This DIY outdoor bar can be built in just a few hours and for less than $100. My friends at Quikrete have been telling me about surface bonding cement for a while, so I thought I would try a project with it. I dried stacked concrete blocks and coated them with this structural plaster and then made a top out of a 4x8 and a 4x10. This is such a fast and strong way of building with CMUs and the plaster can be dyed with a mix-in pigment. This technique can be used to make a very sturdy outdoor kitchen.

SUPPLIES:

4×8 + 4x10
Available at the Home Depot
I used a 4×8 and 4x10 to make the bar top.

16"x8"x8"
Available at the Home Depot
I used concrete blocks to make the sides of the bar.

Quikwall Surface Bonding Cement
Available at the Home Depot
I used one bag of surface bonding cement to coat the concrete blocks with a structural layer of plaster.

Quikrete Liquid Cement Color
Available at the Home Depot
I used Quikrete liquid cement color in charcoal to color the surface bonding cement a nice medium grey.

TOOLS:

RYOBI 18 Volt Cordless Drill
Available at Home Depot








RYOBI 18 Volt Circular Saw
Available at Home Depot








RYOBI Orbital Sander
Available at Home Depot

INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Cut the 4x8 + 4x10
I cut the 4x8 and 4x10 with a circular saw.



STEP 2: Layout the Bar
I placed the 4x8 and 4x10 on the concrete where I wanted to build the bar and then traced an outline with a piece of chalk.





STEP 3: Trace the Concrete Blocks
I moved the wood and placed the concrete blocks within the traced outline. Then I traced the outline of the blocks within the outline of the wood.





STEP 4: Mix the Cement
Mix the liquid cement color with some clean water before adding the water to the surface bonding cement. I mixed the cement with a hoe in a mixing tray.





STEP 5: Lay the Foundation
I placed a 1/2" layer of the cement on the concrete patio along the outlines of the blocks and then placed blocks on top of it. I pressed the blocks into it and used a level to make sure the blocks where level.







STEP 6: Dry Stack
Dry stack the blocks on top of these first foundation blocks. Drystacking is when you stack bricks or block without mortor in between. It's fast and easy.





STEP 7: Plaster
I wet the concrete blocks with a hose so that the plaster would stick better. Then I used a trowel to apply a layer of plaster that was between 1/8" and 1/4" thick. Keep the concrete moist by spraying it every couple of hours with a fine mist from the hose. Keeping the cement moist as it cures prevents cracking.







STEP 8: Cut Plugs + Mark the Holes
Place the 4x8 and 4x10 upside down and use some extra concrete blocks to draw outlines of the holes. Then cut some plugs out of scrap 2x10s to fit inside the holes in the concrete blocks. Screw these plugs inside the drawn outlines.











STEP 9: Sand + Finish the Wood Top
I sanded down the wood with my orbital sander and finished it with a couple coats of food-grade butcher block conditioner.







STEP 10: Place the Tops
Place the tops on the stacked blocks to finish off the bar.









Good luck making your own Quickwall bar and please email, tweet or hashtag photos to @benuyeda, ben@homemade-modern.com or #homemademodern. For more detailed instructions, dimensioned drawings and different variations of the project, check out our soon-to-be-released book.

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