Back Counter Height?

[rwarner]

I posted this in General Questions, but got no hits. Maybe somebody in here can share some wisdom. I’m looking at the plans for the L-Shaped Kegger, and I have a question concerning the back counter height. The uprights that support the back counter measure 32″ high. If you then put a 3/4″ plywood countertop on it, that gives you a grand total of 32 3/4″ for your back counter height. Does that seem low? Most of the countertops I’m used to are 36″. Is that just a standard for back counters in the bar-tending industry? Is it more ergonomic for mixing drinks?

[lrzbasni]

i saw that post but had to run and couldn’t answer…besides, I’ve only built one bar in my life (last week) so I may be completely off.

The counter height on my bar is approx 36 inches high. I feel that is the right height and it’s the same height as on kitchen counters.

Read through the entire plans (assuming you haven’t yet) and see if there is anything else that may go on top…When I used the plans, I used them solely as a guideline, and didn’t follow them to the T.

It is amazingly simple what you can do with the foundation of the plans you bought on this site, a notebook, a pencil, and a couple of hours.

A friend of mine at work told me to sit in the area where your bar will go and have the space talk to you…it sounds stupid, but when you start putting pencil to paper and you start imagining what your final product will look like, chances are you will take some information from the actual plans, but will likely modify most of it as you go.

This is from the point of view of a guy that has limited carpentry skills and can do basic math…it’s really not too tough.

I ramble…all this to say, go for 36 inches…you may have to modify a few things, but you will be happier with the result.

[rwarner]

What you say rings very true! I had to stare at the space for quite a while before I finally put saw to wood. I’ve deviated from the plans in that it’s not entirely 2×4 construction. Some of it is more conventional cabinetry. But those dimensions were throwing me off. The 2×4 uprights (part #18) are 32″ long/high. Part #34, the main section countertop, sets directly on top of the uprights and the cross braces. This countertop is 3/4 inches thick. Best I can tell, that’s the last piece for that surface, so you only get 32 3/4″ height on the back counter, according to the plans.

How tall is your bar surface? If your back counter is a normal 36″, did you raise the bar surface at all? If I raised the back counter to 36″ and kept the bar at 42″, that doesn’t give a lot of room for storage or work area under the bar, and the plans make it look like there’s a lot of space in there. Does your bar overhang the back counter?

BTW, thanks for the reply and the advice!!!

[lrzbasni]

my bar top is about 44 inches high. I put casters on mine and deviated quite a bit from the original plans. I had a few people over for the superbowl and with the bar stools in place, it wasn’t noticeable at all. a couple of inches really doesn’t make a big difference.

My bar has an 8 inch overhang on the front and about 3 or 4 inches on the back side. I don’t have much storage space between the bartop and the countertop, but my countertop is almost two feet deep…so that makes up for it. I have plenty of room in the cabinet area for storage.

I was pressed for time when I did mine so I cut a few corners and left out a few details…I don’t regret it though. A shelf inside the cabinet and good organization is all you need. Besides, I don’t like clutter, so the less stuff on the counter, the better.

You can get a speed rail for the bar and that will add storage for bottles, you can hang a towel on the back of the bar, and get a caddy to hold straws, stirrers, napkins, etc…thats all you need.

Because I don’t have much of an overhang on the back of the bar top, and only about 5 inches of difference from counter to bar, I didn’t add a backsplash…that left me with a small gap which actually works out for me. If I want to have a blender, for instance, I put the blender on the counter and throw the cable through that gap and connect it inside the bar’s cabinet.

[rwarner]

Nice! Well, I guess I’ll go back upstairs and stare at it for a while. I’ll let you know how it works out!

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