As nearly every basement floor, there's a slope towards the drain. I'm in the middle of framing a bar with construction lumber and was wonder what as proper:
The length of the bar is approx 8 feet. The difference in height between the two ends is about 3/4". So the question is, do you build the bar so it's level, or so that it's a consistent height from the floor?
Is 3/4" to little to worry about either way?
TIA!
Couple of shims and it is level. Best to do it right. At least your drinks won't spill when you set them down in a full glass.
Level. I haven't done this, though I might have to do so soon, but to do this, you put the baseboard of the bar horizontal. Then run something across the floor with a pencil attached while you have a pencil point that is 1inch high, at all times. It will draw a line on your baseboard that matches the curve of the floor. You can do this for the side that shows too. The rest of it doesn't have to form-fit the floor. You just want these baseboards to look nice.
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Level. 3/4 inch doesn't sound like much, but put anything round on something with that much slope and it's going to roll.
Depending on what your using for the sides of your bar and how the slope will look, decide whether the sides are cut square to the floor, or square to the underside of the bar top, which ever would look least conspicuous with the slope.
Just re-reading this thread brought something to mind. At least the OP noticed the slop and asked about it. I wonder how many people would have just started building and wondered why it was cockeyed when done.
Thanks Ed and all others. I was guessing it would be level since you shim cabinets to be level. I worked my ass off tonight and nearly got it done. I want to cover it with 1/4" ply to stiffen the carcass, although I'm probably way overbuilding this thing. Not a bad thing, except for the next guy that buys my house and decides he wants to tear it out!
My new laser level came in VERY handy for this project. It would have taken SO much longer to complete since I'm a one man shop.... get one end of the board even with the line, then shim up the far end, then cut to fit all the way down the line!
thanks for the suggestion. I haven't put a string across the span to see if the floor has any curve to it, or if it's a straight slope. I was thinking if I put baseboard down, then covered the bottom with a
1/2" round over, the 1/2" trim would bend to any slight curve in the floor. I also plan on tiling this area inside and around the bar, so if I put some cement board down, that would probably flatten things even more.
Good point. Bravo, OP.
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Wouldn't it be good to tile before you firmly affixt the bar in place? That way the bar can be moved or knocked down by accident and the floor will still look good?
Even if the bar is installed already, I'd consider picking it up just before the tile went down.
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in a DRY basement the thick carpet padding and shag carpeting will help mask the floor pitch after you level the bar. next take that christmas gift laser outside and fix the drain pitch properly when you rehang your dripping rain gutters.
Considering you may want to move it in the future, or you move to another house and take it along, I'd build it level. Then screw a shim on the bottom on the low end. 3/4" is easy, just a common furring strip. That way if you move it all you got to do is remove that strip If you dont want to see the gap under the front of it, screw on a small piece of trim along the bottom flush with the floor, and cut to the angle of the floor. That trim can also be removed if you move the bar.
PS. You better get building, you'll need that bar in about 30 hours,
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I completely agree. Tile it first, or just make the bar movable. I personally would prefer the movable. Makes it easier to clean things and move other furniture and such. They make some caster wheels that you put on the inside and they have a lever to lift the unit onto the wheels, or lower it so the frame is on the floor.
The bar is securely fixed to the floor.. It ain't goin' anywhere!
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