Spartan94's new Bar & Theater Build Thread - Page 5

After doing a bunch more reading last night and a few more tests, I do suspect that my floor drains are tied to my sump. I can't imagine that both the floor drains and the sump would have a steady draft of air coming thru them if they weren't connected. Also, I discovered that my floor drains have what they call "Bell Traps" in them like so: I had no idea that there was even supposed to be water in those things!

Thank you for the soil stack idea -- I do have a cleanout on the stack, and also another one in my basement floor. Getting a hose down there will be tough though -- maybe I can get away with a number of 5 gallon buckets!

Here's a pic of the basement layout with drains and cleanouts identified.



While the wall in the sump pump room is not finished and I could run a drain pipe up thru there, to get it over to the soil stack would be a significant undertaking. It would have to cross finished ceiling and ductwork, and cross the entire basement. Ugh.

chpwaman -- Where are you located at? I'm in DeWitt.

Thanks -- it's good to be back!

As for the bar I built, there are a couple of things. In no particular order:

The surface: I used 12"x12" granite tiles and absolutely love how they turned out. However, the surface under the tiles was probably way overkill. If memory serves me right, I used 5/8" particle under hardibacker board screwed in every 4 (or 6?) inches. The problem with this is that the screws popped out the bottom of the particleboard and I had to go back and add pine 1/4"s underneath the bar so that people wouldn't get there legs stabbed by screws! Another nice thing about using the 12x12 granite tiles is that I didn't have to cut any of them. Big bonus there!

There is a natural "bend" in the bar right at the middle leg and for whatever reason, I can't keep the grout from cracking. It's barely noticable since the grout is dark and the line is thin, but I notice it. I worry that it will crack out someday. I've redone that seam by digging it out and redoing just that grout line, but based on how I built it, I don' think there is anything I can do prevent it from happening in the future.

Lets see, what else -- the height and length and depth (42" by 10'6" by 24" + 4 for the top) is perfect for 4 sitters and you can squeeze a couple of standers in on the ends. I am glad I put in the electrical outlets on the top of the bar, even though they are not hot yet. I still need to run new electric over for the bar and my a/v components. I will do that when I get going on the kitchenette.

And yes, we use it quite a bit. The latest thing we are doing is host "Man Movie Night" where all of the men that I work with come over and watch something that our wives would refuse to watch. Last week it was "Machete". (Awesome flick, btw). I was able to squeeze in 14 people comfortably down there. Otherwise, we will sometimes take our dinner down there and watch something -- which helps in that the kids don't have grubby hands and fingers and food on the fancy chairs.

I think that's about it. If you have any further or more detailed questions, drop me a line!

*bump* to keep this out of archive. I hope to build a kitchenette this winter, and want to write about it here!

For 95% of the floor I'd say it worked out very, very well - but there are 2 places that have a small "bounce" and a squeak when walked on. Someday, when I feel motivated, I want to redo all of the trimwork to match the bar & when I do I will put down 1/4 round on top of the laminate. I think that should be enough to hold it down and prevent the squeak. Fortunately, both squeaky places are right near the wall, and only one ever gets any sort of traffic on it.

All in all, I am very pleased with it.

*Another bump* to keep this out of archive. I hope to build a kitchenette this winter, and want to write about it here!

It's getting cold out and I'm starting to think about the basement again....

*bump* -- construction to begin soon!

At long last, phase 3 begins -- the wet bar! Here is the obligatory sketchup:



My wife and I are sick of putting snacks and crockpots and drinks on flimsy card tables (and carting everything upstairs afterwards) -- so there is the plan.

A pantry on the left will house the electronics (with additional side access via the furnace room), lots of cabinets and outlets, a recessed microwave, a small bar sink, and a beer tap. There will be a mini fridge under the end of the countertop on the right side to hold the keg.

We put paper drywall tape up on the walls to show where the cabinets will be going, and I've started to run the wiring for the sconces and the dimmer switches:



Here is a glimpse of what is going on behind the "portable" media cabinet, and where the permanent one will go:

All the wiring is done now -- just have to tie it into the breaker box.

Next up, plumbing! That will certainly be an adventure. I am thinking about Teeing off of the copper and running pex supply lines. It just seems easier that way. I figure I'll need about 25' of both red & blue plus various 90 degree turns & valves to make it there.

This weekend I have to take my son to a hockey tournament in Alpena, so there won't be any work done. I hope to get started quickly after we return...

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

My wife and I have decided to go with a dry bar instead of a wet bar. Just too many questions surrounding how to get water over to the sink area, and where to run the drain to. Even though it was just a bar sink, draining into the sump crock didn't feel right, and we had concerns about smell and overflow (especially when my kids would be down there unsupervised).

So, I've redone the plans, and will be purchasing the cabinets on Tuesday. Gonna see if I can get he basement in good enough shape for the Superbowl!!

Latest Sketchup



Going to go buy the cabinets tomorrow!