What is The Best Wood For a Bar Top?
Bar tops are good home décor that every home should adopt. Besides, bar tops are also installed in restaurants, bars, offices, etc. Many materials are used to make bar tops, but wood is the most preferred material. It’s crucial to choose the best wood to have an attractive and long-lasting bar top.
What is the best wood for a bar top?
Different countertop materials have different practical features and aesthetic preferences. You should consider how the bar top material will complement the rest of the decor in the room as well as how it will help your bar stand out from the crowd.
There are many options for wood bar tops that you can use for your home or your business premises. It’s important to know the best wood to use for bar tops to achieve your goals and have an elegant look for your home and business.
1. Walnut
Walnut is the best hardwood that is preferred by many for bar tops. It’s the most preferred bar top wood because it’s shock resistant and has many color options. It comes in golden, honey-colored, light, and dark brown colors with muted grain that offers a smooth surface that is perfect for any setting.
2. Bubinga
This hardwood has a showy grain with exotic flare, making your house look fantastic and unique. The hardwood is found in South America and Africa.
3. Chestnut
Chestnut is good for small top bars. You can use chestnut if you want to install a kitchen top bar since it doesn’t require a big space.
4. Cedar
It’s another wood used for bar tops for its durability, uniform texture, and ability to accept stains.
5. Redwood
Redwood has a straight grain and fine texture. Its fire resistance properties make it a good choice for kitchen bar tops.
6. Cypress
Cypress wood is known for its durability, water resistance, and decay-resistance qualities, making it a preferred wood for homeowners and business people.
7. Oak
They are readily available and are resistant to warping. So if you want plenty of wood for bar tops, this can be a good choice for its availability.
8. Pinewood
They are easy to find and are slightly durable with extremely difficult treatability.
How thick should a wood bar top be?
Between 16 and 20 inches. To some extent, though, the answer will vary depending on whom you ask. Others may advise a size outside of the standard 16-20 range, and this is quite OK.
For instance, custom wood bar top manufacturer Grouthouse states, “Home bar tops are typically between 12 and 16 inches broad.” The typical width of a commercial bar top is between 20 and 28 inches, with a drink rail (or trough) installed on the back wall facing the bartender.
Guests shouldn’t feel like they’re perched precariously on a ledge as they dine, so keep that in mind. You know better than anyone what your friends and patrons will be up to in your pub.
Think about how much room you’ll need if you plan on serving blue-ribbon ribs or buffalo hot wings (both fairly messy, yet excellent delicacies). No one should feel as though the tiniest shift in their position will send their food flying off the edge of the table.
Can you make a bar top out of plywood?
Yes, you can make a bar top with plywood, for this 3/4 thick plywood is a good option. As bar tops are always wet and damp, to protect the wood of the plywood, plywood laminate is used, besides being very aesthetic it can be quite durable.
The laminate can be applied on the top of the plywood top, and on the edges, you can apply a urethane varnish protector, this is quite effective against water, besides giving a beautiful finish to the work.
The appropriate wood for the bar top relies on the aesthetic of your house or place of business and how you prefer to entertain. It is best to choose a durable wood that can withstand impacts from heavy bar mugs and platters.
The proper countertop material, which complements the overall style of the room and fulfills your needs, is one of the most important factors in achieving an effective environment.
What wood is best for outdoor bar tops?
Outdoor bar tops will be exposed to harsh weather conditions like rain and sun. They are also prone to insects, rodents, and pests damage.
When choosing wood materials for outdoor bar tops, you have to keep this in mind so that you will choose wood materials that are water resistant, rot-resistant, straight-grained, resistant to tear and wear, and durable.
However, it is not easy to get the materials that will endure all the weather changes, for some will change their colors and stain. You should have some shades for the bar tops and apply outdoor-resistant wood stain.
Also, you should use hardwood for they have most of these properties and are durable. Some of the wood species for outdoor bar tops are;
- Acacia
- Black locust
- Cedar
- Cypress
- Douglas-Fir
- Ipe
- Redwood
- Teak
- Oak
It is difficult to warp oak because of its strength and rigidity. Those who frequent outside pubs will appreciate this option. Oak, which has been previously used, is readily available and therefore one of the greatest choices for large-scale projects such as bar tops.
Wooden bar tops can range in color from light honey to a traditional dark brown or a striking golden brown. All of these are great options: cedar, redwood, cypress, pine, and oak.
