Do It Yourself - Build A Bar

By Author: Madden
Total Articles: 32
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It's not hard to build a bar. You will increase the potential for success by ensuring that you pay attention to the following tips and by being meticulous when performing your measurements. A bar can be a great 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)2x4 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 need to measure your bar area. When taking measurements you should make certain that there is enough space for someone to walk behind the bar with an extra few inches or feet to enable the user to manoeuvre in the bar area readily. You should ensure that the overall height of the bar does not extend beyond 45 inches. Also the overall 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 accommodate both the bartender and your guests. A good rule of thumb is 11 inches at the bartender's area and 1 foot for your guest's side.
2)Now you will need to create the box to act as a support for the bar top and extra accessories that will be used 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 should act 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 equally spaced apart during the installation period.
3)You can now start to dress the box or in other words install all the extra 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 reduce cost. Once you have completed this process you can begin assesing the work done thus far to determine 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 put once you began doing the layout. Go ahead and drill the holes once you are satisfied 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 lovely 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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