How to build a concrete table. Do-it-yourself concrete countertop

An attractive and original kitchen interior is the dream of every home owner. Someone is trying to create it with the help of designers and expensive exclusive materials, others are focusing on their own imagination and skill. For example, you can make a concrete countertop with your own hands, which will be no different from an elite marble part.

A concrete countertop will not differ from an elite marble piece.

This solution is ideal for those owners who cannot allocate extra funds for finishing the kitchen and are accustomed to approaching the arrangement of everyday life creatively. The minimum costs will allow you to make the interior of the kitchen area individual.

Preparing to create a countertop

Before making the countertop, it is necessary to perform a number of preparatory work that will allow the new element to organically and harmoniously fit into the existing interior. So, you should determine what dimensions the table will have and how it will look.

Usually a countertop made of natural or artificial stone is needed to create a work surface located next to a sink or stove. It can also be used in the corner of the kitchen. In any case, the sides of the element must completely repeat the relief of the walls, which will create the most snug fit.

Before starting work, it is necessary to carefully measure all the dimensions, check the angle and draw up a drawing, on the basis of which the concrete countertop will be made. Since the weight of the finished countertop will be quite large, it is recommended to lay down its division into several parts in the drawing. This will make the manufacturing and processing process simpler and easier and will prevent the countertop from cracking during operation.

In addition, the large weight of the concrete also leads to the creation of an additional structure that strengthens the table support. So, the joining points of the tabletop parts must be strengthened with the help of transverse boards made of hardwood. In addition, the entire frame of the curbstone should also consist of this wood.

When the drawing is ready, you should purchase the materials that you will need to make your own concrete countertops:

• sand and cement in a ratio of 3: 2;
• hardwood boards;
• timber 40x40 or 50x50;
• plywood;
• plastic sheets with a thickness of at least 1.8 cm;
• reinforcing mesh with small cells;
• polymer concrete on acrylic resin;
• silicone sealant;
• spray glue;
• decorative elements: shells, small pebbles, broken glass;
• drying oil or machine oil;
• pigments-dyes.

In addition, all the necessary tools must be available:

• putty knife;
• grinder with polishing wheels;
• building level;
• screwdriver and self-tapping screws;
• polyethylene film;
• hacksaw.

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Countertop manufacturing process

The quality of a do-it-yourself countertop made of concrete largely depends on observing the dimensions when creating a mold for casting. For the base of the form, it is necessary to take plastic sheets, the size of which corresponds to the size of the future countertop. Along the perimeter of the timber sheets, a side is mounted with a height of about 5-6 cm. The height of the side will determine the thickness of the element.

To seal the mold, all joints and seams are coated with silicone sealant. If there will be a sink in the countertop, the space for it should be left free by protecting the required space with partitions made of boards. In addition, the countertop can be rounded using silicone inserts that are installed in the corners and removed after the concrete has dried.

The next stage is the laying of decorative elements, if they will be used in the manufacture of countertops. Shells, glass and other decor must be carefully distributed over the bottom of the mold and secured by spraying with spray glue. After that, at a height of 2.5-3 cm from the bottom of the mold, a metal mesh with small cells is mounted, which will play the role of reinforcement.

Then, in order to make the countertop, you need to knead the concrete solution. 3 parts of pure river sand are added to a container with 2 parts of M500 grade cement. After that, 1 part of the polymer plasticizer for concrete is added. Water is added last. Its amount should be such that the mixture looks like a cream or paste.

If the countertop is to have a specific color, pigment dyes are added to the mixture. To give the concrete a uniform color, the substances are added to the dry mix. If it is necessary to get streaks, as on granite, the pigment is dissolved in a small amount of liquid and mixed with the ready-made concrete mixture.

In order for the countertop to have strictly the same parameters, the concrete solution is poured into a mold set in a horizontal position. Before pouring, the mold should be thoroughly coated with linseed oil or machine oil, which will allow the concrete part to be removed without problems. The horizontality of the form is checked using a building level.

