX-512 Universal Stage Lighting Controller
$799.99 — Stage Right Wash Hex DMX RGBAW-UV LED Par Stage Wash Lights
$148.68 — STITCH Smart Wi-Fi RGB Light Bulbs
$199.96 — 3-in-1 Shelf Floor Lamps
$112.45 — 12 Outlet 4ft Metal Power Strips
$89.96 — STITCH by Monoprice Smart In-Wall On/Off Light Switches
Studio/Dungeon Suspension Rig — $1,637.26
Suspension is a dangerous activity, and reports of unsafe practices spread quickly within the community. And rightfully so. Instead of attempting to build a suspension rig from scratch, or ordering a portable suspension rig from Etsy, a stage-quality commercial truss solution was chosen. Reify Joie has been working with truss rigs in hotels and convention centers for decades, and trusts them implicitly.
Stage Right truss is center-load rated for at least 500 pounds per two-meter horizontal section, with a maximum evenly-distributed load of 740 pounds per two-meter horizontal section. Oversized base plates ensure minimal deflection, so straps and cinch buckles aren’t required to secure the bases.
$348.00 — Stage Right Lite Duty Box Lighting Truss 6-Way Corners
$830.58 — Stage Right Lite Duty Box Aluminum Lighting Truss Straight Sections (2m)
$233.98 — Stage Right Lite Duty Box Aluminum Lighting Truss Sections (1.5m)
$159.96 — Stage Right 12in x 12in Truss Totem Top Base Plates
$42.39 — Stage Right Stage Lighting O-Clamps
$22.35 — SoftTouch 5/16-in Brown
Studio Furniture, Toys, Implements, and Consumables — $2,579.15
Everything that makes the dungeon a dungeon! Initially, only larger furniture is included, but this section will be expanded to include everything available for use at The Construct.
$1,845.00 — Ryco Industries Dungeon in a Bag
$269.99 — Master Massage 32" HUSKY GIBRALTAR™ XXL Portable Massage Table (3,200-pound load)
$199.00 — Master Massage Berkeley Ergonomic Split Seat Style Saddle
Donated — Custom spanking bench fabricated and donated by Creepy Chip and Creepy Skinny PG
$16.99 — Furniture Sliders
$11.94 — Scotch 8-Pack 1-1/8 In White Plastic Chair Leg Glides
Studio/Dungeon Medical and Fire Suppression — $714.94
Reify Joie has first responder training, and takes safety quite seriously. Between candles for lighting and wax play, and larger open flames for fire play and photography, commercial fire suppression solutions were chosen. Surgical-grade cleaners and antiseptic hand sanitizers were also chosen.
$200.00 — Buckeye Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher — 5 lb, 5B:C UL Rating
$24.89 — JJ CARE 40"x40" Fire Blankets
$143.02 — Cavicide1 Surface Disinfectant Cleaner
$143.76 — Caviwipes1 Surface Disinfectant Wipes
Donated — Miscellaneous baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, paper towels, and cleaning supplies.
Donated — Numerous EMT trauma shears donated by Autumn and Salem.
Studio/Dungeon Walls, Trim, and Insulation — $2,938.54
April Wilkerson has a phenomenal YouTube channel documenting her workshop and DIY homesteading projects. Cues were taken from April to create a natural, wooden space using stained, sanded-plywood wall panels with upcycled pallet slats for trim.
Wood was chosen to finish all visible walls, while less-expensive MDF was chosen to finish the wall hidden by shelving and photographic backgrounds.
$157.43 — Barnwood Barn Brown Pine Wall Panels
$820.92 — Maple Sanded Plywood
$19.52 — Gatehouse Oil Rubbed Bronze Zinc Line Bracket Handrail Brackets
$41.38 — Unfinished Pine Wall Railing
$34.86 — Hillman #8 x 1-1/2-in Bronze Round Washer Interior Wood Screws
$21.94 — Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based True Black Semi-Transparent Interior Stain
$79.96 — Thompson's WaterSeal Pre-tinted Walnut Transparent Exterior Wood and Sealer
$469.60 — Owens Corning R-13 Single Faced Fiberglass Roll Insulation
$150.00 — Reflectix R-21 Attic Wall Unfaced Reflective Roll Insulation
$126.71— GE GE012A Silicone 1 All Purpose Sealant Caulk, Clear
$161.76 — Air Vent 3.5-in x 3.5-in Mill Aluminum Soffit Vent
Studio/Dungeon HVAC — $1,616.70
Humans are disgusting. Gloriously, lustfully, sensually, amazingly disgusting. The Construct was built with airflow, air filtering, and heating and cooling in mind. Clean air is healthy air! Additional HEPA and MERV 17+ filtering solutions are currently being researched.
