Do you want to add a space to your home where you can prepare drinks for family and friends that isn’t the kitchen? Having a bar installed in your basement can do just that. You have two options when it comes to this area to store and serve beverages: a wet bar and a dry bar. When you build a bar in the basement, you have the freedom to entertain in other areas of your home. Here’s what you need to know about dry bars, dry bars vs wet bars, and whether you should build a bar in the basement. 

What Is A Dry Bar?

bar in the basement

There are several different types of dry bars, from meaning a blow-dry hair salon to a place in your home to prepare drinks for guests. Here, we’re talking about the latter variant. A dry bar is a bar without any plumbing. If you build a dry bar in the basement, you’ll be able to entertain away from the kitchen, but you’ll still need to make trips back and forth. This is because since dry bars don’t have a sink, you’ll need to head to the kitchen if you need to rinse out a pitcher or clean any dishes.

Are Dry Bars Valuable?

Home improvement projects can be quite pricey, so if you’re going to build a bar in the basement, chances are that you want to know whether or not it will improve the value of your home. Dry bars are becoming more and more trendy, as people like the idea of adding a place to display their beverages and glassware without needing to worry about plumbing. As they are a desirable and unique feature, if you build a dry bar in the basement, it will increase your home’s value.

Dry Bar Vs Wet Bar

So, you want to install a bar in the basement, but don’t know whether you should go for a dry bar or a wet bar? Both options allow you to entertain wherever you like throughout your home. The only real difference between a dry bar and a wet bar is in the name. They’re both bars, but wet bars have plumbing and dry bars do not. 

bar in the basement

A wet bar is a step above a dry bar, as they are both bars, but a wet bar has a sink. Dry bars are easier to install than wet bars, because you don’t need to figure out plumbing and how you’re going to get water to your sink. People usually build a dry bar in the basement because they don’t want to worry about plumbing, but wet bars are more convenient than dry bars, because they have a sink, which means that you can take care of any dishes right there.

Wet bars give you all the benefits of a dry bar, with the additional perk of not having to still make trips to the kitchen if you need any water or dishes taken care of.

What About Plumbing For Wet Bars?

Plumbing for wet bars is something discussed and taken into careful consideration in the design process, so you can rest assured that if you build a wet bar in the basement, it will be fully functional, and not cause any issues. Often, when people want to build a wet bar in the basement, plumbing is easily accessible. If it isn’t, that doesn’t mean a wet bar in the basement is out of the picture for you. New plumbing can be installed or you can have your plumbing routed to your wet bar in the basement. 

Ogden Utah Basement Finishing

Should You Try Building Your Own?

Any home renovation project, including building a dry or wet bar in the basement, necessitates skill, experience, and the proper equipment. Here in Utah, people love to DIY whenever possible. If you try to build a bar in the basement, you’ll have an easier time building a dry bar, as you won’t need to worry about plumbing for wet bars. However, you’re still building a bar and you want to ensure that it works well and looks good. As such, it’s best to leave building a bar in the basement to experienced professionals who have the training, skill, and equipment needed to ensure the job’s done right.

Northern Utah Basements is a professional finishing company. If you want to build a bar in the basement, we can customize it to look just the way you want it to, as well as take care of plumbing considerations. Whether you want it to be more high-tone, more rustic, or whatever else, Northern Utah Basements can build it for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can build a bar in the basement of your home.