When all the concrete mixture is poured, the mold is covered with a sheet of plastic greased with linseed oil. Then the entire structure is covered with polyethylene from above and left for at least 10 days. After this time, the polyethylene is removed and the formwork is removed. The concrete is left to dry for another 7-8 days.

The technology of manufacturing concrete products is popular in both industrial and private construction. This material can be used to fill window sills, steps for stairs, floor tiles, countertops, and so on. The main thing is that you can make any thing yourself without involving outside specialists. Let's give an example of how a do-it-yourself concrete countertop is made.

Like any construction process, the manufacture of a countertop from a concrete solution is divided into several stages. Each of them is very important, one must not allow any operation to be missed.

Preparatory process

Preparation consists in the acquisition of the necessary materials and tools. To begin with, all the same components are purchased that are necessary for the production of a standard concrete solution. Namely:

• cement;
• sand;
• crushed stone;
• water.

Since the countertop is a decorative element, it is worth considering the issue of its color design. For example, if you use ordinary gray cement, then the countertop itself will be gray. Fortunately, today there are a large number of colors that can be added to the mixture, choosing according to the color shade.

Basic materials

To increase the strength of the concrete countertop, it is necessary to lay a metal reinforcing frame in the mortar body. To do this, you need a steel wire with a diameter of 2-3 mm. To assemble a mesh from this wire, you need to tie it, for which you need a knitting wire. Self-tapping screws will be needed to fasten the frame.

The table top must be poured into the formwork. It is made from several different materials. The main one is a sheet of moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 12 mm. Instead of plywood, you can use laminated chipboard or MDF.

Please note that the strength of these materials must be high. A slight curvature will immediately appear on the concrete product itself.

To create the thickness of the countertop, you will need boards with a section of 50 × 30 mm and several wooden blocks of 50 × 50 mm.

Since a sink will definitely be installed on the kitchen countertop, it will be necessary to make a hole for the mixer. For which you need a plastic pipe with a diameter of 35 mm and a length of 50 mm. Typically, the diameter of the mixer mounting nozzle is 35 mm.

Tools

To make a concrete countertop, you will need the following tools: a shovel, usually a trowel, a spatula, a bucket, a construction mixer (if a small volume is mixed) or a concrete mixer.

To assemble the formwork, you will need a saw and a screwdriver. For the manufacture of reinforced cage - pliers. Do not forget that all the elements of the formwork will have to be accurately set according to a pre-made drawing, so a ruler, level and a pencil will also be needed. To measure the size of the future countertop, you need to prepare a tape measure.

Drawing creation

You can draw a sketch either before preparation or after. It is important to accurately measure the space where the cabinets with concrete mortar worktops will be installed. If the kitchen furniture will be installed in the corner of the room, then we kindly ask you to align the corner at 90º. This is not only a criterion for the quality of the repair carried out, but also the ease of installing furniture exactly along the wall planes.

Now the boundaries of the tabletop installation are measured with a tape measure. Very often, the working area of ​​the kitchen has a curved shape with an approach to the adjacent wall. If just such a shape (angular) is adopted, then it is better to divide the element into several sections and make your own tabletop for each part. In this case, the formwork will be single, but divided into sections.

The main thing is to make the boundaries of the sections transverse, which should exactly coincide along the walls of the kitchen cabinets. This is the only way to avoid the formation of cracks. A monolithic tabletop will weigh a lot, which will create inconvenience when installing it.

Place a sheet of moisture resistant plywood on a flat, horizontal surface. It could be a table. Now transfer all the dimensions from the drawing to this sheet, for which you use a ruler and a pencil. Along the edges of the lines, they are installed on the edge of the board 50 × 30 mm. They will determine the height of the concrete countertop, which will be 50 mm. Why this particular size? Decreasing the thickness will lead to a decrease in strength. Increase - to increase the weight of the product. Therefore, 50 mm is the optimal size.

Since the concrete solution will create a lot of pressure on the walls of the formwork, they must be well fixed. There are two options here:

• use bars 50 × 50 mm for fastening;
• install metal corners.

