Remove stupid bar type thing in my basement??

john2654

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Trying to figure out a layout for the games and there is this stupid attempt at a bar blocking a bit of space. Should I just remove it? I don't think it's attached to the floor. When I give it a shove, it moves a bit. I know it's attached to the wall so some drywalling will need to be done and the carpet was cut to fit around it.

Just thinking I could put my Rush pair in that corner.

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I see a couple outlets there so you obviously want to take care of cutting the power off and end that run to the bar.
Score it where it meets to minimize damage to the wall and take a sledge to the thing.
I can't believe someone wouldnt have anchored the bottom plates to the floor so it might take a little muscle to remove them. You'll know as soon as you start tearing down the sheeting of the bar.
 
Might as well add an outlet at the point the wiring comes out of the wall into that contraption. Turn the power off, dismantle it, twist wire nuts on the ends of the wire and tape it up, power back on. Drywall patching, figure out outlet placement, power back off, do a little wiring, power back on.
 
I have the same vote as everyone else. Get rid of the fail bar. My buddy has one in his basement but they actually did a halfway decent job with a countertop and the running of water out to a sink they never put in. We considered removing his but given the job they did it would've been alot of work + a waste.

Yours however... Shut off the power, score it, knock it down, place an outlet with existing wiring, and drywall up the hole. Also I wouldn't worry about the carpet.

No offense but barf colored carpet is sooo...ten minutes ago. ;)
 
Yeah, I'm going to knock it down. The carpet will get replaced after everything else is finished, like adding a drop ceiling...
It's a work in progress.

Also thinking about removing that chunk (to the right) that is going to the ceiling. Not sure the point of that. It's not a support.

I never had a nice basement that I actually could stand to go down to.
 
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A totally non-game related option that I will throw out there, is take that little chunk to the left of door you are talking about also removing and build off of it to create a half bath.

Having a toilet in your game room is kind of nice if you like to get your drink on while you play your games!
 
Ok, I will be the odd-man here.

KEEP IT!

Make sure it's solid and that would be perfect for some Megatouchs or even some pachislo or pachinko machines.
 
A totally non-game related option that I will throw out there, is take that little chunk to the left of door you are talking about also removing and build off of it to create a half bath.

Having a toilet in your game room is kind of nice if you like to get your drink on while you play your games!

Heh, to the right of my original first pic is a full bath

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I vote keep it as well... but you need a surface at the back wall with a fridge underneath filled with beer and a crap load of hard liquor on top. Maybe even a small sink back there if possible.. and a TV wall mounted above! Also the bar surface needs more depth so you can fit a mega touch on top...
 
I actually don't need a bar area because inside the bathroom door is a area about 5'X5' that I could put a fridge and stuff.
Then there is a wall with a doorway to the full bath. I'm just going to put some kind of sliding door from the bathroom to the fridge area.
This is the area inside the door, right before the bathroom:
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I'd do what everyone else said:

1) Turn off power, remove outlet, cap and tape wire.
2) Score wall (3/4" through) to prevent damage to sheetrock
+ 3) Score equal amount of sheetrock off the bar to possibly reuse on the hole in the wall
+ 4) Break away sheetrock and pull wire back carefully to the wall
5) Sledge/kick sheetrock to expose insides
+ 6) disconnect bolts/other fasteners to floor and wall
7) Finish removing
+8) Do the same thing for the bump out next to the door as well behind the bar area. Almost certain that cannot be load bearing and will just be in the way probably. It was meant as a "surround' for the bar area.

For wiring (if you're not handy with electrical):
- Reuse the electrical box from the bar in the wall where you removed it from.
- string the wire through it and attach the wire within 6" of the box (code) on the stud with a plastic+nail staple, centered in the stud (~1 3/8" from front and back edges)
- Pull wire through the box and leave at least 6" extended from the box (again, code)
- Turn off power, cut wires, peel back Romex white shield and from the individual wires and reconnect to outlet that was in bar.
(Black = hot and goes to brass colored screw post -- short side on outlet slot, White = neutral and goes to nickel colored screw post -- long side on outlet slot, bare copper goes to green colored angled post attached to main metal mounting tabs of outlet)
- Mount and put faceplate on.
- Turn back on power and test.

Note: Even though you have another outlet to the left very close, my guess is they ran the power to the bar from the right then back out to the out to the left (or vise versa). In any case, once that wire is clipped there you will not be able to simply connect it and hide it in the wall. You'll need a junction box at the very least, and at that point you may as well just put the outlet in the hole you'll be left with anyway. (You are not allowed hidden junctions behind wallboard or ceilings per code). You may be lucky and the bar outlet was the last one in the run coming from the left, in which case you could just remove the wire from the outlet to the left if you didn't want to move it onto the wall so close for the extra one.

BTW what's with the uber-thick wall ? The core wall looks standard 3.5" but it looks like another 5.5" from the frame of the window which too looks recessed from the outside so I assume that's flush with the concrete of the basement already? Why is that interior wall built so far away from the foundation? Seems really strange.
 
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I concur!!
Rip out that WEAK excuse for a bar and the little dividing wall behind it. I'm sure someone put that there to make it feel more like a "room" behind the bar instead of just something protruding from the wall.
If you want something for megatouches or counter top im SURE you can construct something cleaner and more ergonomic for what your space needs are in the room.
Think game space first, do your layout of how you'd like your games, then if you have extra unused space - you can build something in there then.
Good luck and have fun!!
I love doing remodeling!
Jeff
 
No counter tops for me...

Ok, final decision - crappy bar is going to be gone. Thanks for all the input!
 
I vote to keep it and put a small wooden rocking chair inside facing the corner. Maybe a timer and a rotating red light. And when people get drunk and hit or kick a machine, tilt your pinball the second or third time; or start hitting on your wife...

Send them to the penalty box! :15: :nhl_checking:


Luckily I have never seen any of this during a KLOV sponsored party but have seen it at some conventions where the games are donated for use by KLOVers..
 
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Finally got rid of the "bar". Went the lazy route for now and put a rug over the carpet area that was cut out. I think my Rush's fit nicely.
Still a work in progress.

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SWEET!! You have the potential to cram alot of games in that space. My rooms are tiny but i have 16-17 machines in there right now something like that.
 
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