# 2011



## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

hey guys, whats up. so i do a home haunt at my house every year but sadly this year i had to take a year off. but i am going to use all the extra time to plan out next years. I ALL READY HAVE 10 DIFFERENT LAYOUT PLAN OUT!!! also i wrote and sent out sponsorship letter already. HAOPEFULLY I GET SOME BACK WITH GOOD NEWS? 

the themes i am thinking about doing are a industrial haunt. one room i want to build for that is a gas chamber will fog that looks like gas coming down but i dont know how to make the fog come down. anouther haunt that im thinking about doing is a swamp maze with green lights tons of fog dead trees so on. the last haunt i am thinking about doing is a intense clown haunt. with a clown game room concession stand, closet room, posted note room(same thing like a dot room) disco room the clown haunt is planing is coming along nicely but i still need a few more room ideas and hallway ideas.
what i need help with is ideas all the haunts. room ideas, wall ideas, prop ideas so on.

question i have
do i need insurance or will my homeowners cover it because im at my home
what are good companies that give sponsorships
cheap way to build walls
do you need to fire coat them all
will i need to have the fire inspector look at it before i open
can you change and will it still be covered under your homeowners if you donate all the money


thanks a lot any help will be great


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

First off, you should probably check with the Wisconsin Commerce Department and your local fire department. They should be able to help you with the fire codes you will have to comply with. The commerce department can advise you on insurance needs as well.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

Thanks a lot for the help. I will check with them? And do u have 2 have someone make blueprints of the haunted house or can you do it yourself?


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## TheBoogieMan (Jan 24, 2010)

For the insurance ... I would first talk with the company you are insured thru before getting the city/town involved . ( reason - if you come across that you think you might be doing a "haunt" ( display ) that requires "special" insurance , they are DEFINATELY gonna come knocking on your door and do an inspection . 
Inspection for :
1) building codes
2) fire codes
3) electrical codes
4) health codes for patrons ( fog you spoke of )


Next .. you talk about "cheap" ... get the city/town inspectors involved and that single five letter word gets to be thrown right out the window --- never to be seen again  .


About getting sponsored ...
For this feat , you will need 
1) a detailed discription and layout 
2) proof of insurance ( no major company , or just about any company , will not be willing to have their name associated with anything that is possibly gonna have negative feedback that could bring their name into the picture .
3) you would be better of going to your local small town store ( in your town , or one very close by ) and inquire there .... possibly a hardware store , lumber yard ... or something along those lines . 
4) getting sponsored for anything the first time ,is NOT an easy task . 
Put yourself in their position ... why would YOU sponsor yourself if you were them ? Whats gonna benefit them and how/why ? What kind of head count you anticipate ? Is it a "free" will donation for entrance , or a flat rate , or is it just totally free ? 


Now , just to let you in on a little advice .
If you get your city inspectors involved .... your haunt will NEVER make it off the ground ( why ? due to the monies you will need to meet codes )
Check with your insurance agent that you have the home owners insurance thru about coverage for your haunt FIRST . And then , inquire as to HOW MUCH additional ( if at all accepted by them ) to cover your "haunt" .

I also noticed your 16 .... is this idea of an inside haunt , acceptable with your mom/dad ? 
There is a thing that happened that might want to change your mind ....
About the mother who is suing , after taking her daughter to an inside haunt and supposedly , the fog has caused her serious breathing problems .....


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

wow thanks for the help. yeah i have asked my parents and they are behind me 100%. i will have to check with me insurance to see what my homeowners covers. 
is there any website out there that tells the codes you have to cover to do a haunt.


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## Ironside (Aug 1, 2008)

hoffie08 said:


> wow thanks for the help. yeah i have asked my parents and they are behind me 100%. i will have to check with me insurance to see what my homeowners covers.
> is there any website out there that tells the codes you have to cover to do a haunt.


You mean have your parents check _THEIR_ insurance right? :googly:

I doubt you'll get a sponsor who will cover 100% of the cost for you, so you're going to have to come up with some money of your own.

To make a GOOD haunt, we're talking into the $1000's. Do you have a job right now? Or some money saved up?

Just something to think about. :ninja:


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

To cover a few of your other questions:

*Walls:* cheap walls can be made using pallets as a baseboard, then cardboard as the upper panel, stapled to poles on the pallets. Also, a roll of 6 mil roofing plastic is enough to flank a 20'x20' room, but since it's plastic there is a fire danger - and not allowed if you get fire inspectors involved. You can also use scrim or garden fabric, found in the garden department at the hardware store.

Keep in mind that pallets have nails and splinters, while plastic and scrim are not very sturdy if a guest freaks out and runs through it.

Another way is to use 4'x8' plywood panels with 2"x3" framing. They are easy to move around, easy to bolt together, and very sturdy. However, you will need a place to store these massive things in the off season.

If you fire coat the walls, then you are no longer dealing with cheap walls.

*Ideas:* When planning an area, put a scare into it. Misdirection is a great way to get a good scare. i.e. have them look a a neat display while an actor comes in from the other side.

Also keep in mind that a constant barrage of scares will "harden" the guest as they will put up their defenses and be harder to scare. Put breaks in the path they will go. A slower suspenseful build to a horrific scare will be much sweeter. As they pass by the next display area with no scare, they will relax their defenses, only to be pounced upon at the next encounter area.

All your ideas are great tried and true themes for haunts, and they will all work. Sometimes it's beneficial to have a theme through the entire area, instead of a bunch of seemingly random rooms that are not related to each other. That keeps the guests engrossed in what's happening, and one area concept can build upon another.

