My Basement Bar Build

[Hoppopotomus]

Post your pics!!!! I'm sure we would all love to see your progress.

Very nice job I hope my basement comes out half as nice as that. I say half because I'll only end up with 7 foot celings when I'm done. I should post up the pics.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

OK...Paint in the bar area is complete. I wish it was done in the rest of the basement. Attached are a couple of pictures of the bar area with paint, my cedar liquor shelf, a few of my log projects, and my homemade mantle.

 

[FoundersBrew]

This is one of the best builds I have seen on here; cant wait to see this one finished.:rockin:

 

[Delorean1981]

I found this years ago in college and got a few components towards the build. It was called a Bar Monkey but for the life of me, I can't find where the site went. Here's something similar if you wanted to automated your beer dispensing

http://www.matthewdavidwilliams.com/2008/10/17/introducing-barduino-the-ruby-powered-bar-monkey/

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks for the compliment. I just finished painting the bathroom as well. I'll post some pictures of the rest of the basement once complete. I think I'm painting the family room, bedroom, and exercise room over the weekend. Too much to do....too little time.

This is one of the best builds I have seen on here; cant wait to see this one finished.:rockin:

 

[SAS98M]

Yep, Nuttin better than wood...... Especially thick natural edged slab stuff,varnish that stuff it looks a mile thick..... Kudo's on the build ! I have a house built in 1925 with a handlaid stone foundation-fat freekin chance of doin somethin like that in my hs. Great job though !

 

[USMCYoder]

Definitely love it. Can't wait for the final product, hopefully w/ taps and some entertainment.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Very nice build! I have an entire basement just waiting to be finished, but not as large as yours. Mine is about 1200 square feet and was one of the main reasons we bought this home this past summer. This makes me want to get off my butt and get going on it.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks! I started this process before I started brewing, so I still have to work on a kegging/tap system. Most likely I'll constuct a keezer and come up with a way to box it in, dress it with logs, and put a redwood slab on top with tap handles. I'll put it where the fridge is now, slide the fridge over and Maybe order some more log/panel cabinetry uppers to dress it out. I'll figure something out! For entertainment, there will be a full size slot machine (so my buddies/neighbors can help pay for the build), a log pool table, a 50" LED in the adjacent room, and a 32" LED at the end of the bar. Still hammering out the details.

Definitely love it. Can't wait for the final product, hopefully w/ taps and some entertainment.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Get busy Big Red! My biggest piece of advice is do it yourself and take your time. There are plenty of great deals out there on CL for construction materials. There is way more satisfaction doing it yourself and making it unique and one of a kind. I have had a blast working on it so far, but now am approaching burn out and can't wait until the day I can belly up to the bar, have a beer, and relax without having a basement punch list a mile long. Get the project started and make a thread to show us your progress. Good luck!

Very nice build! I have an entire basement just waiting to be finished, but not as large as yours. Mine is about 1200 square feet and was one of the main reasons we bought this home this past summer. This makes me want to get off my butt and get going on it.

 

[Diver165]

Beautiful bar top. From the second picture I thought you had trimmed it and squared it up! That would have been a tragedy

I thought the exact same thing until I scrolled down and saw the 2 pieces side by side. I thought what a shame. BTW that bar top is beautiful!

This is an awesome project! But let's see the more on where the taps and beer is going to go!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I shall do my best. The recessed area, where the fridge is sitting will most likely be the spot where I will put a converted fridge with tap handles or a keezer. As I mentioned in prior posts, I started this project before I started brewing, so I have to tweak the design to accommodate tap handles. I am already sick of bottling. I noticed you are an RT, I'm a PT. Thanks for the compliment and I'll keep you guys updated on how I'm going to proceed. BTW: I have a cooled wine/beer storage room to store all of my bottled beer. :rockin:

I thought the exact same thing until I scrolled down and saw the 2 pieces side by side. I thought what a shame. BTW that bar top is beautiful!

This is an awesome project! But let's see the more on where the taps and beer is going to go!

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Get busy Big Red! My biggest piece of advice is do it yourself and take your time. There are plenty of great deals out there on CL for construction materials. There is way more satisfaction doing it yourself and making it unique and one of a kind. I have had a blast working on it so far, but now am approaching burn out and can't wait until the day I can belly up to the bar, have a beer, and relax without having a basement punch list a mile long. Get the project started and make a thread to show us your progress. Good luck!

