Research, by power tool and garage equipment retailer SGS Engineering, has discovered that people are now moving towards more of a focus on entertaining themselves at home, rather than going out.

This research follows a recent analysis of Google search trend data, and sales data of relevant products, which revealed that more and more people are investing in home bars to host parties with friends, with around 71,200 searches on average each month for phrases associated with having bars at home.

As a result, the team at SGS decided to create a simple guide for aspiring pub landlords to build their very own bar at home.

Step 1: Constructing the Base

As we weren't sure if we wanted our home bar in place forever, we chose to construct a wooden frame on which to rest the pub shed and decking.

We first started by measuring the area, making sure to leave room for the decking to extend out in front of the shed entrance, before preparing the timber bearers to act as the base.

The outer frame was assembled first, and then the inner joists slotted in (being careful to space evenly and keep the base level).

To add the supports, pieces of timber were hammered into the ground at the corners to solidify the frame into place.

Step 2: Erecting the Shed

We then laid down the floor of the shed, checking with a spirit level to ensure it was flat.

The walls of the shed were then erected, and the corners were fixed into place.

We then placed the ridge bar between the two gambles, and secured using L-brackets.

The final touches included fixing the roof sheets, laying down the felt and adding the cover trim and fascia boards.

Step 3: Constructing the Decking

Before constructing the decking, we checked (again) that the base was level and hadn't been disrupted by the assembly of the shed.

Decking boards were them measured, cut to size, and fixed along the base.

Newel posts (to support the deck's handrails) were then cut and inserted onto the front of the decking area - we made ours 1m tall to act as a comfortable leaning height. At the shed side, we cut down half-newel posts and fixed them to the shed, ensuring that they were level with the front ones.

We added our railings between the newel posts, fixing the base rail first, then the handrail, and then slotting in the spindles. To keep these evenly spaced apart, we created spacers from spare lengths of timber and lay these down between each spindle.

Starting from the middle spindle and working our way out, we fixed both the spacers and the spindles themselves into place with our trusty nail gun.

Step 4: Constructing the Bar Frame

Using your chop saw, cut down a wooden beam to the height you wish your bar to be (allowing space for the plywood counter), and fix this to the wall of your shed near the door.

Prepare another beam to fit across your bar, minus the space you need for the entrance flap, and fix it to the floor of the shed and the first beam. Next, create a third and fourth beam of the same length and place them to the top and side of the frame.

Insert a support beam across the middle, and then do the same along the inside wall.

We decided to cut down some leftover decking to create attractive cladding for the from of the bar, and fixed these in place with the nail gun.

Step 5: Constructing the Counter

Cut the plywood for your shed bar counter to size with a handsaw - we measured out 2 pieces to create an L-shaped bar that would extend out out of window (giving us a handy indoor and outdoor bar area).

Fix the counter into place, trimming if necessary to fit the length of the frame. To check the counter is level (and if the counter itself feels a little flimsy) a good tip is to use a block beneath the seam as a makeshift support.

Step 6: The Extras - Shelf and Bar Flap

We decided to add a few optional extras onto our bar shed - including a shelf and a bar flap.

After measuring the back wall of the shed (behind the counter), we cut some spare plywood to size to create some quick shelves. Voila - a shelf that you can use to display memorabilia, glasses and your next batch of bottled homebrew!

The final touch - and our favourite addition - was the bar flap. To start, we created a support brace on the side of the shed, lining it up with the bottom of the counter. After cutting the plywood to size, we attached it using hinges, and after giving it a few practice swings it was time to crack open a few cold ones!

Full instructions on the project can be found here: https://www.sgs-engineering.com/media/buildabar/index.html