I’M IN THE BEGINNING OF DESIGNING A BAR. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO MAKE THE TOP OUT OF ? I THOUGHT POSSIBLY CONCRETE OR SALVAGED LUMBER?
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Chief, bartops have a bunch of options. Where is it? your house? I have had a drink on a bar of copper, zinc, stainless, glass, plexiglass, walnut, cherry, maple butcherblock,oak, wood frame with all sorts of crappola covered in a clear epoxy, floor tile both ceramic and wood, barn planks, shuffleboard (table), slate, stone, never concrete (but hey, I haven't been everywhere) laminate, corian...............
I think the location and the decor would help you pick a medium. You should when you pick one, spend some design on the comfort level of what you have as an armrest, not much beats those old dished out bar rails. Hard to eat soup over but darn comforable.
Best of luck.
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Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
thanks for the reply. its a bar in chicago that two of my friends bought. it has a stage and a killer sound system for bands. the bar is 25 ft long ond i have always worried about the failure of any wooden productson a bar top. its funny that you said "never concrete", because thats exactly what i am thinking of doing. i have spent a little time in bars myself and i can't recall ever seeing a concrete top. i'll keep you posted on the progress.
yeah, do keep us informed and you might search here for concrete countertop, mongo evidently has a good primer on doing these tops from start to finish. He's good at running down the steps in an understandable way. Best of luck.__________________________________________
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Friend of mine recently built his (big) dream house out in the country. The bar (sep. room) has one bar fronting the den, with a slate tile top (my suggestion), and one fronting the covered patio, with a concrete top (his suggestion). Both are dynamite, but you shore cain't slide a drink or a beer very far down that slate tile! OTOH, if one fails to catch a quickly-slid drink on the concrete, outdoors, no harm done. The concrete is about 7 sack, very smooth, heavily sealed and coated, but not colored.
Mac
The first time someone puts down a drink with a little too much gusto, the concrete will be regretted. It is just too hard for that kind of action. Glasses will break.
Solid wood wins for a few reasons.
- It feels good for the patrons and is softer on the glassware.
- It can be refinished. This is part of the maintenance of every surface in a bar. Wear and tear is expected.
- If it is a traditional bar, wood will build character form use. If it is a high style bar, it will get refinished more often anyway.
- We like to think our favorite bar will be around forever, but the business reality is they don't last or get reworked long before a bar top gives out.
So, pick your favorite wood and get the best damn polyurethane finish you can find!
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