# Tiki Bar for my backyard! Help!



## mattthebuilder (May 19, 2014)

Hey Guys. I'm new to woodworking and this community. I've embarked on my first somewhat big project. 

Its a "tiki bar" to put on my patio in my backyard. I've sketched it on google sketchup. I'm not sure if the framing is going to be enough or if its overbuilt. Its about 5' long by 2.5' wide.

Can you please give me any feedback you have? Thank you so much!!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Your framing, if you are going to skin the exterior with solid wood planks you need a few boards going diagonal to prevent it from wracking. The cross members under the top and bottom shelves, the timbers need to be turned verticle rather than flat. Over time the boards will sag. Under the bottom I would suggest you put some nylon tacks or leg levelers under it to keep it off the deck. The bottom will otherwise set in water and draw water up into it causing the bottom of it to rot. What wood do you plan to use?


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## mattthebuilder (May 19, 2014)

Steve, thanks for the reply! I was going to put 1/4" plywood around the exterior and then add the vertical cladding. Do you still think i need the diagonal pieces? What do you mean "wracking?"

Thanks for the advice! I was planning on using 3/4" Pine Sandyply for the shelves and the rest treated pine. Also vert cladding would be 8" wide pine planks.


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## amckenzie4 (Apr 29, 2010)

"Wracking" (or "racking") is the tendency of box-shaped things to turn into parallelogram-shaped things if you don't adequately support them.

In my (limited) experience, 1/4" ply around the exterior will be far more effective than a diagonal at preventing racking. One thing to be aware of is that plywood tends to de-laminate (the layers come unglued) if it gets wet, so make sure you seal it well, and, ideally, use marine-rated plywood. That's a lot more expensive, though, and sealing it well, inside and out plus the edges, will probably work well enough.


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

These days, most structural plywood is manufactured using exterior rated adhesive. Check the stamp on the plywood sheet to see if it was made with interior or exterior adhesive.

That said, it's still a good idea to completely seal the edges with finish. While the adhesive may be waterproof, moisture will still migrate through the end grain wood causing the thickness of the plywood around the perimeter to vary.


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## mattthebuilder (May 19, 2014)

Thank you guys! I really appreciate it. I should also treated lumber for the frame, right?


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Two problems with treated material, it requires special fasteners and is not food safe, I would go with a wood such as cedar that stands up well to the weather.


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