Building a home bar. Advise please.

[funkenet]

So I just moved into a new place. My first house, albeit a rental, but no more apartment! Me and my room mate are turning the unfinished basement into a more habitable "man-cave" type place and this most definitely requires a bar.

So I built the frame yesterday and its friggen solid. So far its just a 2x4 skeleton. I want to construct one of those beer towers out of wood for 5 beer taps. The kegerator will be about 5 feet away from the bar, will this be a problem?

I am wondering if anyone has suggestions for the sides of the bar? I am thinking about using plywood then affixing some oak paneling to it.

Also I want to do a tile top but is that gonna be annoying as a bar top? All bars I've been to have a smooth surface to them. Suggestions?

Sorry for all the questions, I only have like $50 invested in it right now, so I figured it would be prudent to ask for some advise before I get too deep into the project. Any advise or "I wish I would have" type comments are greatly appreciated.

Pics soon to follow.

Funke

[Ozbrewer]

I saw a bar top made of of concrete, but it looked like marble, a lot of work but well worth it, the guy mixed glass and funky stones into the aggregate then polished the crap out of it, ive never seen anything so awesome.

I wouldn't worry to much about the distance from the taps, but it would pay to insulate the beer lines, maybe the first 1/2 a pint of the day will be a bit crap, but most pubs have a bit of distance between the cooler and the taps.

I did have a small cooler with some stainless tube running through it just under the taps on a bar I built for that reason, just fill it with ice before hand and it will work fine, I had to do this because i was living in the tropics and a few minutes at room temp was a bugger.

[CRBrewHound]

Ok a couple of things:

As said 5 feet is not a problem, I know people who run a lot longer, however, as said insulate the lines, you will lose at lot less beer do to pouring warm stuff down the drain (only applies with a hour or so between pours).

Also I have seen tile tops, they work, one thing I would say make sure your grout is on the high side so there is less of a crack between the tiles. This will reduce drunk a$$es, sliding their beers and knocking them over (ok, truth be told when I drink heavily, I'm that guy).

Next, and this applies to above point as well, you are renting, so unless you are willing to suck up the loss of the bar and leave it there when you move, make it mobile. So use lighter construction materials (AKA no tile), use supports and thiner wood for the decking. Might want to make so it can easily be taken apart as well say three or 4 peices, this will save your back when you move and have to try to drag the thing up a set of rickety basement stairs.

Good Luck!

[funkenet]

Thanks.

With some research I found out that I want an Irish Coffin on the bar top as well.

I can still do tile since I'm building it to be able to take down so, both bar tops will be removable as well as two main pieces of the frame.

I would like to have cabinets beneath the bar but its seems like it would be too hard to do. I know nothing about construction, or woodworking other than the motivation to try, fail and try again.

What appliances are a must have for the bar?

[funkenet]

Oh and since it has a base not legs, it should be easily converted into a rolling wet bar.

[funkenet]

I did some more work on the bar recently. I got both counter tops on and constructed the Irish coffin. I just have to grout the tiles and hook up the beer lines and put some siding on it.

Pics as promised:

[Bobby2BIG]

Good looking bar sir. I don't have too much new to add other than agreeing with keep it mobile or set it and leave it the in between option is best planned before you even start building. Do you have a theme for this man cave? A theme will help you know what your bar should look like. My man cave theme is a wood workers shop during prohibition so my bar is going to be a bar/wood workers bench. The tiles look bad ass so what ever you theme may be will help you choose the side panels.

Cheers!
bob

[GooberMcNutly]

I think it would look smashing if you used a thin (1/4") plywood sides, covered with tin ceiling tiles tacked on around it to give it a copper/tin look. They would really compliment the tile colors while keeping the overall weight down.

What are you doing for doors on the bartenders side?