In the first case, the bars are attached at the corners of the structure. If the installed board is long, then 2-3 bars are additionally attached in the middle evenly from each other along the entire length of the board.

As for sinks for washing, you need to pay attention to the type of the purchased appliance. There are built-in sinks, there are overhead. They differ from each other in that the invoices have a horizontal rim in the structure along the entire perimeter of the plumbing fixture.

For overhead models

If this particular option is installed, then the sink is turned over, laid on a sheet of plywood and a stroke is made along its side. Then the width of the side is measured, for example, it is 3 cm, which means that exactly the same shape is deposited inside at a distance of 2.5 cm.

For embedded

In the case of a built-in washbasin, the outline is applied along the edge. Now, bars of 50 × 50 mm are installed along the lines, which are attached to the plywood with self-tapping screws. Please note that 50 × 30 mm boards are installed outside the marked lines, and in the case of a sink, 50 × 50 mm bars are installed inside.

And one more thing - in the built-in sinks there is a landing chamfer, which is not easy to make. Therefore, for those who are going to make a concrete countertop with their own hands, it is recommended to choose an overhead model. It remains only to glue the pipe at the place of installation of the mixer.

It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the reinforcing frame made of steel wire should be like a mesh with cells of 25 × 25 mm. In this case, it should also be located at a distance of 25 mm from the plywood sheet and from the edges of the formwork. Therefore, the pieces of wire are cut subject to these reservations.

A polyethylene film is laid into the formwork, the edges of which are brought onto the boards. Pay attention that the film lies flat without wrinkles.

Installation of the supporting structure

Now the frame itself. It can be made separately and then installed locally. It can be assembled directly in the formwork. Installation at a height of 25 mm is done with self-tapping screws. For example, the second installation option.

Screws were screwed into the plywood along the entire perimeter of the formwork every 25 mm. Alignment of the caps in height is done using a ruler and a level. After that, pieces of wire are already screwed to the self-tapping screws. At the intersections, knitting wire is used for fastening.

Almost everything is ready to start pouring the concrete countertop with your own hands. It remains only to process the joints between the formwork elements with a sealant. It is important here that this material fills precisely the gaps and crevices.

If there is a need to make rounded corners at the countertop, then a pipe is installed at the junction of two 50 × 30 mm boards, that is, in a corner. And the space of the corner, bounded by the pipe and two adjacent planks, is filled with a sealant.

Concreting

There are two ways to pour concrete.

1. Fully filling the formwork.
2. Layer by layer.

In the first case, concrete is prepared according to the classical recipe: 1 part of cement, 2 parts of sand (pure river), 4 parts of coarse aggregate (in this case, it is best to take marble chips), and 0.5 parts of water. First, cement and water are mixed until cement milk is formed, then other components are added in portions. Stir the solution very carefully.

A worktop made from concrete mortar can look very original. The main thing is to correctly approach the design of its front side. For example, you can lay pieces of broken glass, beads on a plastic wrap, decorate copper wire or fiber-optic cable with patterns.

It is imperative to fix these decorative elements with glue so that they do not move during the pouring process. The brand of glue is not important, the main thing is that it adheres well.

For the first face layer, a fine sand mortar without coarse fillers (gravel, crushed stone) is required. The water should be slightly less than in the classic recipe. In this way, the appearance of pores can be avoided. But it is also impossible to add too little water, because this can lead to the formation of cracks.

Therefore, if there is any doubt that the solution may turn out differently, then it is better to purchase a ready-made dry mix for the screed. Its packaging has instructions on how much water to add. Mixing should be carried out at low speed. It doesn't matter if the process is carried out with a mixer or concrete mixer. This mortar is poured to a third or half of the height of the formwork. There is no need to wait for it to dry.

Fill the base layer

Pouring the main carrier layer can be done in half an hour. There are no restrictions on the composition of this mixture. This can be a classic recipe, in which expanded clay can be added instead of gravel or crushed stone to lighten the entire structure.

After that (it does not matter if it is the first option or the second), the concrete countertop must be covered with a film. After a day, the film is removed, and pieces of wet cloth are placed on top. After two days, the formwork can be disassembled.

