Kentucky Bali Hai project update - construction complete!

The inspiration from another project posted on TC some time ago:

The design taken from the inspiration:

The small existing deck (had to take down a tree):

Helps to have a buddy with a crane to move the old deck into place:

At this point the neighbors are getting pretty nervous:

Mock up of the roof to find the cut angles:

Number one helper (don't tell mom he got to climb the scaffolding!):

Progress so far:

Roof will be a corrugated asphalt product called Ondua. The project is running behind schedule, as I managed to drive a shard of wood into my hand so deeply that it took surgery to remove it, but we are back on track now. Plan is for an L or U shaped bar and a seating area. Then landscaping, perhaps a water feature. One of the neighbors asked if we were building an ark.

[ Edited by: Tiki Zen 2007-08-07 06:26 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Zen 2007-08-10 14:22 ]

[ Edited by: Tiki Zen 2007-10-18 07:31 ]

Wow! Awesome stuff!

Any plans for water effects etc?

Welcome to TC!

Thanks for sharing your pics!

Mahalo

McTiki

I've been so focused on getting the structure done that I haven't had much chance to start planning the finishing touches. Right now, I still haven't even finalized the layout of the bar - hard to visualize how the space will work until it is under roof and I start marking off the area. This is a work in process, so I'd love any ideas or suggestions anyone cares to make.

Just search on "Home bar" or "yard" there are many incredible projects in here. Most importantly, have fun with it. It's cool to see the little ones in there helping. These will be memories they will cherish and the heritage grows. (Just make sure you can lock up the liquor for when they get older :wink:)

McTiki

I like the Tiki that you have supervising things. He's doing a great job.

Nice!! Thanks so much for sharing, this might just be what my backyard needs! I've been trying to come up with some kind of design that does a lot of the things this one does. It's looking really good. Can't wait to see it all come together.

Dayum....that is looking curazy!!! I'll just bet the neighbors were wondering what you were up to. Sorry to hear that you tried to become part tiki by inserting wood into yourself....hope you are doing much better now and will be accident free for the rest of your building adventures. Keep those pictures coming and the number 1 helper off the roof. :)

Looking very good Tiki Zen! Keep us up to date with Pics as progress continues.

Hope some of my ideas might help you out Tiki Zen.

VampiressRN, you never knew Kentucky was so Tropical....:wink:

Tiki zen. All I can say is WOW! That's going to be badass when it's done. Please post updates when you have them.

Tiki Bill.

Put out the call for help, and several buddies showed to help finish up the last of the purlin framing and put on the roof, including a friend with a crane truck, which at first I thought was overkill, but turned out to be just the ticket. Of course, I picked a day when the temp. hit 98 degrees and the heat index 104. We got a good portion of the roof on, but had to quit when heat stroke set in.

Hope to finish up one evening this week.

[ Edited by: Tiki Zen 2007-08-07 06:46 ]

Four days. Eight guys. Three ladders. One bucket truck. The Ondura roofing product instructions say "fast and easy installation." But the roof is on!

On to building the bar. Ready the little drink umbrellas!

Boy...that baby is coming along...yeah...who new there was tropical flaire in Kentucky...soon to be accompanied by fancy schmany umbrellaed drinks. :drink:

That is friggin awesome!! I'm using similar material on the front of my bar. The metal sounds like a freakin' lighting storm when you cut it with a Skil saw!! At least thats what my wife said afetr I cut it and disturbed her from her nap!!!

Really nice work! That's going to be awesome.

After much delay, what would have been budget over-runs (had there been a budget) and a summer-long drought and heat wave, I am pleased to report that construction of the tiki bar is done (except for fence, landscaping, water feature, fire-shooting volcano and a few other touches). Now officially named the "Freaky Tiki Hula Hut Hideaway and BBQ Shack" (the Freaky Tiki for short).

Photos taken on a cloudy day, so it looks a bit dreary outside:

The sink cabinet was an old bathroom vanity I found at a building salvage place. The bar light is rope light shielded in split bamboo:

Just need to continue the tiki-fying process. We've already had several large gatherings - gotta' get up that fence - neighbor is not feeling the love.

Wow, that is an impressive bit of work! I hope it brings a lot of enjoyment to a lot of people!

What does your neighbor have a problem with? Maybe he's just jealous he doesn't have one. Perhaps invite them over to smooth their feathers.

Neighbors are odd (okay, I realize that is coming from someone who wants to turn the back yard into a tropical playground.) They used to live out in the country and moved into town to downsize. Having some trouble adjusting to living in a neighborhood, I think. Has a swing set for his grandkids, and asked my kids not to play on it. They have been planting bushes along both sides of their yard to wall off the neighbors. The back line of our two yards are the only cut-through between our neighborhood and the one behind us. Otherwise, kids have to walk about a half-mile down a highway with no sidewalks. He yells at kids he catches sneaking through his yard (we put up a sign telling them to come through our yard). Doesn't drink, never has any gatherings at his house, lights out and in bed by 9:00.

