How to Protect Bar Stools From Hitting the Counter

Bar stools are ideal for kitchen island, breakfast bar or counter seating. Sometimes, however, the bar stools will hit against the counter. This contact will potentially damage both the stools and the counter. You can successfully protect both your bar stools and the edge of your counter by installing a kicker board at the base of the cabinet. The kicker board will prevent the legs of the stool from contacting the base of the cabinet, which will in turn keep the stool far enough away from the edge of the counter to protect it from hitting the counter.

Base molding, 96 inches long
Tape measure
Miter saw
Hammer
Finish nails
Nail set
Wood putty
Putty knife
Sanding pad, fine-grit
Tack cloth
Touch-up wood finish
Angled sash paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Place the base molding length flat on a work surface. Measure the length of the cabinet base along the section of cabinetry where you will be placing the bar stools using a tape measure. This is the length required for the base molding that you will use as the kicker board.
- 2
  Measure the base molding to the length you measured in Step 1 and mark it with a pencil. Lay the molding flat on the table of a miter saw with the front side facing up.
- 3
  Adjust the miter saw to cut a 22 1/2-degree angle. Cut the molding to the length that you marked on it in Step 2. Cut the opposite end at a 22 1/2-degree angle. The long points of the angled ends should be on the back side of the molding. This will provide a finished appearance to the ends of the molding.
- 4
  Fit the molding in place at the base of the cabinetry. Hammer finish nails through the molding at a downward 45-degree angle so that they contact the base of the cabinets and floor. Space the nails every 4 to 6 inches.
- 5
  Center a nail set over the head of each nail and tap the end of it with a hammer to set each nail 1/16 of an inch below the molding’s surface.
- 6
  Fill each nail hole with wood putty using a putty knife. Leave the putty slightly raised above the surface of the molding to allow for some shrinking as the putty dries. Allow the putty to dry for 24 hours.
- 7
  Sand the wood putty flush with the molding’s surface using a fine-grit sanding pad. Wipe off the sanding dust with a tack cloth.
- 8
  Apply two coats of wood finish touch-up to the molding using an angled sash paintbrush. Allow the finish to dry for four hours between coats. Wait 24 hours after the final coat before placing the bar stools in front of the molding.

How to Make a Little Wooden Rocking Chair

How to Build a Rotating Table

Woodworking