$393.01 — Dyson Pure Cool TP01
$550.00 — LG Electronics 800-sq Window Air Conditioner (115-Volt; 14000-BTU) ENERGY STAR
$205.98 — Dr. Heater DR218-1500W Greenhouse Garage Workshop Infrared Heaters
$119.98 — SUNCOURT Flush Fit 13.75-in x 7.75-in White ABS Resin Louvered Register Boosters
$92.23 — Lhari True HEPA Replacement Filters
$29.52 — WEB Eco Filter Replacement Pads
$218.00 — Miscellaneous HVAC hardware
Studio/Dungeon Storage, Tools, Hardware, and Preparation — $753.76
Some of the miscellaneous bits and pieces that weren’t already in Reify Joie’s toolboxes.
$599.88 — Project Source 5-Tier Heavy Duty Steel Utility Shelves
$19.98 — LENOX 3-in Bi-Metal Arbored Hole Saw
$7.98 — CRAFTSMAN 3 In x 18 In Z/O Belt 120 Grt 2pk 2-Piece Zirconia Alumina 120-Grit Belt Sandpaper
$7.98 — CRAFTSMAN 3 In x 18 In Z/O Belt 60 Grit 2pk 2-Piece Zirconia Alumina 60-Grit Belt Sandpaper
$7.98 — CRAFTSMAN 3 In x 18 In Z/O Belt 80 Grit 2pk 2-Piece Zirconia Alumina 80-Grit Belt Sandpaper
$5.04 — Disposable Paint Trays
$3.54 — Foam Paint Brushes
$16.96 — Paint rollers
$6.48 — Gorilla Super Glue Gel
The Aftercare Lounge
Reify Joie’s home office above the studio/dungeon doubles as The Construct’s Aftercare Lounge, and was renovated in 2007. Previous renovation costs aren’t included, but ongoing kink-specific, entertainment, and support costs will be added to this page.
Aftercare Lounge Estimated Cost: $3,086.00
Aftercare Lounge Security and Network — $2,536.00
The most overt security measure implemented by The Construct, compared to other dungeons, is the addition of enterprise security cameras that monitor the property, living spaces, the Deck, Aftercare Lounge, and Studio/Dungeon itself. The Construct is transparent and up front about this fact, and The Construct’s Security, Safety, and Screening statement is attached to all event invites.
$70.00/month — 1 Gbps Fiber Internet
$379.00 — UniFi Dream Machine Pro
$798.00 — SUniFi Switch 24 PoE (250W) switches
$99.00 — UniFi Wi-Fi 6 Lite Access Point
$199.00 — UniFi Protect G4 Doorbell Camera
$29.00 — GUniFi G4 Doorbell Power Supply
$199.00 — UniFi G4 Bullet Camera
$79.00 — UniFi G4 Bullet IR Range Extender
$358.00 — UniFi G4 Dome Cameras
$396.00 — UniFi Smart Flood Lights
Aftercare Lounge HVAC — $550.00
The Aftercare Lounge is uniquely heated by cryptocurrency mining. Whenever Reify Joie’s rack of servers is not in use for vanilla gigs, they’re cranking out heat by mining Monero. Air filtration is achieved by retrofitting filters in the air conditioner, as well as filtered register boosters in the Studio/Dungeon ceiling. Additional HEPA and MERV 17+ filtering solutions that are capable of filtering Flu and COVID-19 viral loads are currently being researched, but are costly.
$550.00 — LG Electronics 800-sq Window Air Conditioner (115-Volt; 14000-BTU) ENERGY STAR
Cost Shown Above — WEB Eco Filter Replacement Pads
The Deck and Rocktagon
The Deck is where most folks congregate between scenes, as it’s attached to the kitchen, and was initially a three-season porch that was added to the house shortly after moving in. To make The Deck usable year round, crawlspace insulation was added as part of construction of The Construct. The centerpiece of the backyard is The Rocktagon, a nine-foot rock fire pit with a 21-foot octagon-shaped stone apron.