How to Build a Wet Bar

When entertaining friends and family, it is quite tedious to mix drinks in the kitchen and then bring it up to the entertainment area. Wouldn't it be great if you can have a bar at your home, where you can mix any kind of drink and guests can relax and enjoy their drink. A bar at your home will not only allow you to have a place to store liquor and make them, but it can also add a great ambiance to your home. Having a wet bar is even a better idea than a regular bar. A wet bar is basically a small bar that also includes a sink with running water. The addition of a sink with running water makes it easier to mix drinks and rinse and clean glasses. Wet bars are usually constructed out of wood or stainless steel. Designs of wet bars can be simple with just a bar counter with additional storage for alcohol and liqueur bottles, to more complex ones which are larger and can accommodate wine refrigerators and ice makers. Whatever the design of a wet bar, having a sink with running water available is one of the integral features of a wet bar.

How to Build a Wet Bar at Home

Building a wet bar yourself might seem like an intimidating and difficult project, but by purchasing pre made shelving and ready-made cabinets. This will save you a lot of hassle and you do not need to measure and cut wood. The first thing that you need to do is choose a perfect location for your wet bar. A nook or enclave in the living room, a basement or even a patio is a great place for having a wet bar. But you need to make sure that the area you choose is in the vicinity of a water line as you need to install a sink at the wet bar.

Things Required

• Shim stock
• Sink
• Faucet
• Counter material (granite)
• Ready-made shelves (wood)
• Ready-made kitchen cabinets
• Hand held drill
• Hammer

Procedure

You need to have a good wet bar design. A U-shaped wet bar or an L-shaped wet bar is the best, since it is aesthetically pleasing and also offers stability. While designing a wet bar, make sure that the lay out of the bar is such that you can move about mixing drinks without bumping into cabinets and shelves. An L-shaped bar works well because you can accommodate the sink on the shorter side of the bar.

The first step is to install the sink and faucet. To do this, you need to make the water connections from the closest water line. For this part of the project, it is best to call in a professional plumber who can install the water faucet if you don't want to get involved in a DIY project. Once the faucet has been installed, it is time to install the ready-made kitchen cabinets. Since the finished height of the bar should be around 42 inches, you might need to raise the height of the cabinets to this level. Place shim stocks under the cabinet to raise the cabinets to the required level. Once the cabinets are fitted to the required height or the one you have decided, the next step is to install the countertop. First measure the dimensions of the countertop and then mark the location on the countertop material for the sink. Install the granite countertop over the cabinets and then install the sink as per manufacturer's guide. Lastly, install the ready-made shelves on the wall behind the wet bar with the help of hand held drill, hammer and nails.

The basic installation of the wet bar is complete. You need to clean up the area and check that every component of the wet bar is fully functional and stable. Place your wine and liquor bottles inside the cabinet and display glasses in the shelves. You can also place a few bar stools behind the counter to complete the wet bar.