I'm ready to start, don't know much about construction, but I can pretty much figure anything out if I have enough time to plan it out and look at things. My cousin owns a commercial construction business so I'm just waiting on him to come over to help with the measurements to go and get the lumber, next would be the electrical and plumbing, followed by the insulation and sheetrock. Then the finishing touches.................sounds easy enough right?! He can hook me up with some of his vendors for "cheaper" prices.........or so he says.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Good luck! I started this basement almost 2 1/2 years ago and did it all myself. Thankfully the drains were already in for the bar and bathroom, so running the copper was no big deal for me. My father in law is an electrician, so he looked over my shoulder during the electrical rough, again no big deal. The biggest bitch of the project was hanging drywall by myself. It took 95 sheets to do the entire basement (8's and 12's) and it got really old. The only thing that I hired out was mudding/taping the drywall. After that it was on to the stuff that I really enjoy...the finish! With all of the log work, knotty pine on the walls, custom mantle, etc. the finish has taken the longest! Now I'm at the part I hate....painting! I should be completed with the entire basement (drop ceiling and carpet) in another month or two and then I will start the brewing room, keezer build, and all grain brewing rig (all projects waiting to get going on). Make a thread of your process, I would love to track your progress with your basement.

I'm ready to start, don't know much about construction, but I can pretty much figure anything out if I have enough time to plan it out and look at things. My cousin owns a commercial construction business so I'm just waiting on him to come over to help with the measurements to go and get the lumber, next would be the electrical and plumbing, followed by the insulation and sheetrock. Then the finishing touches.................sounds easy enough right?! He can hook me up with some of his vendors for "cheaper" prices.........or so he says.

 

[BIGREDIOWAN]

Will do, just found out my neighbors basement is leaking and we both have brand new homes. I'm gonna wait a while to get going really hot and heavy and make sure the settling is pretty much done in my house. Not too worried since the drainage is very good around my house due to landscaping that was done around it and the way the land was shaped. I'll start with the framing and get that all done...........hopefully and then go from there and see how the settling is going.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Great idea! I am going to be starting a keezer build shortly that will match the bar top and base. I'm going to use red cedar slabs for the top as opposed to the redwood, because I already have it and don't want to pay freight to get another redwood slab from northern California. I'll use T&G knotty pine and milled cedar log trims for the cabinet around the freezer, just like the bar is designed and trimmed out. It will be a 4 tap system and deer antler tap handles is a kick a$$ idea! Thanks for the suggestion. :rockin:

make a tap handle.

 

[humann_brewing]

Great job so far, I wouldn't leave the house if that was mine.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks for the compliment. It has been a struggle to get it done, but it's coming together. I'm taking next Friday off of work, so my wife and I plan on having the rest of the basement painted next weekend. At that point it's just drop ceiling and carpet. I haven't taken a vacation day off of work since mid July, so it's long overdue and the progress in the basement has dropped off horribly because of it. At this point, I just want it done, so I can move onto my brewing projects (all grain rig, keezer, brewing room, etc.). Thanks again.

Great job so far, I wouldn't leave the house if that was mine.

 

[Wrenchman]

Nice job! I personally like the rustic look, but the swmbo didn't want it in the house. My basement is finished but has no bar. I'll be stealing ideas from you when the time comes.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

I know the feeling Wrenchman. My wife wasn't a big fan either, but I tried to soften the rustic look by adding brushed nickel fixtures, a vessel sink in the bathroom, nice stone tile, etc. She won't admit it, but I think she really is starting to dig it, especially as the finishing touches are coming together. Let me know if I can help you with ideas as the time comes. As I said in earlier posts, I did the majority of this build myself, but I did not build or mill the bar cabinets, the bar top, or the bathroom vanity. If you like those items, here's a list of places that I got them from:

Log and Panel Bar Cabinetry - The Woodworker's Shopp in Comin's, MI

www.woodworkersshoppe.com

Redwood Slab Bar Top/Countertop - Artisan Burlwood in Berkeley, CA

www.artianburlwood.com

Cedar Log Vanity - A&S Woodworks - Fairgrove, MI

[email protected] - Travis Aeder's email address.

