Thoreau had Walden Pond. Elvis had Graceland. Superman, the Fortress of Solitude. Bottom line—men need their space.

"Our DNA is telling us to get on a Harley, pick up a hot 19-year-old hitchhiker and live like Lorenzo Lamas in [the '90s crime drama] Renegade," says Adam Carolla, comedian and host of the home improvement podcast Ace On the House. "But when you have a bunch of kids and a wife, you can't do that. So the man cave was born out of necessity."

Indeed, a more scientific—and less Lamas-focused—2010 study at the University of Southern California of couples in their 30s and 40s found that men's cortisol levels dropped significantly when they had more solo leisure time in their own homes. "It seems that, when it comes to stress recovery, guys benefit from withdrawing a bit more than women do," says USC's Dr. Darby Saxbe, who authored the study. "The man cave phenomenon definitely fits in with the results of our research." (So quote that the next time your significant other gives you a hard time about watching football all day in the den.)

Of course, not all man caves are created equal. You may have limited square footage to work with, for one thing. Or your budget may not allow for a full-blown entertainment center with surround sound and a 72-inch plasma. But that shouldn’t stop you from breaking ground. Here, Carolla and Jason Cameron, the co-host of the DIY Network show Man Caves, share their wisdom on constructing the perfect shrine to testosterone—no matter what kind of burrow you dig yourself into.

1. Draw detailed design specs.

Any major home-improvement project like this requires serious planning and a keen eye. Cameron suggests taking precise measurements of each wall of the room you want to transform, then sketching a rough layout on graph paper. That way, you can see your ideas come to life and erase mistakes, without putting in wasted physical effort.

"Guys with small spaces and apartments have to be more creative," he says. So be sure to take into account obstacles like that big pipe running from floor-to-ceiling or an unmovable furnace built into the wall. "You really have to spend some time to figure out how the layout can work to your advantage. Maybe there's an alcove that would be perfect for a bar, since you want to place those out of the way of foot traffic. Or maybe you can turn a closet into your own unique space."

That's really the key when it comes to conceptualizing your man cave—think about how to fit your particular passions within the area's limitations, then let the design flow from there. "If you're into Ben Roethlisberger, then you need a Fat Head of Big Ben up on the wall," says Carolla. "If you're like me, then you have a Fat Head of Savage Garden. Or whatever. You represent—that's the point."

2. Get the right tools.

Sure, every guy has the standard wrench, hammer, cordless drill and screwdriver. And those will work for most tasks. But if you need to cut drywall or sand down tile, you're going to need a little something extra in your arsenal. Cameron recommends getting an Oscillating Multi-Tool (which you can buy for around $80-100 at any hardware store or ). It's an extremely versatile piece of equipment that's easy to manage and allows you to access hard-to-reach places.

For more cutting action, consider a circular saw or—if you have some money to spend—a miter saw, which works well for crown molding or cabinet work. Table saws are great, too, for those that have the room. But Cameron says you can get by without one by simply using a circular saw with a straightedge.

Of course, since you're building a man cave, why not rock some real firepower in your tool belt? Cameron and his crew work with compressor nail guns on most of their projects—you can easily score a set of your own that has a 16-gauge, an 18-gauge and a stapler at Home Depot. Just make sure to point that thing in the right place.

3. Set up the TV.

For most guys, one of the key elements to any envy-inducing man cave is a kickass HD flat screen. Cameron often installs multiple ones in the rooms he renovates and insists "the bigger, the better." Hard to argue with that. But size doesn't necessarily matter, especially if you have limited wall space.

Really, you just need the right setup. That means deciding whether you want a flat-mount, swivel or articulating arm (where the TV extends out), and getting the correct brackets for whatever kind of set you have. Once all that's done, mark up where you want the TV to go on the wall. "One common mistake people make is mounting the set too high," says Cameron. "When you're standing, you should be looking at the screen dead center. That way, when you sit down, it's a more comfortable viewing angle." From there it's a matter of finding the studs in the wall and securing the lag screws.

Another option is to actually build the TV into the wall, like Carolla did in his man cave. "When taking into account the thickness of the drywall—about 5/8 of an inch—and the 2X4s that are likely inside, that's the approximate thickness of a flat screen," he says. "So you can actually set the TV into a bay, which I think is cool. I put a picture frame around it and then it's like art." (One tip if you're going to attempt this: Find an old register to place on top of the TVs vent so that the heat doesn't get trapped.)

No matter what setup you choose, though, Carolla has a potentially life-saving suggestion for your entertainment center: a separate TiVo or DVR from the rest of the household: "Now you'll have enough space so you can turn on your Ice Road Loggers or whatever you're watching, while she turns on her makeover show at the same time down the hall—and there will be no bickering."

4. Find a comfortable chair.

Wherever a man lays his backside down is his home—so that's why you'll need some solid furnishings to make any sanctuary complete. Cameron usually opts for leather chairs and sofas for the man caves he designs, which are easy to maintain and have a nice, upscale look. But Carolla notes that the material gets cold in the winter and sweaty in the summer. So he makes a case for cloth upholstery, which is resilient to everyday use and still provides plenty of cushioning (although if you're going to smoke a lot, watch for fabrics that smells cling to, such as wool).

