I really want to build a bar...
#11
...but holy mother of God, the prices on construction materials are insane. When does this end?

I'm planning on a 10'x6' area, probably 20" deep cabinets all the way around. Rather than buy cabinets (which are mostly junk) I was just going to build plywood boxes with hardwood face frames and doors. The bar itself was to be studded with construction studs. Hardwood top (I have available), probably stone paneling (faux) for the bar, which isn't inflated...some things are OK.

Studs are more than twice what they should cost. Plywood, while I don't remember exactly, is close to twice what it should cost. I mean I'll save money by building it, but this is absurd.
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#12
Mix drinks in kitchen, belly up to the coffee table.
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#13
Yeah 2x4s are $6 a piece and Zip sheathing was $36 a sheet last I checked. There is no shortage of material just a shortage of people that can afford it. There are piles of pallets in the parking lots. Most lumber has doubled in price or more. 2x6x8 are $10 a piece.

        I like steel studs for some projects like yours but... They are generally more expensive than lumber.


               As for the bar... I see houses especially up north that are built properly with basements with a bar and the first thing I think is that's going to be allot of work to rip out. I don't see the fascination for them. I don't have a desire to go to one and I really don't want one in my house...
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#14
Plywood prices at the local HD seem to be pretty much unchanged since last I bought (several months back), or at least not significantly.  I just check 2x4 prices again, and they want $5.98 for a precut stud, but a full 8' 2 x 4 (also 'premium') is $4.98.  I'd cut those  to save a buck each.
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#15
(09-29-2020, 04:02 AM)KC Wrote: Plywood prices at the local HD seem to be pretty much unchanged since last I bought (several months back), or at least not significantly.  I just check 2x4 prices again, and they want $5.98 for a precut stud, but a full 8' 2 x 4 (also 'premium') is $4.98.  I'd cut those  to save a buck each.

The last time I bought studs was before the pandemic, and I remember them being in the $2-$3 range. I don't know if they ever go on sale but I want to say it was around $2.50. Plywood, regular BC pine is $50 a sheet. Sande is $40, which is normal price. That's about double for pine, while "hardwood" plywoods seem to be more or less unchanged. Maple is $53 and oak is $55. I guess I could just buy sande plywood, but for structural use I would prefer to use cheap stuff. It's not that much more and I don't need that many studs. I don't think it's stopping people from undertaking remodeling jobs whether they do it themselves or contract the work, but there has to be a materials surcharge at this point.

Haven't even looked at T&G pine, since we were possibly thinking about doing that for the bar front. I assume disruptions in the supply chain would affect that as well, though maybe not as much on the demand side.

As for whether a home bar is worth it, prior to having children I used to go fairly often both with my wife and our friends. That decreased somewhat after children, but dropped to zero in the last six months for obvious reasons. The way state and local governments have handled this (aside from the fact that in the state of Virginia we are not even allowed to sit at a bar) means that my desire to go into a bar or restaurant is presently nonexistent for the foreseeable future. We entertain often and have a good circle of friends in our neighborhood, my wife's family is local, and some of my friends are local, and we've taken to doing family and friends dinners, wine nights, cigars and bourbon, inside and outside at least once a week. I feel like it would get good use. I wanted one when we had the house built but for reasons unknown the builder stopped offering a bar for a few months right when it impacted us. With winter coming up, we'll be inside more.

Also, I don't think we really need a reason to undertake a project...
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#16
This time last year, 2x4 studs were $2.05-$2.15 locally. I thought that was high. Interesting that 1/2" dry-wall is about the same as last year. Just under $12.00.
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#17
We've been planning on building a screened porch for couple of years. I built a couple spreadsheets last year for materials cost, but started buying materials in June. I've spent at least 60-70% more than I would have if I bought last year.
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#18
(09-29-2020, 08:28 AM)Snipe Hunter Wrote: This time last year, 2x4 studs were $2.05-$2.15 locally. I thought that was high. Interesting that 1/2" dry-wall is about the same as last year. Just under $12.00.

Good to hear as drywall is the next step in my basement project
Smile
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#19
(09-29-2020, 08:22 AM)FS7 Wrote: As for whether a home bar is worth it, prior to having children I used to go fairly often both with my wife and our friends. That decreased somewhat after children, but dropped to zero in the last six months for obvious reasons. The way state and local governments have handled this (aside from the fact that in the state of Virginia we are not even allowed to sit at a bar) means that my desire to go into a bar or restaurant is presently nonexistent for the foreseeable future. We entertain often and have a good circle of friends in our neighborhood, my wife's family is local, and some of my friends are local, and we've taken to doing family and friends dinners, wine nights, cigars and bourbon, inside and outside at least once a week. I feel like it would get good use. I wanted one when we had the house built but for reasons unknown the builder stopped offering a bar for a few months right when it impacted us. With winter coming up, we'll be inside more.

Also, I don't think we really need a reason to undertake a project...

Don't feel bad about wanting a bar, some people just don't get it and thats fine.

I love mine, most of my friends have one too. We do a lot of entertaining and so does our circle of friends/family.

If you can get plumbing in there I would absolutely add a dishwasher and ice maker to the build. Trust me on that.
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#20
(09-30-2020, 12:02 PM)Cub_Cadet_GT Wrote: Don't feel bad about wanting a bar, some people just don't get it and thats fine.

I love mine, most of my friends have one too. We do a lot of entertaining and so does our circle of friends/family.

If you can get plumbing in there I would absolutely add a dishwasher and ice maker to the build. Trust me on that.

Plumbing will be going in. The bar will be on the other side of an unfinished storage room, so though it is in a finished space I will be able to add plumbing. Right now I plan to run hot and cold (I have contiguous access to the nearest wall in unfinished space) as well as a graywater pump (not disturbing the slab). That same storage room houses a DWV stack, and my current plan is to a) add an AAV between the sink trap and the graywater pump, b) add a PVC snap tee to the existing DWV stack, c) angle it properly (this is the only part that might be tricky since I don't see angled snap tees or sweep snap tees), and d) plumb the graywater pump to the stack. It would theoretically be possible to plumb it into the cleanout, but I don't think that meets code as it's horizontal. It might, but it would also extend the tee out into the storage room more than I'd like.

I had not considered an icemaker, but now that you mention it that seems obvious. A dishwasher was on the list but this means I might have to adjust the design if the back wall is going to be 24" deep. I was going to about 20" all around, but I can certainly do 24" and 16". That should leave about 30" in between as "behind the bar" space.
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