If a concrete countertop is made without a decorative layer, then its front side must be sanded. You should not use a grinder for this. It is better to use an angle grinder. It is more convenient to use on horizontal surfaces. Plus, you will have to buy several grinding wheels for the machine.

First, the slab is ground with a coarse-grained wheel. Then they switch to fine-grained. And polishing is best done with a felt wheel. If it is necessary to trim the countertop, then a grinder with diamond discs is used.

If small depressions have formed on the surface of the slab, they can be removed by applying a special acrylic-based sealing compound. After it dries, additional grinding is carried out.

This is how a concrete countertop is made with your own hands. Let's not assure that this process is simple. It is complex and requires attention and accuracy.

Every housewife dreams of having a beautiful, multifunctional kitchen with an original and attractive design. Some try to create it with the help of designers and expensive exclusive details, others trust their own imagination and skill. For example, if you put in a little effort, then you will get an original do-it-yourself concrete countertop, which will be no worse than elite marble models. This is the best solution for people who cannot afford to spend a lot of money on finishing the kitchen, but, on the contrary, are accustomed to approaching their own home furnishing creatively. In our article, we will tell you how to transform your kitchen in this way with minimal costs.

What materials and tools will be required to work?

In fact, it is not difficult to make a concrete table with your own hands, you will not need anything especially from tools.

Prepare tools that are used for conventional concrete pouring:

• Shovel.
• A drill with a nozzle for mixing cement mortar or a concrete mixer.
• Buckets.
• Putty knife.
• Master OK.
• Building level.
• Rule.
• Roulette.

To arrange the formwork, you will need:

• Wooden bars.
• Plywood sheets.
• MDF strips.

Important! The formwork must be even and strong, completely repeating the shape of the pour, since any bends, irregularities, grooves will spoil the appearance of the finished product.

In addition, you will find it useful during table creation:

• Sander.
• A set of polishing and grinding wheels.
• Overalls.
• Respirator.

Prepare from the materials:

• Cement.
• Sand.
• Ready-made masonry or plaster mix.
• Fiberglass fittings.
• Foam crumb.
• Expanded clay.
• Colors for concrete.
• Silicone.
• Sealant.

Preparing to make a table

Naturally, any do-it-yourself concrete furniture is made according to drawings, therefore, in our case, a drawing is also needed. According to the project that we will use, the table will be in the corner of the room, and the tabletop will consist of several elements, because monolithic concrete products are quite difficult to install in the right place due to their enormous weight. In this case, the joints of all parts of the tabletop must necessarily fall on the transverse boards of the frame of the table itself, otherwise, cracks will form. To get started, you need to prepare and assemble the frame.

Making concrete countertops with your own hands

To do all the work efficiently and get the desired result, you have to work hard. Clearly carry out all the manipulations, following the recommendations of specialists. Therefore, let's take a closer look at each stage of manufacturing.

Arrangement of formwork for concrete countertops

In terms of dimensions, the concrete countertop for the kitchen with your own hands should turn out to be a little larger than the frame, in this regard, the formwork should be done, starting from these dimensions.

You need to do the following:

• Lay a plywood sheet on a flat surface, attach the sides to it with a height corresponding to the thickness of the future countertop (5 cm).
• Fasten the sides from the outside of the formwork with aluminum furniture corners.

Important! Make sure the frame is strong enough so that the heavy mix does not crush the sides when pouring.

• Place glasses of the required diameter in the corners of the formwork so that the corners are rounded. Fill the triangular cavities with silicone.
• Coat all cracks and joints with sealant.

Preparation and pouring of concrete

If you have already prepared the frame, it is dry, then you can start preparing the cement-sand mixture. It is better to fill it in layers, slowly, successively, kneading in small portions.

Perform the work according to the scheme:

• The thickness of the first layer should be one third of the thickness of the future table. Since this is the face layer, make the mixture as homogeneous and fine as possible.

