In the yard or in the garden, there must certainly be a bench where you can sit, relax, dream or admire the lush greenery grown by your own hands. It is not at all necessary to buy it, since it does not take much material or time to make it. We offer to make a modern concrete bench that will delight you for many years.
The bench consists of two concrete blocks and a wooden seat. The wood base is not attached to the concrete, the planks are in the recesses of the concrete blocks. Therefore, if necessary, the bench can be disassembled by removing the boards from the concrete foundations.
Step 1. Required materials and tools
Concrete
Forms for creating a base for a bench
Boards 4x6 cm
Three boards 6 cm wide, or four boards 4 cm wide, 2.5 meters long for a bench seat
Planks 2 × 2 cm, they are needed in order to fasten together long boards for seating the bench.
Cordless drill
A circular saw
Grinding machine
Step 2. Assembling the panels
It is important that the two concrete blocks are the same size and the plank cutouts are aligned as well. All parts can be cut or trimmed with a circular saw. Once all the pieces are ready, they need to be assembled in panels.
Step 3. Build Forms
The molds for the base of the bench should be large wooden crates with two wooden planks that will create recesses in the concrete base to accommodate the seat. It is necessary to leave a space of 4 cm between the planks, but you can make it larger so that the protrusions are stronger.
Step 4. Bottom
Pieces of MDF can be used as the bottom for the boxes. They must be screwed to the boards of the box so that the cement does not flow out of the molds. Plywood is fine too.
Step 5. Filling out the forms
Use a shovel to fill the mold with 10 cm of concrete.
Then you need to add some wood blocks. They will act as a kind of grip for wet cement. After that, you must wait 24 hours before pouring the next layer of concrete.
We fill the molds to the end, periodically using a shovel and a stick to push the wet concrete down into the corners of the molds. Since the upper part of the forms will be the bottom for the concrete blocks, the top layer of concrete may not be rubbed, but simply leveled once with a screed.
It is best to leave the concrete blocks for 3 days to dry well. In this case, you can be sure that the foundations for the bench will be strong and will not crack when they are taken out of the molds.
Step 6. Concrete blocks
The wooden panels need to be untwisted and the base removed. If the middle 2x6cm boards are firmly cemented and stuck, a circular saw can be used by carefully making cuts with it.
Then you need to take a crowbar and a hammer and carefully remove the boards.
Step 7. Installing blocks
It is necessary to dig a depression about 8-10 centimeters in the ground and tamp the ground below. Then on the bottom you need to pour about 7 cm of gravel and tamp it too. Then the blocks are installed.
Step 8. Alignment
Place one board on the blocks and check how flat it is. If unevenness is found, add gravel under one of the blocks until the bench is level.
Step 9. Fixing the boards and sanding
Sand the seat boards with a sander and sandpaper.
Step 10. Cutting grooves for planks
Using a circular saw, you need to make grooves for the wooden planks, which will serve as anchorage for large long boards.
Step 11. Attaching the planks
Try to see if the planks fit into the grooves you made. Use a circular saw to trim the lengths of the boards. Then screw them in and polish with a sander.
Step 12. The final stage
It is necessary to cover the boards with sealant and sand the sides of the concrete base.
If there is an opportunity and desire, then you can take a closer look at built-in benches in the garden and organize a wonderful corner for relaxation.