Just don't go overboard with the feng shui. "You should be thinking Archie Bunker with this thing," says Carolla, whose own house includes a massive sectional sofa where he "parks his ever-expanding ass on a nightly basis." So look to refurbish that orphaned recliner that you saw at the flea market last weekend no matter how ugly the colors are, or find a use for the vintage wingback that's been sitting unloved in the garage for years. If you’re into chairs with massage functions and heating pads, go for it. The only important thing to consider is comfort, comfort, comfort.

But that's your chair. Your buddies are on their own. "What you don't want is the guys to go, 'Hey, man—I think I hit that kegerator too hard. Mind if I crash on your comfortable sofa?' " warns Carolla. "So make your chair super-comfortable, but don't do the same with the sofa because then you'll have guys staying there for nine hours or longer. And, next thing you know, they'll be having sex with your wife and you don't want that." Uh, moving on ...

5. Build a bar and stock it.

For the average guy on a budget, building your own bar—rather than buying one fully made—is the way to go. Cameron usually constructs bars for his show using 2X4s for the frame and standard plywood for the base, materials that are cheap and available at your local lumberyard, Lowe's or Home Depot. He then installs a smooth granite or marble countertop and dresses up the front of the bar with stone or tile, unless there's some specific customization (one time, he cut up small pieces of douglas fir 4X4s to create a rustic look).

If granite is too pricey for you, consider formica or high quality veneer plywood on the countertop that's beefed up so it doesn't sag. And Cameron says that you can use oak veneer ply or maple veneer ply for the base, which usually runs $60-70 per 4X8 sheet. "It gives you the look of the wood species without having to pay a lot of money for it," he says. "Once you stain it, it'll look amazing."

For authentic home pub accents, do your research online. Sites such as KegWorks and BarSupplies have a lot of hard-to-find equipment—such as brass foot rails and tap handles—at competitive prices. Did someone say vintage Guinness mirror and hat rack? Yeah, thought so.

But no bar is truly complete without loads and loads of booze. Check out this Men's Health video on how to hook up your own kegerator.

For the lazy amateur barkeep, Carolla has two words: party ball. "You might be able to find one on eBay—the mini metal drum that holds like two gallons of beer and comes with a plastic pump," he says. "It's like some kind of alcoholic starter kit. It's awesome."

6. Add those personal touches.

Once you've got the basic staples in place, it's time to tie everything together with your own unique vision. Cameron advises looking for stuff that can be repurposed, like the old speaker he turned into a dry bar for Ace of Cakes' rocker host Duff Goldman or the giant Shea Stadium-inspired apple that was made for a Mets-themed man cave. "It really depends on the individual," he says. "One of my favorite projects was building a table out of reclaimed lumber for a guy who loved beer gardens."

But you don't have to be a DIY expert to give the room that extra spark. Some of the coolest accents can be found in storage, someone else's garage sale or on vintage shopping sites like Tias.com or RetroPlanet. "I have a condom dispenser from the '70s in my man cave," boasts Carolla. "I think some of them are past their expiration date. But that's driving with the devil. And I like that."

As for what to avoid when decorating your man cave? "The top ones would be throw pillows, scented candles, doilies, fuscia colors of any kind and afghans," says Cameron. And if you're going to include photos, Carolla suggests making them as impersonal as possible. "Just try to keep all reminders of the outside world away," he says. "If you want to put up a picture of you holding up a bass, that's fine. But let's not cop out and toss in a picture of the kids. I want to walk into that man cave and have no idea if you're single or married or have kids or whatever."

7. Chill out.

OK, you got the flat screen going, the kegerator tapped and the plush recliner locked into the horizontal position. Once those wood shavings are all swept up, it's time to really bask in your accomplishment. This is now the center of your manly universe, a place where you can zone out free of disturbances, no matter if it's tucked below ground level or attached like a satellite to a bustling household.

"The deck is my hangout, my sanctuary," Cameron says. "It's the only space my wife will give me. But I made it my own—I built a weatherproof box, so I actually got a TV out there and some nice lounge furniture. It's a place where I can smoke my cigars."

Hey, you're allowed some indulgences like that in the man cave, where the whole point isn't to hunt, gather or really do anything at all. "It's a place where you can hibernate—you just go there and see if you can pack on 20-30 pound in the course of a football season," notes Carolla.

Just be careful not to get lost down there. Yeah, watching sports for nine hours straight or hosting a marathon XBox tournament on occasion is great for those cortisol levels. But a man cave is only special if it's an escape, not a destination. "I don't think anybody lays on their deathbed and says, 'If only I squeezed in a few more hours of Call of Duty and not wasted time with those pesky grandkids, that would've been awesome,'" says Carolla. "They probably think, 'I should've stretched more.' "

Adam Carolla's new eBook Rich Man, Poor Man ; you can check out Man Caves at 9pm EST Fridays on the DIY Network.

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