A custom bar top is a gorgeous way to make your kitchen, dining room, or any other space stand out. Whether you’re replacing a worn-down, preexisting top or completely building your own furniture piece from scratch, one of the greatest—and simplest—ways to build a bar top is with engineered hardwood flooring. Wood flooring is relatively easy to install, especially when you don’t have to worry about preparing a subfloor or dealing with room dimensions. If you’re a DIY lover looking for your next phenomenal project, check out our guide on how to make a bar top out of hardwood flooring.
Prepare a Plywood Base
Since you’re not attaching your engineered wood flooring planks to a subfloor, you need a solid base to place them. Plywood is an affordable and effective option. Make your measurements and cut your plywood to fit. For larger projects, you might want to stack two layers of plywood for a sturdy base. Pay attention to details, like whether you need to leave a gap for cords or outlets or if you want a slight overhang for your bar top.
Install Your Favorite Wood Flooring
Once your plywood base is ready, you can install the engineered wood flooring planks. When deciding which type of flooring you want, think about character grades and the hardness of the species. If you’re creating your bar top purely as an entertainment piece, go with the style that you like best. However, if you plan on working a lot or storing heavy or hard objects on your bar top, you might want to lean toward a harder wood that will resist dents and scratches. All From the Forest floors have a WearMaxTM finish, meaning they’re designed to be water, dent, and wear resistant!
With the perfect flooring on hand, all you have to do is install your planks the same way you would on a floor. You can use glue or nails to secure your boards to the plywood base. Be sure to stagger your planks for better structural integrity and a more attractive surface. You’ll also have to cut some of the planks to size. Be sure to place floorboards around the edges of the base to cover the plywood.
Finish and Perfect Your Bar Top
With the boards in place, you can begin the final steps of how to make a bar top out of hardwood flooring. Alternatively, you can paint your floors with an oil or water-based enamel paint for a greater range of gorgeous, lasting colors. Seal your bar top for a clean, durable finish. A clear finish will help protect the bar from scratches and keep the surface looking beautiful for a long time.