Important! Minimize the amount of water in order to avoid the formation of pores that often appear in concrete after hardening. But it is also not worth making a solution too thick, it is optimal to achieve the consistency of sour cream.

• Stir the mixture with a mixer or concrete mixer. Gently fill with a ladle, while compacting the mortar with a spatula or trowel to fill any voids and release all air to the outside.
• Lay the reinforcement in the finished first layer. If you did not find it, then use glass cloth or metal mesh.
• Fill in the remaining space with a second layer. Use expanded clay as a coarse filler. You should end up with a lightweight mix that is well-formed in the middle, not adhering to the ends of the countertop.
• Fill in the form completely, remove the excess with a spatula or a rule. Tamp it carefully, smooth it so that the bottom of the table is perfectly flat.

Important! Remember that the tabletop will be attached to the walls of the table or legs, so you should also put embedded corners or blocks in the liquid concrete.

• After a day, the concrete will be 60 percent stronger.
• Cover all elements of the countertop with a damp towel so that the concrete dries evenly. Wait two more days.

Dismantling the formwork

This is a very important stage in the process of creating a table, so it should be done clearly, accurately, consistently.

Disassemble in this way:

1. Unscrew the formwork, remove the sides.
2. If the sides do not come off at the ends, then unscrew them, tap them slightly with a rubber mallet.
3. Turn the form over, tap again on the top and sides.
4. Separate the concrete slab from the plywood with a trowel.

Important! Take your time, be extremely careful, as high-quality concrete quite often sticks to the form.

Grinding

In order for a do-it-yourself concrete table to come out flawless, you will have to work on it.

Do it like this:

1. Lay the future countertop face up on a flat surface.
2. Take a sander, process the product until all the irregularities disappear.
3. If small irregularities or voids remain on it, cover them with acrylic sealant and let dry.
4. Sand the worktop a few more times until all voids are removed.
5. If you cannot polish the surface, prime it, then varnish it. It is better to apply them with a roller.

As a result, you should have a perfectly smooth tabletop without scratches and dimples.

Step 1: Assembling the formwork

Begin brain process from cutting to the size of the desired table top of the melamine formwork. And at this stage, you should pay attention to two points: the thickness and the protrusion, in my case the thickness was 45mm, and the protrusion of the front side was 30mm. I chose this thickness value based on the results of my research on the topic, my experience with concrete was small, so I thought it would be better to rely on someone else's. I am sure that at will homemade you can make it thinner, but then you will need to add something like fiberglass to the mixture.

Next, we mark the inner contour of the formwork, which corresponds to the dimensions of the countertop, and apply the previously cut melamine strips along its outer perimeter. Then we fix them with clamps and fasten them with self-tapping screws, having previously drilled holes for them, because we do not want the melamine to expand from screwing in the screws. And yet these holes need to be channeled, plus this action will appear later.

We glue the caps of the self-tapping screws with tape so that when disassembling the formwork there are no difficulties if a solution gets into these places.

Step 2: Guiding the Edge with Silicone Sealant

Having assembled the walls of the formwork, we proceed to sealing the perimeter. The use of silicone sealant for this is certainly too much, but another way I found is to use soapy water and rags. The inseam matches the top edge of the countertop, so find something that matches the edge you want, in my case it was a rounded marker cap. Make sure to make a silicone "bevel" around the entire inner perimeter, as you will not even believe how clearly all sorts of chips and bumps are visible on the concrete.

After the sealant has completely dried (24 hours is enough), wipe the entire inner surface of the formwork with olive oil, this will help in the future to more easily "release" the concrete homemade.

Step 3: mixing and pouring the mortar

Well, now it's time to mix the solution. For this I used a high-strength mixture from the nearest hardware store. In all the videos I watched, either Quickrete was used, but I do not think that it is found in our area, or the brand was not mentioned at all. Any cement other than a fast setting cement is fine, I believe.

When mixing the mortar, do not fill in water in excess of the required amount; excess moisture significantly reduces the strength of the concrete. First portions brain solution it is necessary to "drive" into the corners of the countertop, since if the mixture in them is "overdried", then they will serve you not so much as you expect.

