![]() Quikwall contains fiberglass-reinforced Portland cement, and a single coating provides a stunning stucco finish, so the block base will actually be stronger than being built using mortar. Photo: Applying a Stucco FinishĪfter building the base of your outdoor bar from blocks, it’s a snap to apply a durable coat with Quikrete’s Quikwall Surface Bonding Cement. And remember: The countertop will add another two inches to the bar’s total height. When designing, know that concrete blocks are typically eight or 16 inches long, and they come in four-inch, six-inch, and eight-inch heights. Build to your desired height. A standard bar height is 40 to 44 inches from the ground, but you might choose to make yours just 30 inches tall if you intend to use it as an eating surface surrounded by standard chairs.Tap blocks into place when necessary to make the sides of the walls even. Use a rubber mallet rather than a regular hammer, which can chip the blocks.Avoid placing blocks only along the exterior walls of the base and leaving the inside area empty. Since no mortar is used, the bar gets its structural stability from its solid block base. Instead, stagger the joints on each successive course of blocks in a running bond pattern. For strength, don’t place blocks directly over blocks, with the joints aligned. Start with a perfectly level surface. Uneven areas on an existing concrete slab can throw the entire bar out of kilter. Dips in the slab caused by surface flaking should be filled with a quality concrete filler, such as Quikrete’s Vinyl Concrete Patcher, before you start laying the blocks.If you don’t have a concrete slab, consider pouring one following the instructions in this slab-pouring video from Quikrete. Grass, sand, and gravel have a tendency to settle and shift over time, so they don’t provide an adequate base for this entertainment bar. Lay the blocks on a level concrete slab.For the best results, keep the following in mind when laying the concrete blocks: This construction opens up a range of possibilities-you can design your bar in a rectangle, an L-shape, a U-shape, or any shape that complements the layout of your entertaining area. (To see exactly how it’s done, check out Quikrete’s video tutorial.) Instead, regular concrete blocks (available at any home improvement store) are dry-stacked to form the body of the bar, then the structure is solidified with a stucco coating. ![]() ![]() Luckily, this particular outdoor bar doesn’t require any mortar. Mortaring bricks or blocks in place is labor-intensive, and most of the time it’s a job better left to the pros. ![]()
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