How to Add a Bar to your Outdoor Area
When you love to entertain outdoors in the garden, adding a bar is one way to liven up the atmosphere.
17/10/2020
Summer is here and the weather is heating up. Here's a way to finish off any outdoor entertainment area and keep you and your guests refreshed with ice-cold drinks. An outdoor bar is a practical project if you love spending time outdoors in the garden and you can design the size of the bar to fit into any space.
The materials you use to assemble an outdoor bar can be anything from reclaimed wood pallets to high-end stone, it all depends on how much you have to spend on the project. When it comes to reclaimed wood pallets or PAR and laminated pine, there are plenty of ideas out there that you can use for inspiration and then it's just a matter of inviting a few friends around to help you do the project quicker. After all, once the outdoor bar is finished, you can all sit around and enjoy a cool beer or two or a glass of wine - whatever your particular drink of choice. So let's put some ideas on paper for you to look at and see what works best for you.
A BAR FOR EVERY OCCASION
Okay, so this one isn't a full-on bar, but it could be. Before we get stuck into a macho outdoor bar for the boys, let's spend a little time on an outdoor bar that could be more than that. What is the Mrs. wants to invite some of her friends around for cocktails? Or perhaps the kids want to throw a pool party? While it might not be a 'proper' bar, this simple concrete block arrangement with concrete top could serve a variety of functions - for everyone!
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Make It
Use concrete blocks to make up the bar and join these together with construction adhesive - tough adhesive suitable for exterior use. Top it all off with a concrete slab or a quartz or hardwood top to make a multi-functional. With some clever planning, you can arrange some of the blocks to use as storage space or to plant colourful flowers.
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How you finish off your bar is entirely up to you. I do like the idea of painting the concrete blocks to add some colour to a courtyard or concrete-slab patio.
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If you are interested in building your outdoor bar using concrete blocks, you can buy these at Builders at R9.50 each. When you consider you only need a few blocks to build your bar, it works out to be an affordable option indeed. You may have seen the below image before on Home-Dzine, but that's only because I think it shows how you can build an inexpensive bar for your outdoor entertainment area, one that looks great. without spending a fortune.
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IT'S P.A.R.T.Y TIME!
If you are planning a party or special occasion in the garden, you are going to need a bar and PDQ! What cheaper way to build an outdoor bar than using reclaimed wood pallets? You can pick these up cheap if you are prepared to hang around at the back of your favourite furniture store, or you could just check online to see who has some to sell for a reasonable price.
Using pallet wood for an outdoor bar doesn't mean it has to look rustic or shabby. Draw up a plan of the best way to use what materials you have and then spend time finishing off the bar. If you take the time to sand down properly and then carefully apply the paint finish, it can even look as good as this outdoor bar by Torie Jayne.
There are thousands of ideas for making a bar with reclaimed wood pallets and all you have to do is pop onto your favourite inspiration site and save images for the bar designs you like the best.
What's nice about using pallets is that most of the assembly work is already done - you just need to arrange them how you want them, add a few other pieces of PAR pine and join the lot together.
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If you want the outdoor bar to stick around for some time, make sure to put it together for a sturdy construction - using waterproof wood glue and screws. Additionally, when you finish it use only an exterior sealer or paint suitable for outdoors. That way you can have a cheap bar that looks great and will last a while.
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IS IT A SHED? NO, IT'S A BAR!
Although this option might be a bit pricey if you don't already have a garden shed you can use, there's always the option to make a shed that is easily modified into an outdoor bar. After all, it's just a structure with 3 sides and a top and from that, you can add your own features.
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If you don't want to fork out for the price of a new shed, there's always the alternative of going online to search websites like Gumtree, olx and bid or buy to see if you can pick up a secondhand shed at a good price. Then all that needs to be done is to make a few modifications to cut out sections, reinforce, and you have an outdoor bar.
Whatever the level of your DIY skills, there are so many options for making an outdoor bar that you are sure to find a design that is simple enough to make with the tools that you already own.
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