*Fog:* to get fog to come down you need a Fog Chiller, which is basically you pipe your fog through an ice chest that cools it, which makes it sink instead of rise. Search this forum for many how-to's to make it.

Even if you reach a roadblock with permits and inspections, don't let that drag you down. Many people put on great yard haunts that don't require permits. And as always, post pictures of what you put together.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

Ironside said:


> You mean have your parents check _THEIR_ insurance right? :googly:
> 
> I doubt you'll get a sponsor who will cover 100% of the cost for you, so you're going to have to come up with some money of your own.
> 
> ...


yeah i get about 800 for xmas and 400 to 500 for my birthday i have a summer job that gets about 500 so i have some money but i am thinking about getting a winter job to. yeah i thought every $1 counts so even a little sponsor will help. i kinda knew it will be hard for a 100% sponsor just because it is a home haunt after all.
thanks for the help.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

Warrant2000 said:


> To cover a few of your other questions:
> 
> *Walls:* cheap walls can be made using pallets as a baseboard, then cardboard as the upper panel, stapled to poles on the pallets. Also, a roll of 6 mil roofing plastic is enough to flank a 20'x20' room, but since it's plastic there is a fire danger - and not allowed if you get fire inspectors involved. You can also use scrim or garden fabric, found in the garden department at the hardware store.
> 
> ...


thanks for the help. i will have to think about the scares more. because your right a lot of scares in a row is not that scary. 
and as always i will post pics
thanks again


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## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

About the only thing I can speak to on this that hasn't already been addressed is the sponsorship. I have found that small, home-owned, local business are more likely to donate than the big corporations. A big plus for any sponsor is if you are doing this as a non-profit and are giving any proceeds away (if you're charging an entry fee). Businesses like funeral homes are great and all, but don't limit yourself. I had a local orthodontist donate $500.

Potential sponsors will want/expect something in return. Three quick and easy suggestions: free tickets to the haunt, sponsorship tombstones, and a banner out front thanking and recognizing all of your sponsors by name. And if applicable, recognize them on your fliers, website, or any advertising you use.

Some sponsors will give you cash, some materials, and some can provide additional discounts on materials purchased.

Speaking of materials, start NOW collecting them. Freecycle.org, thrift stores, Goodwill, construction sites (with permission), and dumpster dive everywhere. Ever went dumpster diving at a cemetery? LOL, you'd be surprised what you'll find. Keep an eye out for anything thrown away (curbies). Personally, I love anything made of metal, especially if it's rusty.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

A big plus for any sponsor is if you are doing this as a non-profit and are giving any proceeds away (if you're charging an entry fee). 


i understood the rest of what you said but i kinda dont get what you mean by that. they will give more if you charge or if you dont charge thats what im not getting? 
thanks for the help in the post it was great info.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I believe what Tot was saying was that potential sponsors are more apt to donate when they know the proceeds from the haunt (entrance fees charged or at-the-gate free will donation requests) will be given to a charity.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

RoxyBlue said:


> I believe what Tot was saying was that potential sponsors are more apt to donate when they know the proceeds from the haunt (entrance fees charged or at-the-gate free will donation requests) will be given to a charity.


thats what i thought he ment but i just wanted to clear it up. thanks for the clearification.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

what would be a good price to charge like if i do the clown haunt like im thinking plus the maze and the industrial waste area what would be a good price. or should i sell 3 different tickets and do a combo ticket. 
like 2 for 1 and 5 for all type thing.


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

3 separate haunt areas with separate entrance/exit would require 3 of everything...security, management, que line, lighting, power, actors, etc. They would also need to be considerable size so paying customers are getting their money's worth. i.e. a Clown Haunt with 2-3 rooms and takes 2 minutes to walk through is not worth charging for.

But you can connect all 3 areas into 1 longer haunt making a nice 10+ minute walkthrough - for that you could charge a couple bucks. Personally, if I HAD to pay $5 to go through someone's home haunt, it better be worth it and off the hook. However, I'd be more apt to make a donation at the door, knowing it's just a home haunt, and not a professional Hollywood-budget production.

My backyard walkthrough is 4,200 sq ft and I don't charge anything.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

the clown haunt is planing to be 24 by 44 feet. maze 30 by 30 and industrial size of my 3 car garage.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

anouther question i have is should i do one nice size really detailed haunt like 28 by 44 feet. or do 3 smaller haunts. 
just something im thinking about
feedback will be great as always


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

i have been thinking the last couple of days about doing a free standing building outside with walls like fyf does and then have a kiddy haunt in my garage.
i just dont know what theme i should do. what do u guys think will be a good theme.
i kinda want to do a clown haunt but i just dont have a lot of clown stuff to do a haunt haunt.
any help will be great.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

dad contacted insurance company and the homeowners will cover it that is a big plus. 
also got a lot of different layouts to choose from. i just dont know if i should do 3 haunts it might be to much. i thinking about doing one haunt 24 by 48 feet but supper detailed and making people feel like it is a pro haunt. also the money is kinda a little problem and 3 haunts means 3 times the wood and wood is not cheap so the 1 nive size haunt i think will be great. now i just need a idea for the 7 rooms i have plus all the hallways.
any ideas??


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

got my plan finished and my parents gaive me the ok. 
it is 16 feet wide by 60 feet long.
has 4 rooms 2 dark mazes bloody hallway and a 16 feet by 16 feet pallet maze at the end. 
i cant wait till june when i will start building my first wall.

What is the quickest way to build a wall though. any one know?
thanks


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## Up_Up_And_Away (Jul 19, 2008)

Just on an aesthetic note, I like the sound of your swamp theme.


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## hoffie08 (Nov 18, 2008)

yeah im still thinking about doing that. but it is not on the top things to do list lol


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