DIY Network

Bowling Alley Breakfast Bar A slab of salvaged flooring finds new life as a breakfast bar. From "Make a Move" episode DMAM-104

	Before
	After

Homeowners Kim and Adam are tackling some huge projects in their new house, including a new bathroom and a major renovation upstairs. But that doesn't mean they're ignoring the smaller projects that can really give their new home some personality. For a new breakfast bar by their kitchen, contractor Amy Wynn Pastor helps the couple create an eye-catching counter out of flooring salvaged from a vintage bowling alley.

Salvaged wood can be a great accent material in almost any home: Older pieces can be loaded with character and contain beautiful hardwoods, like the maple mixed in this bowling alley floor. Keep an eye out for salvageable flooring, doors and other vintage wood; if you live in an older home, the makings of your next project may already be stored in the attic or basement. It just takes a little sanding and polyurethane to bring back the glow in old wood and add a one-of-a-kind touch to any decor.

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Materials

vintage bowling alley floor pry bar safety glasses circular saw straight wood for guide level measuring tape chalk line belt sander

metal braces angle grinder screw gun and screws fork brackets polyurethane paint brush wood trim nail gun and nails furring strips

Salvage pieces like this project show off the beauty of vintage wood.

Steps:

1. For this project, Amy Wynn and the homeowners installed the new breakfast bar over an existing half-wall. Use pry bars to gently remove the wood and trim from the top of the wall. Measure the top of the wall and determine the dimensions for the breakfast bar.

2. To remove a section from the bowling alley floor, snap a chalk line to mark for the first cut. Use screws or nails to attach a straight piece of wood along the chalk line to act as a cutting guide. Wearing safety glasses, use a circular saw to cut away the section of flooring.

Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses when using a circular saw or any power tool.

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D

Tips:

• To start the cut, position the saw with the blade slightly off the wood. Turn the saw on and let the blade come up to speed before it touches the wood.
  
• Keep the saw steady against the cutting guide for a straight cut (figure A).
  
• Keep the saw plate flat against the wood while cutting.
  
• The floor section will be thick and heavy. Make sure to have enough help on hand when lifting and moving the floor.

3. Remove any old nails or other debris from the wood. Decide which side of the floor section will face upwards in the final piece and sand that side with a power sander (figure B).

Tips:

• Always sand with the grain, not against it.
  
• A belt sander works at higher speeds than an orbital sander, handling large jobs more quickly.
  
• When using a belt sander, sand the entire length of the piece at one time. Stopping and starting, or sanding the length of the piece in sections, can lead to dips or valleys in the finish.
  
• Fine-grit sandpaper can scorch wood at high speeds. Use coarse-grit paper for high-speed sanding.

4. Carefully measure and cut the piece to the size needed for the project. Attach metal braces to the bottom of the piece if needed to keep the piece rigid; Adam used an angle grinder to cut the braces flush with the wood (figure C).

5. Use a nail gun to attach decorative wood trim around the perimeter of the wood top. Finish the wood with polyurethane as desired.

6. Use screws to install metal fork brackets on the half-wall to support the new breakfast bar. Make sure to keep the brackets level drive the screws into the wall studs (figure D). Cut furring strips and fit them along the top of the brackets and to the far edge of the half-wall; these will shim up the bar and create a space to accommodate the metal braces on the bottom of the bar.

7. Place the countertop on the half-wall and the brackets. Double-check it for level and use screws to secure the bar to the brackets and the wall. Drive the screws up through the brackets and furring strips into the bar. Also secure the "inside" end of the bar to the side wall.