All of the red cedar log trims, mantle, lamps, etc. came from my dad's property and I have a buddy with a Woodmeiser Portable Mill, so he cut and slabbed everything for me. All of the knotty pine came from Church's Lumber in Auburn Hills, MI. Hope this helps. Happy to help out another Michigander! Good luck!

Nice job! I personally like the rustic look, but the swmbo didn't want it in the house. My basement is finished but has no bar. I'll be stealing ideas from you when the time comes.

 

[Clubbinaz]

Ha, thats funny, nice job, huge basement, in AZ, we don't have those. I get the T & G now, looks amazing.

 

[Yukon_Skiers]

Hopp, great work. Looks awesome. It appears there are a few of us from around the Oakland County area in MI.

 

[Chaddyb]

Nice!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Yeah, there are a few of us hanging around. Thanks for the compliment. I am grouting the slate in the bar area tomorrow and then drop ceiling is the last thing to do. I hung all of my craft brewery tins yesterday and progressed with some of the other finishing touches. Now my next project is building a keezer to match the bar with cedar logs, knotty pine, etc. I'm thinking 3 beer taps and 1 rootbeer tap (for the kids) is plenty, so I have my eye on several different 7 to 8 cu. ft. freezers to convert. I am taking a trip down to my parents sometime in the next couple of weeks to get some more red cedar logs for the keezer build. Can't wait....I'm sick of bottling!

Hopp, great work. Looks awesome. It appears there are a few of us from around the Oakland County area in MI.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks Chaddyb! It's starting to take shape and keeps getting better and better as I add the finishing touches. I'll post an updated picture soon.

Nice!

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Hey Guys, Sorry, not updated pics. Our digital camera is a POS, so we are shopping for a new one. It constantly is saying the the batteries are dead, even with brand new batteries. When turned on, you only have enough time to take one picture before it dies. I haven't made a ton progress, just hung some beer tins (Oberon, Moose Drool, New Holland, Dogfish Head, Founders, etc.) and my Stone IPA back lit globe. We were supposed to grout last week, but kids activities and my hectic work schedule keep getting in the way. I did manage to paint the basement bedroom and prime the exercise room last week, but that's it. I took my first vacation day off since mid July yesterday and SWMBO wanted me to build the shelving in the walk in pantry adjacent to the bar, which in my opinion isn't nearly as important as getting the damn bar done! Oh well, I have to choose my battles. Getting ready to head down to the basement and finish painting the exercise room and family/rec. room today. If I can manage finishing the painting in these two rooms, then I'm home free with the painting. SWMBO is considering helping me tomorrow with the grouting of the slate on the floor of the bar, the fireplace hearth, and the walkout landing tomorrow, as well as the travertine bar backsplash. Wish me luck! I'll post updated pics when able. Cheers!

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Thank you for the pictures and sharing this odyssey with us, I for one really like the rustic style, it make it look like it has been there forever.
Best of luck, and may you enjoy it for many decades.

 

[KCBrewer]

Hey Guys, Sorry, not updated pics. Our digital camera is a POS, so we are shopping for a new one. It constantly is saying the the batteries are dead, even with brand new batteries. When turned on, you only have enough time to take one picture before it dies.

It may not be the camera. What kind of batteries are you using? I've got a camera that does the same thing if I try to use the cheap batteries (like the 24pks for $5 at CVS). If I use name brand batteries it works fine. Might save you from having to buy a new camera, and we can see some more pics!

You've done a beautiful build, I can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks for the insight. We used to use rechargeable batteries, but when it started doing this, we switched to high quality batteries. It doesn't matter what brand we use, it happens with all of them. Oh well. Thanks again, and thanks for the compliment on the build. I finished the painting in the entire basement this weekend and built the shelving in the pantry, so it shouldn't be long now. I'll update pics when able.

It may not be the camera. What kind of batteries are you using? I've got a camera that does the same thing if I try to use the cheap batteries (like the 24pks for $5 at CVS). If I use name brand batteries it works fine. Might save you from having to buy a new camera, and we can see some more pics!

You've done a beautiful build, I can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[Hoppopotomus]

Thanks Kauai Kahuna! I appreciate the compliment. I'll update some pics soon. Really wish I was in Hawaii right now, since there is 12 inches of snow expected in Michigan between tomorrow and Wednesday. Thanks again!

Thank you for the pictures and sharing this odyssey with us, I for one really like the rustic style, it make it look like it has been there forever.
Best of luck, and may you enjoy it for many decades.