Need help on a bar top install

[Randy Acton]

I finished this guys basement/big boys' playroom (the other half is all home theatre) a couple years back. He wanted to try and tackle the bar/counter tops himself and needless to say three years later he is calling me to complete it.

Here is the dilemma, he is having another source glue up "slabs" of maple 3/4"x20,24,22"x8', respectively, to cover the bar top, bar counter top and back bar counter top.

The bar top you see in the photo was his idea of a substrate and will be replaced by 2 layers of 3/4" MDF or industrial particle board.

My biggest concern is how to attach the maple slabs to the "composite" substrate. Taking wood movement into consideration, i'm not sure that laminating the entire surface is a good idea.

Should I laminate the center of the top to the MDF and secure the outer edges with a slotted screw?

The bar counter top and the back bar counter top have a much better structure (the cabinets), do I need to use an MDF substrate or is the 3/4" maple slab sufficient.

Haven't quite run across this situation yet, so not sure how to handle it. Any help would be appreciated.

[Randy Acton]

Just as and FYI (and a possible pat on my back), here is the home theatre portion of the basement. When you are lucky enough to have design control over someone elses' house, it really is alot of fun.

[Fred Voorhees]

Randy, I would drill a sufficient amount of oversized holes through both layers of MDF and then use lag screws with washers up through the bottom into the bar surface.

[Randy Acton]

good idea, ty