For wet-bar design, take cues from real thing

DEAR TIM: I’ve always wanted a wet bar. How do you deal with the plumbing issues if you want to put a wet bar where you currently don’t have access to a drain? Is it necessary for the countertop to be the same depth as a regular kitchen countertop? I’m worried about using granite for a top in case a guest chips it. – Leslie B., Hartford, Connecticut

DEAR LESLIE: I’ve built my share of wet bars over the years and know how handy they can be.

There are quite a few things to consider when planning one, such as who will be the bartender. If it’s you, my guess is you might want to face your guests as you prepare their drinks.

This means you may end up with a bar very similar to what you see in a public drinking establishment. There’s always a wall behind the bartender that has the spirits lined up for display and lower cabinets for supplies. The actual workspace is a free-standing bar that has a place for the customers/guests to sit or stand, a surface for the bartender to work, a sink and shallow cabinets.

Another option is to install a wet bar on a wall in the corner of a room. If you choose this option, traditional kitchen cabinets will work well, and you end up with generous counter space. The other benefit is that you can use standard-depth wall cabinets for storing glasses and other things you’ll need to prepare and serve drinks.

If you choose a design where you face and serve your guests, regular kitchen cabinets and counter depth will not work well. It’s all about how far you can comfortably reach. To get a good understanding of this, I urge you to go visit no fewer than three real bars.

Go at a slow time of day and take a tape measure, notepad, pencil and a great camera with you. Chat up the manager or bartender and tell them you’re there to try to take a few measurements for the cool wet bar you’re about to build. They’ll almost always be more than willing to allow you to take measurements. Ask to take photos at the same time so you don’t forget something you see that you like.

You’ll want to measure the distance from the floor to the height of the work counter the bartender uses. Measure how high the actual bar top surface is from the floor that the customers sit their drinks on. You’ll be stunned at the different measurements you walk away with. It’s vital you visit at least three bars and see which one is most comfortable for you.

Measure the distance from the edge of the bartender’s work surface counter to the back edge of the bar top where customers stand. You’ll see this is probably no more than 16 inches. This distance ensures the bartender doesn’t have to reach too far to place a glass on the bar top. Ask the bartenders what problems they have with their bars. You may discover they hate certain things. Ask them the top three things they’d never be without in a wet bar.

Let’s talk plumbing, since it’s a wet bar. A wet bar is one that has running water and a drain. Drain lines are usually the hardest thing to accommodate, but the good news is that you can install an above-floor system that will capture the waste water from your bar sink and pump it to a drain pipe at some other part of your home if it’s too hard to run a traditional drain line.

If the wet bar is going to be above an unfinished basement, you may be able to run a drain line with ease across the basement ceiling to an existing plumbing stack. Many local plumbing inspectors and codes approve mechanical air vents that can be put under the sink cabinet. This saves you from running a traditional vent pipe that exits the roof of your home.

I’d probably only run a cold water line to the wet bar and split it off under the sink cabinet. I’d install a tiny point-of-use water heater for the hot water you’ll need.

I’ve installed granite on a wide majority of my wet bar jobs. It’s such a magnificent material. It’s classy, and some of the colors and mineral crystals in the top make for great conversation.

Here’s the mistake many make when granite tops get chipped. They throw away the small pieces of granite. Don’t do that! Save them, and a great granite fabricator can use high-strength clear epoxy to put the chips back together. Gaps left by any missing tiny pieces can be filled in and colorized with a special epoxy.