How I Made A Bench From Cinder Blocks and Salvaged Wood
by
A.V. Perkins
6 Materials
$25
2 Hours
Easy
After what seemed like an eternity I FINALLY gave in and made my own version of this bench. This is another element of my backyard transformation, that I am documenting-slowly but documentation nonetheless.
Having different shaped cinder blocks allowed me to play around with the configuration but once it was settled I started taping off the areas I wanted painted.
This is the time to stain and seal the wood. It is optional but if you want the wood to last longer I suggest it.
Let the paint dry overnight before peeling the tape.
Now it is time to assemble! Another change I made is that I did not use concrete adhesive. If you own your home or have no intention of ever moving your bench I say go for it but it was going be too heavy for me to move. For security, I made sure the ground was really level and even pushed some of the base into the soil for extra stability.
Once you are happy with the placement feed the wood beams through the top holes of the cinderblocks. I used some electronic tea light candles for additional romantic ambience. What do you think?
*UPDATE 2018* It has been 2 years since I made this and it HAS NOT MOVED isn't that amazing? If you own your home and don't plan on ever moving the bench by all means use concrete adhesive.
Resources for this project:
8 Cinderblocks (I used 2 with 2 holes and 6 with 3 holes just to make things interesting)
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Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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2 of 49 comments
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Hi A.V. No, I haven't tried it. I've been away from my home and haven't had a chance. However, I'll be back on the 13th of July and will start it then.
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I made one myself. I did use liquid cement to secure the top I also used 4x8's painted them with weather resistant wood stain. The bricks I painted with cement paint. I turned the bottom blocks to make them into planters. After having it for a season I've moved it once and reversed the two middle blocks because there gap for sitting was to wide.
Frequently asked questions
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How do you keep them from falling down? Seems like if you moved the wrong way they would collapse sideways.