If you want your bar to last a long time without warping or cracking, you should choose pressure-treated wood. For this reason, an outdoor bar should be constructed from pressure-treated wood, which has been tried in harsh conditions.
Can you use MDF as a bar countertop?
MDF, or medium-density fiberboard, is a type of particleboard that is made of a wood composite. Waste wood fibers are bonded, heated, and pressed together with a resin to create this.
Because of its homogeneous texture and resistance to warping, MDF is a versatile material that can be used for everything from cabinets to molding to countertops. When compared to plywood, particleboard, or high-density fiberboard, MDF has many advantages.
Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is made of small wood fibers that contain no wood grain. They can be used for countertops for their smooth surface and consistency.
When making countertops using MDF, ensure all sides are properly sealed with primer, paint, or any other sealant to prevent them from soaking in water.
The fine, consistent wood fibers utilized in its construction give it a silky texture. This results in less “tear out,” or the smoothing of the cut when sawing rather than the more common ragged end result.
After being shaped, MDF panels have smooth profiles and machine well with carbide tools. Because of its low response to moisture, MDF is also a good choice for humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms, where it won’t expand or contract as much.
MDF is used in many different applications in construction and fabrication, including laminate countertops, furniture, shelves, laminate flooring, ornamental molding, and doors.
As a result of its superior soundproofing and thermal insulation properties, MDF is highly regarded. As an added bonus, it’s easy to work with and can be fastened in a variety of ways including nails, glue, screws, staples, and dowels.
Can you make a bar countertop out of pallets?
You can use pallets to construct a bar top. The Simple Pallet Bar is as straightforward as its name suggests, making little effort to conceal the fact that it is constructed from recycled wooden pallets.
Pallets are ideal materials to use for homemade bar countertops. You can find them with ease, and they cost little amount. Pallets require low maintenance, are easy to repair, can be recycled, and are strong and durable. Countertops made of pallets will therefore be cost-effective.
What are the Factors to Consider When Choosing Bar Top Wood Materials?
Consider the availability: The availability of wood materials for bar tops must be taken into account. Considering your project, it’s essential to look for materials that you will find easy to complete the project on time and within the budget.
Consider the durability: You don’t want to create bar tops that you will keep repairing and replacing now and then. For this reason, look for wood materials that will last a long time.
Are the wood materials able to endure weather changes?
If you are installing outdoor bar tops, you must look for the right materials that won’t be affected by rain or sun, causing them to rot or fade.
Budget.
Different wood materials cost different prices. Some wood materials are hard to get hence costly, while others are readily available hence are cheap. Therefore, you must stick to your budget when choosing wood materials for bar tops.
Softwood or hardwood. You can choose between softwood and hardwood. If you want outdoor bar tops, hardwood materials are the best, while for indoor bar tops, you can use softwood. Softwood is cheaper than hardwood but is not durable as hardwood.
Ease of working with. Lightweight wood materials are easy to work with, and you can make your bar tops alone without help. However, some materials are heavy, like DMF, which makes them hard to work with, and you will need some help to lift them.
Look at the finishing. Some wood has a smooth finish, providing a better countertop than rough ones. You need to consider this factor to create an admirable bar top that your clients or friends will love.
Having bar tops in your home or garden is good because it will make your life better and more enjoyable. Bar tops will also add value to your home, such that you will sell them at a higher price when selling them.
It’s good to make bar tops from the best wood materials to save money, time, and energy; hence you must choose the best wood materials.
Conclusion
You can make your bar tops into one-of-a-kind works of art with the variety of materials available for use as countertops. The countertops in a bar are the main point of the room, so it’s important to get them right.
To that end, keep in mind that there is no universally best material for a bar top’s countertops. What constitutes the best material is very subjective, based on the user’s desired outcome and aesthetic preferences.
Consider the material and the intended uses carefully before purchasing a bar countertop. While the beauty of a backlit onyx surface is undeniable, it wouldn’t hold up very well as a bartop. If you want something that will last, go with something like granite, quartzite, quartz, or hard limestone.
Sources
https://www.tablelegsonline.com/blog/9-wood-species-best-for-outdoor-projects/
https://www.annmariejohn.com/best-wood-types-for-home-bars
https://www.marylandwoodcountertops.com/faqs/best-wood-for-bar-tops/
https://www.addicted2decorating.com/mdf-vs-plywood-differences-pros-and-cons-and-when-to-use-what.html