Step 4: Reinforcement and vibration

Let's start strengthening brainwashing, that is, we add reinforcing elements to the poured solution, for this I would like to use a piece of metal mesh instead of cellular strips. I, again, did some research on how reinforcing bars are used in concrete products to increase strength, and this helped me understand where to place these very bars. Therefore, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the video that helped me.

After reinforcement, we again proceed to vibrate the poured solution. I did it for an hour with the same mallet, and this method worked perfectly, but you are free to do whatever is convenient for you. The main thing is to walk over the entire area of ​​the formwork.

As the solution vibrates, you will observe how air bubbles rise from it, which then burst, and the resulting voids are filled with a solution, which is what we need. When this "bubble" brain process end, vibration can be stopped.

Step 5: Covering the formwork

At this stage, the future braintop cover with something to keep the humidity high enough to prevent the mortar from drying out too quickly. After that, we give the craft 4 days to harden, it does not take longer, but during this time the solution should be wet. Take up reading at this time if you still doubt that this is really interesting material for brain-making.

Step 6: Removing the formwork and flipping the countertop

After 4 days, we remove the formwork, by the way, thanks to the olive oil, it should come off easily.

As soon as I broke the water layer under the concrete (at this stage, this is the bottom side) using a metal spatula for this, it became possible to turn the table top face up. At 120 kilograms, it was not easy, but the water created a slight suction.

So, we turn the tabletop over, friends came to my aid for this, and after some small discussions and planning of actions, we did it. I advise you not to be heroic and just call someone for help.

Step 7: finishing the countertop

Now let the worktop dry again for 4 days, and then, before applying the topcoat, to check brainquality drying, place a piece of rubber on the countertop. And if after 2 hours there is a wet spot under it, then craft you need to give more time to dry.

Well, after complete drying, we do the finishing treatment of the surface of the countertop. So I applied 6 coats of a water-based topcoat, starting at 25% on the first coats and going down to 100% on the last two. The low concentration of the first layers helps the coating penetrate deeper into the concrete, thereby improving its water repellency.

Step 8: frame installation

Well, the tabletop is ready, it remains to install it in its place.

Finally, I will say, when making a similar brainwashing plan the entire process from start to finish and have an idea of ​​what you are doing at each stage. But most importantly, start the process itself!

That's all, and if I could, then you can!

Over the winter, we get tired of cramped and stuffy rooms and, leaving for the dacha, we strive to spend as much time as possible outdoors. Sunbathing and swimming, drinking tea in the garden under the apple trees, arranging friendly gatherings by the fire with or just napping in - we try not to miss a single fine summer day. Of course, all this can be done just like that, on the grass.

But a modern person is accustomed to using furniture: it is more comfortable for him to sit on special supports - chairs or benches, to work or dine - at a table. And in nature, he strives to surround himself with familiar and comfortable objects.

But there are usually a lot of problems with country furniture: it is often impossible to leave it in the rain, in winter it needs to be stored somewhere. Therefore, a stationary one made from natural materials - turf, stone or concrete - will be an excellent solution: it will both fulfill its function and become a decorative addition to the design of the site.

Monumental furniture

Stone is a traditional material for garden compositions. About stone furniture sets, a little is mentioned in the article.

Used in a utilitarian way, stone or concrete objects are not your ordinary furniture that can be easily changed when out of fashion, or simply shoved into the attic and forgotten.

A stone bench cannot be easily transferred from place to place without the use of special equipment or at least the efforts of several people. When setting up monumental garden furniture for yourself, it is better to think over the general composition in advance, so that it fits into the design of the site.

Benches and a table made of stone can be made in the style of the decoration of the fence or the house itself, supplemented with elements of metal or wood. It is good when utilitarian items are effectively combined with plants. Most importantly, garden furniture should maintain a consistent style for the site.

To make a bench or table from stone, it is not necessary to turn to master stone cutters or buy expensive and rare varieties of granite or marble. The natural beauty of a stone lies in a simple cobblestone, a lump of limestone or sandstone. And the options offered as an example are quite available for independent implementation.

