Bar/Counter Height

[RobS]

Good morning all,

I'm working on phase II of my basement finishing project. I'm planning a bar/counter/workspace and have a question about the height. I will use normal base cabinets on the "working side" of the feature but want to step it up to a higher counter on the "customer" side. I'm going to frame a stub wall to set the cabinets against and to provide support for the counter as well as space for electrical runs.

Does anyone know if there is a standard height for such a countertop?

TIA [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Hank]

<font color="purple"> standard height for such a countertop </font color>

vanity-32"
kitchen-36"
bar-42"

"Standard" heights don't always suit.

[RobS]

Thanks Hank. I can make it any height I want as I'm not strictly tied into cabinet heights but I wanted a starting point anyway. Also good to know I can use eight foot 2Xs and get two studs out of each one for the stub wall [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Counters for our new house are 38 inches and islands are higher. Lower counters are a real pain in the back for me (6'2") The diswasher will be on a platform to raise it 8 inches. The last 8 inches you bend over to load/unload the diswasher are the hardest. The front loader washer and dryer are on a 20 inch platform which makes them just right for my wife and good enough for me. The builder tried to talk me into 12 inch washer/dryer platform when I designed my mom's house but I held out for 16 inches. Based on experience with mom's and having purchased nearly the identically same appliances, I went for 20 inches.

Be careful about adopting standards that may have originated in the post W II tract house building boom when, on average, people were shorter.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[egon]

Pat: some of us short people also like higher counter tops. Now to set up the counters with a rail to put one foot on to help releive back stress - just like the western movie bars.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[RobS]

We had our master bath cabinets set at kitchen counter height and it's been great. Best move we made in the house by far. I'm 6'1" but my wife is only5'4". She still likes the taller vanities [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

Same here. Our vanity in the master bath is about 6" higher than normal. Don't have to bend over as far to spit in the sink and not miss the bowl! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[fivestring]

Here's a link for future reference:

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/index.htm