How to Build the Top of a Home Bar

The right home bar can become a focal point for parties and social gatherings in your house. The top of that bar can make all the difference, so chose a top that will accentuate your current decor and capture the essence of the environment you are trying to create. Stainless steel, tile, and good old-fashioned wood bar tops are all fairly easy to build and functional.

Things You'll Need

• 2 1-1/2 inch sheets of 4-by-8 plywood (for a bar top 8 feet or less)
• 1 box of 2-inch wood screws
• 1 box of 4-inch bathroom wall tile (or whatever type, color and size of tile you'd like)
• 1 box of 3-1/2-inch wood screws
• Liquid Nails
• Mastic
• Grout
• Circular saw
• Chalk line
• Pencil
• Vices

Instructions

1. Cut your bar top. Figure out the size and shape of your top. The materials noted above are for a bar top 4-by-8 or smaller. If you want a larger top, modify these instructions to fit the size top you'd like. First, affix your two sheets of plywood together and glue them with Liquid Nails. Allow them to set for 24 hours using vice clamps and wood screws to hold them together. Mark your plywood with the pencil. Make a chalk line on the plywood where you're going to make your cuts. If your cuts are straight angles, you can easily make those cuts with a circular saw. If you want more round features, use a jigsaw.

2. Place your bar top on top of the bar and screw it down. When you're done, the bar top should be firmly fixed to the lower bar frame. Trim the bar top edge so that the edge is sharp all the way around.

3. Place your tiles so that you can get an idea of which ones you can affix without cuts. Unless you are laying out a perfect rectangle the shape of your bar top, you can assume there will need to be some tiles cut. Place them on how they will look and denote the tiles that need to be cut by putting a mark through them where the tile goes off the bar top. Once you've got all your tiles in position and know which ones need to be cut, you can cut them with a tile cutter. If you don't have a tile cutter, have the tile cut for you by a professional.

4. Apply a thin layer of mastic to the bar top. Set the tile in 2-by-2 sections before the mastic dries out. Eye up the tile, if you are skilled, when you set it. If you are a novice, use tile spacers, which can be purchased at a hardware store and will allow you to evenly space the tile with ease. Let the mastic set for the recommended time.

5. Grout your tile. Mix the grout into the cracks between the tile, allow it to dry and wipe the tile clean. Water-proof the grout since the bar top will see a lot of moisture and could wash out. Mix the grout properly or it will flake out, and you'll have to start over.

6. Trim the edge of the bar. Use a material that fits the width of your bar (somewhere around 3 inches). You can find quality trim boards at the local hardware store. Corrugated metal may also make for a nice accent to the tile top. Tile will also work well as a border.