Stone garden bench. Photo from landartdesign.com

Interesting varieties of garden furniture using natural stone opens another fashion trend in -.

Garden bench using gabions. Photo from remstd.ru

The metal mesh can be filled with any available stones and used as a bench seat or underframe.

Concrete furniture

Concrete is perceived by many exclusively as a building material for a foundation or blind area. But sculptors have long "laid eyes" on this material - plastic, like clay, and strong, like stone. For example, the tallest statue of Russia and Europe, created by E. Vuchetich 85-meter "Motherland" on the Mamayev Kurgan, is made of 5.5 thousand tons of concrete.

Now designers have also paid attention to this material: the manufacture of furniture from concrete is becoming an increasingly fashionable direction. And the garden furniture is just made for him. You don't have to worry that a gust of wind will overturn the table or bench. And special additives that increase the number of cycles of material frost resistance make concrete products resistant to weather loads.

For those who are not too fond of straight lines and chopped silhouettes, the same set can take a slightly different shape, as in the photo below. And if you don't want to mess around with the solution, you can use the suggestions of manufacturers who make a semi-finished product in the style of “just add water” - concrete canvas.

The concrete surface can be polished to a mirror-like state or made textured, painted or left in its original laconic gray color: this material is diverse, it is truly a godsend for designers. And besides: although concrete is an artificial material, it is quite suitable for the definition of "eco", because cement (one of the main constituents of concrete, in addition to sand) is made from gypsum, limestone and clay.

Tablefor terracepolished concrete with hearth. Photo from the site concreteexchange.com

Among the seven-day students there are connoisseurs of this interesting material. For those who are not yet familiar with creative projects, I recommend:.

For the manufacture of garden furniture, you can also use materials that, at first glance, are not at all intended for furniture business. But this is only at first glance. Turf furniture is a piece of furniture under the motto "Not a single piece of land without greenery!" Just what you need for a summer residence.

Sod benches appeared, probably, at the same time as the gardens themselves. They were especially popular in the era of regular (formal) gardens.

Illustration for the poem "Teseida" by Giovanni Boccaccio. Photo from the sitegenius.com

To arrange a green bench or a whole sofa, you first need to create a base. Depending on the chosen design and shape, bricks or blocks, boards or poles can serve as a base.

You can even buy a ready-made corrugated cardboard frame. Do not worry that over time, such a fragile base will get wet and rot. Her task is to give the necessary shape. Because, in essence, a sod bench is a grassy earthen hill that looks like a sofa or an armchair.

Turf base and finished result. Photo from the sitethisiswhyimbroke.com

Then you need to fill the base with soil, water it well, so that the soil is compacted and tightly filled the frame. Most likely, you will have to add earth to the base several times.

After the soil is sufficiently compacted (you will make sure that nothing else settles or falls through), you can do upholstery. Sow lawn grass seeds after mixing them with soil. You can choose a suitable mixture or monoculture seeds in our market, which brings together large online stores. Selection.

Lawn Lilliput 8 kg. RUB 4,999
Russian vegetable garden

Lawn Royal Green Golf 459 rbl
Russian vegetable garden

Roll lawn - grass quickly and easily

After the grass has sprouted or the finished lawn takes root and grows together at the seams, you just have to regularly trim the "nap" on the "upholstery" of your green sofa.

A combination of natural stone and turf. Photo from ofdesign.ne

By the way, if you still prefer to sit on something more solid than an earthen mound, lawn grass inserts can only be used as decoration. For example, as in these photos - for decorating landscape items from the same stone or concrete.

Bench-bench made of concrete with grass finish. Photo from mundo-casas.com

Making unusual garden furniture is fun and not too financially expensive. Family and friends can be involved, and the materials are often right under your feet. You can also find interesting ideas from other publications on our site:

• Unusual country furniture with your own hands: we use logs and cuts of trunks

Try your hand at making unique pieces of garden furniture that will decorate your site and become your favorite vacation spot - it's not difficult!