Choosing the Best Bar Top for Your Pub Shed: Wood, Zinc & Resin

The dream of owning a local often starts with a humble garden building, a bit of spare timber, and a vision of the perfect pint. But let’s be honest: while the walls and the roof make it a “pub shed,” it’s the actual bar that makes it a “pub.”

The bar is the altar of the garden room. It’s where stories are told, drinks are spilled, and the world is put to rights. However, building the “best” bar isn’t a one-size-fits-all job. Depending on whether you’re working with a 6×4 potting shed or a sprawling log cabin, your approach to space, skills, and budget will vary wildly.

Pulling from the thousands of incredible entries on readersheds.co.uk, here is the ultimate guide to building a bar that suits your shed, your hands, and your wallet—with a deep dive into the most important element of all: the bar top.

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1. The Space: Measuring for Your Local

Before you pick up a saw, you need to be realistic about your footprint. A bar that’s too big makes the shed feel like a corridor; a bar that’s too small looks like a lectern.

The Footprint

• The Corner Bar (Small Sheds): If you’re working with a standard 7×5 or 8×6 apex shed, the L-shaped corner bar is your best friend. It tucks away, leaving room for a couple of stools and a dartboard.
• The Straight Run (Medium Sheds): This mimics the classic public house feel. It usually sits across one of the shorter gable ends.
• The “Island” or Wrap-around (Large Sheds/Log Cabins): If you have the luxury of space, a wrap-around bar allows the “landlord” to be fully enclosed, creating a clear boundary between the service area and the “snug.”

The “Golden Ratios”

To ensure your bar feels “right,” stick to these standard dimensions:

• Height: 105cm to 110cm is the sweet spot for standing and using standard bar stools.
• Depth: 40cm to 60cm. Anything less and your pint glass feels precarious; anything more and you can’t reach the guest on the other side.
• Overhang: Ensure the bar top overhangs the base by at least 15cm–20cm so your knees have somewhere to go when you’re sat on a stool.

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2. The Anatomy of the Bar Top: Choosing Your Surface

The bar top is the most touched, most looked at, and most abused part of your build. It needs to be durable, easy to clean, and aesthetically pleasing. Based on the “Shed of the Year” legends, here are the top material contenders.

A. The Scaffolding Board (The Rustic Hero)

This is the most popular choice on readersheds.co.uk for a reason. It’s cheap, incredibly sturdy, and oozes character.

• The Build: You’ll typically need two or three boards side-by-side. Use “clamping” or pocket-hole screws on the underside to keep them tight together.
• The Detail: The trick is in the sanding. You want to remove the splinters and the grit but keep the “stamps” and the weathering.
• The Finish: A dark oak wax or a “burnt” finish (using a blowtorch) brings out the grain. Be warned: scaffold boards can warp if they aren’t properly seasoned, so try to buy “reclaimed” rather than brand new, “wet” boards.

B. The Live-Edge Slab (The Showstopper)

If you want a bar that looks like it belongs in a high-end ski lodge or a craft ale house, a live-edge slab (where the natural bark-edge of the tree is preserved) is the way to go.

• Materials: Oak, Walnut, and Cedar are favorites. They are expensive, but because you only need one piece for the top, it can be your “splurge” item.
• Maintenance: These tops move with the temperature. You’ll need to seal the underside just as well as the top to prevent “cupping.”

C. The Kitchen Worktop Upcycle (The Practical Choice)

Many Sheddies swear by Facebook Marketplace. A leftover length of laminate or solid wood kitchen worktop is often free or very cheap.

• Laminate: It’s waterproof and beer-proof instantly. The downside? It looks like a kitchen. You can “pub-ify” it by adding a heavy wooden trim (nosing) around the edge.
• Solid Wood (Iroko or Beech): These are fantastic but require regular oiling. Iroko is particularly good as it’s naturally oily and water-resistant—perfect for those inevitable spills.

D. The Copper or Zinc Wrap (The Industrial Chic)

For a truly unique look, some builders wrap a plywood base in thin sheets of copper or zinc.

• The Look: It starts shiny and develops a “patina” (a weathered look) over time as drinks spill and hands touch it.
• The Skill: You’ll need a contact adhesive and a steady hand to fold the edges over the plywood. It’s surprisingly tactile and stays cool to the touch.

E. The Plywood & Tile / Penny Top

If you have more patience than money, a “Penny Bar” (covering the top in 1p coins) or a tiled top is a great project.

• The Process: You glue the coins or tiles to a plywood base, then pour a clear “Deep Pour” epoxy resin over the top.
• The Result: A glass-smooth, indestructible finish that becomes a massive talking point. Just make sure your shed is perfectly level before you pour the resin, or you’ll end up with a bar that’s 2cm thick at one end and 5mm at the other!