I think my wife is buying me a fence for Christmas.

Awesome, I've been eyeballing the Bali Hai Hut that you got your inspiration from ever since they posted it. I just stumbled across yours a few days ago and I'm in the planning stage to build my own. Is there anyway I could get some detailed drawings of yours to give a few more details. I sure would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Fred

I've PM'd you - check your mailbox.

Great job on this! I can just imagine you have some great parties with that.

Now you just need some musa basjoo bananas and other tropical plantings, and, well, it never really ends...

That is bad-ass! I have hopes of turning our sad palapa into a Bali Hai hut like that sometime next year (too many expenses already this year). Yours is truly an inspiration.

As for the neighbors, put on some 40s music and invite them over for a quiet visit. Maybe they'll mellow. Then again, maybe not...

Did you get your fence?

Fence just went up. I think I heard a sigh of relief from both sides.

Damn, that's some great design and craftsmanship.

I love this board - when the wife suggests that I may be getting carried away, I just show her stuff like this! Great job Zen

No update photos? I know this is an old thread but bring the pics! Looks pretty cool - send us an update shot!

Just counting the days until we open up again . . .

Another TC classic. Great job- the banana trees really finish the scene. Would love to drink about 10 Mai Tais there.

Gorgeous! One of my TC favs!! The landscaping is really awesome! Blow on chilly winds -it's Tiki time!!!

You would never know where this was located. Its Great

Really looks troical, very well done! Congrats!

Amy

Beautiful bar, I love the simplicity of the whole design. Do you have music out there too?

Thanks for the kind comments. We do have music. An old PC is hidden inside the bar, loaded with a big music collection. Speakers are mounted up high. We've put together playlists, plus we can put a screen on the bar and a wireless mouse and let people play whatever they want. We also have speakers in the landscaping that play a recording of surf. At night you can imagine that the ocean is near (just a perpetual low tide of several hundred miles). The plan this summer is to enlarge the jungle and put in some tables and seating in the landscaping.

Beautiful. The banana plants are a terrific accent too. I love the photo in the moonlight. It could be a postcard.

Man o man. When I kind of drifted away from this board a couple years ago this thing was mostly in the early construction... now look at it.

And it's only an hour and some change from my house! (Hint Hint). :)

You leave the tiki bar unattended for a week, and look what happens. I had been talking to a buddy about doing a directional sign pole, and mentioned that I should give all of the "regulars" a plank to design. When we returned home from vacation last night, we arrived to find the lights on, the music playing, the bar full and this pole planted in the ground. I understand there are more signs still to be added. They are a combination of the patrons' home towns and favorite vacation spots. They used Google Earth to find the exact mileage and direction, and then aligned the signs with a compass.

Like we say - "we don't own the place, we just pay the electric bill."

Very cool addition. Great gift from some friends.

I love that signpost! What a great welcome home. I may use that idea myself.
What a great bar you have. Nice job.
How is the Ondura holding up? I have some on a shed that is losing its paint layer. Its about 7years old.

Makes me a little nervous to hear that. So far, the Ondura has held up great. Faded a little, but it has weathered snow and hail with no problem or leaks.

Wow what a fun surprise from friends...that is neat. GREAT JOB...the bar looks just awesome.

Finally got around to taking a couple of photos of the small koi pond (I prefer "lagoon") we put in this spring. Taking bets on when someone falls in.

Very Nice!

This all looks great! Nice thing about a high ceiling with rafters like that is that you can, if you don't like the open, airy look, fill that space with old crates of "rum" and "goods", hanging floats and lamps, oars, masks (just lay 'em face down like they're stored, or mount 'em to the ceiling) and assorted poly junk! Building salvage stores are a great source of hanging lamps, new and old, that won't cost much and, thus, you won't feel bad about tiki-fying.

Looking forward to more detail shots, and I love that signpost! Show us what your bar looks like full of bottles and such?

Beautiful and inspiring...just the ticket for an otherwise dreary morning!

Thanks for the comments and compliments. I'm working on filling the rafters - signs, a Gopi board, a set of wooden water skis, other assorted flotsam and jetsam as we are able to find it. We like to say "we collect souvenirs from other people's vacations." A tribe of coconut monkeys has completely filled one beam. A fear a mutiny is imminent.

Days are starting to shorten, but the late light always has a glow this time of year.

Beautiful! Stunning! Marvelous! Amazing!