How to Make a Bartop

Wood molding provides a finished edge for a bartop.

While it’s possible to use any type of pre-made countertop for a bartop, if you’re creative, you may want to build a bartop that reflects the decor of the room. A wooden bartop is a good example of a simple-to-make project that allows you to use whatever color and trim you like to make it a one-of-a-kind conversation piece. Set the cabinetry you are using for your bar in place and level it before you begin this project.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• 3/4-inch plywood
• Circular saw
• Carpentry glue
• Screws
• Screwdriver
• Tongue-and-groove lumber
• Drill and drill bits
• Wood trim
• Miter saw
• Construction adhesive
• Wood putty
• Fine-grit sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Polyurethane or protective sealer
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Measure the length and width of the bartop you plan to build. Allow extra length if you would like to have an overhang on both ends. Make the bartop wider if you want to be able to tuck barstools under the bartop.

2. Cut 3/4-inch plywood to the dimensions you determined in Step 1 by using a circular saw. Run a bead of carpentry glue along the top edge of the cabinet. Set the plywood into the glue. Attach the plywood layer to the cabinetry by running screws up through the corner pieces on the cabinet and into the plywood. Use screws that are long enough to penetrate the plywood but do not go all the way through it.

3. Measure and cut tongue-and-groove lumber, such as oak, for the bartop. Either plan the bartop so the wood planks run across the length or width of the bar. Cut the tongue-and-groove lumber off the outside pieces.

4. Place a bead of construction adhesive on the plywood. Set the tongue-and-groove lumber in place on the glue, making the connections snug. When you finish this step, the edges of the tongue-and-groove lumber should be even with the plywood layer.

5. Drill pilot holes from the underside of the plywood up into the tongue-and-groove lumber. Do not drill the holes all the way through the top layer of wood. Each piece of lumber needs at least three screws. Secure the lumber with screws.

6. Measure and cut wood molding for trim around the edges of the bartop. Cut two long pieces for the length and two shorter pieces for the width. Cut the corners at 45-degree angles using a miter saw.

7. Glue the wood molding to the bartop with construction adhesive. Fasten it with screws in the plywood as well. Countersink the screws slightly below the surface of the molding. Fill the holes with wood putty.

8. Sand the surface and edges until they are smoot by using fine-grit sandpaper. Remove all traces of the sawdust with a tack cloth.

9. Apply a coat of polyurethane or the protective sealer of your choice. Allow the first coat to dry completely. This may take several hours or several days, depending on room temperature and humidity. Apply additional coats until the bartop surface is the way you want it. Allow each coat time to dry completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Special bar rail molding is available. To install it, the plywood layer needs to be wider than the top layer of wood. Follow the manufacturer’s installation directions for exact dimensions.

• Apply polyurethane and other sealants in a well ventilated room.