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3. The “Nosing”: Making it Feel Like a Proper Bar

A flat piece of wood on a frame is a table. A bar has an edge.
In the trade, this is called the “Nosing” or the “Armrest.” It’s the raised or rounded edge that prevents glasses from sliding off and gives your elbows a comfortable place to rest.

• DIY Nosing: You can buy pre-milled “Bar Rail” moulding, but it’s pricey. A cheaper alternative is to use a 2-inch wide strip of decorative D-shape moulding glued and nailed to the edge of your bar top.
• The “Drip Groove”: If you’re a perfectionist, use a router to cut a small groove about 2cm in from the edge of the bar on the underside. This is a “drip edge”—if beer spills, it hits the groove and drops to the floor rather than running down the front of your nice bar cladding.

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4. Skills & Price: Choosing Your Build Path

Based on the diversity of builds seen in the ReaderSheds community, here are three levels of complexity to help you budget.

Level 1: The Upcycled Legend (Budget: £0 – £50)

Best for: Beginners and those who spent all their money on the beer fridge.

• The Build: The “Pallet Bar” is a rite of passage. Use two pallets for the front and one for the side to create an L-shape.
• The Look: Rustic and “shabby chic.” A dark oak stain can make cheap timber look like it’s been in a 19th-century tavern for decades.

Level 2: The Timber Frame Professional (Budget: £100 – £300)

Best for: Those handy with a drill and a spirit level who want a permanent feel.

• The Build: Create a “ladder” frame using 2×4 CLS timber. Bolt this to the floor and the wall.
• The Cladding: Cover the frame with shiplap or tongue-and-groove. For a “proper” pub feel, use MDF panelling with decorative moulding to create those classic Victorian-style sunken panels.

Level 3: The “Landlord’s Pride” (Budget: £500+)

Best for: The perfectionist with a decent toolkit and an eye for luxury.

• The Build: High-grade cabinetry. We’re talking integrated shelving, a built-in “kegerator,” and perhaps even a small sink.
• The Top: Solid hardwood—oak or mahogany—with a professional brass footrail. A footrail changes the ergonomics of sitting at a bar entirely; it’s the difference between “sitting in a shed” and “sitting at the local.”

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5. The Finish: Making it “Beer-Proof”

You’ve spent days building it; don’t ruin it with a finish that turns white the first time a cold pint sweats on it.

• Varnish (Polyurethane): The most durable. Go for “Yacht Varnish” if your shed isn’t perfectly insulated, as it handles moisture and temperature swings better. Three coats is the minimum.
• Osmo Polyx-Oil: A favorite among high-end woodworkers. It’s a wax/oil hybrid that’s food-safe and water-resistant but lets the wood feel like wood, rather than plastic.
• Epoxy Resin: The ultimate “pub” finish. It’s thick, glossy, and 100% waterproof. However, it can be “clinical” and shows every scratch if you aren’t careful.

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6. Behind the Bar: Functionality for the Landlord

The “Best Bar” isn’t just about the side the customer sees; it’s about the “Service Side.”

Storage & Power

Don’t forget that you’ll need power. At a minimum, you want two double sockets behind the bar for the fridge and the optics/LED lighting. On readersheds.co.uk, you’ll notice the best builds have a “back bar“—a shelving unit behind the landlord that mirrors the main bar. This is where you display your spirits and keep your “clean” glasses.

The Drip Zone

Every bar needs a “wet” area. Even if you don’t have running water, a recessed stainless steel drip tray is a game-changer. It catches the overflow from the pump or the fizz from a bottle, keeping your main bar top dry and sticky-free. You can buy these online for about £20, and they make the build look instantly professional.

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7. Inspiration from the Hall of Fame

Looking at the entries on readersheds.co.uk, three distinct styles of bar tops consistently win over the judges:

Style	Key Materials	Best Vibe
The Traditional Boozer	Dark oak, brass rails, carpeted armrests.	Cozy, winter nights, ale drinkers.
The Tiki Beach Hut	Bamboo cladding, light pine top, bright colors.	Summer parties, rum cocktails.
The Modern Speakeasy	Polished concrete or black resin, LED strips.	Gin palace, late-night music.

Pro Tip from the Sheddies: “Always build your bar slightly larger than you think you need. Once you add the optics, the coasters, the bar runners, and the snacks, that ‘spacious’ bar gets crowded very quickly!”

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Conclusion

The “best” bar is the one that gets used. Whether you build a masterpiece of oak joinery or a clever assembly of “found” pallets, the goal remains the same: a sturdy place to rest your elbows and a level surface for your drink.

When you’re browsing readersheds.co.uk for inspiration, look past the fancy signs and the neon lights. Look at the structure. See how they’ve tackled the corners, how they’ve finished the edges, and how they’ve managed to squeeze a fridge into a space the size of a cupboard.

Once your bar is built, there’s only one thing left to do: stock the fridge, invite the neighbors (or don’t, if you want a quiet one), and pour the first of many well-earned pints in your very own local.

Then enter it into Shed of the year

See you at the shed bar!

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