Do It Yourself – Build a Bar
It’s not hard to make a bar. You will increase the potential for success by ensuring that you pay attention to the following tips and by being precise when carrying out your measurements. A bar can be a wonderful addition to any home especially if you like to entertain fairly regularly.
Required Tools
1)Tape measure
2)Drill
3)Skill saw
4)Pencil
5)Hammer
6)Paper
Required Materials
1)Drywall
2)2”x4” pine boards
3)Stain finish
4)Facing board
5)Counter top made from your choice of material
6)1.5” screws
7)Plumbing materials if accessories are intended
8)Wainscoting to taste
9)Nails – cut & finish
Instructions
1)You will first have to measure your bar area. When taking measurements you should make sure that there is enough space for someone to walk behind the bar with an extra few inches or feet to allow the user to manoeuvre in the bar area quite easily. You should ensure that the overall height of the bar does not extend beyond 45 inches. Also the total width at the base should be able to support your counter top. You will also need to make certain that there is overhang on either side to make room for both the bartender and your guests. A good rule of thumb is 11 inches at the bartender’s section and 1 foot for your guest’s area.
2)Now you will need to build the box to act as a support for the bar top and extra accessories that will be utilized in the bar. You should have already allowed 45 inches of height for the length of the bar. If your bar will have a sink or a cooler you should at this point demonstrate this in your floor plan. At each corner of the box you should install 45 degree triangular blocks using a drill. These pieces will as additional support for your box. For a bar that is much longer in length joists and studs should be put in place. Make sure that these are evenly spaced apart during the installation process.
3)You can now start to “dress the box” or in other words install all the additional features that will make it a bar. You should install the support fixtures that will be used to house the shelves, cooler and sink. You may use 2X4 stock or a thinner cheaper one can be substituted if you are trying to cut down on cost. Once you have completed this process you can start assesing the work done thus far to figure out where the holes will be drilled for the faucets, electrical cords and drain lines. You would probably have had general ideas of where these should be placed once you began creating the layout. Go ahead and drill the holes once you are okay with your final decision.
4)The final step will be done once you install your counter. If you are using wood then all you will need to do is cut it to fit and then stain it to a nice finish before installing it. If you will be using a pre-fabricated stone top then you should have it assessed professionally to ensure that the base will be able to handle the additional weight.
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