Introduction
This backyard bench is nearly indestructible. Once it's cast, assembled and sealed, you can enjoy it all year long and never have to worry about taking it in for the winter or protecting it from the elements.
I'll show you how I built my bench so you can use it as a guide. Feel free to experiment with your design ideas and personal touches to create your own garden bench.
To build my concrete bench, I used three bags of Quikrete 5000 to pour the top and both legs. These bags are heavy — 80 lbs. each — so three bags will probably weigh about as much as your big Uncle Billy. It’s certainly deliverable in a standard passenger car.
Don’t substitute anything else for this mix. The 5000 formula has high early strength and will retain its integrity when you remove the forms, guaranteeing a sturdy, crack-free bench.
Along with the four-foot lengths of rebar, be sure you’ve got a mixing tub like the one shown here or a wheelbarrow with a shovel. You’ll also need a garden hoe for mixing, a finishing trowel for smoothing, a half sheet of 3/4-in. plywood and a quarter sheet of 1/2-in. plywood.
You should also pick up some acrylic wood finish, paste wax and a small box of 2-in. self-drilling wood screws (GRK fasteners). The materials will cost about $75.
Family Handyman
See the drawings below for the dimensions of the bench forms.
Family Handyman
Family Handyman
Family Handyman
