- the oldest piece of furniture that has become available to man. A wooden snag, simply hewn a little with a stone ax and brought into a cave - this is the great-great-ancestor of all modern furniture, closer to which wooden benches, which have not lost their relevance and relevance - neither in the house, nor, especially, in landscape design.
Garden benches made of wood: choosing a style
It may seem only at first glance that a bench is far from the most important element in landscape design, but real professionals say that it begins with the bench and ends with it. garden design. Otherwise, what is all this effort and work for, if no one can enjoy and appreciate it?
That is why it is important to place the bench correctly, choosing a place from which the most beautiful and attractive view opens, and the bench itself can become an elegant accent that complements the beauty of the garden.
A comfortable bench in the garden will become a place where you can hide from the hustle and bustle, admire nature, read a book or listen to music, dream, or just relax. At the same time, wooden benches for a summer residence are a powerful and effective “weapon” landscape design, they can be used for zoning a site, marking boundaries, etc.
At the same time, garden benches differ in their functional purpose:
- front doors - they are installed at porch, at the entrance of the house. These are wooden decorative benches, richly decorated with carvings, they become a favorite place for photo sessions
- dining rooms - they are usually placed near B-B-Q, on terraces, in places where the family likes to dine outdoors
- garden - small benches, next to flower beds, flower garden or plot, it’s good to sit on them and relax while working in the garden. Usually it is very simple in shape, without decorations or aesthetic delights.
- relaxation - usually they are “hidden” in the most secluded corner of the site, away from strangers and even your own eyes, where the whole environment is conducive to relaxation. The main criterion is comfort, and you don’t have to be modest with the size - you can climb onto such a bench with your feet and even lie down
To make the bench comfortable, you should adhere to the following dimensions:
- optimal height– about 40-50 cm, while the legs will rest comfortably on the ground and rest
- seat width - about 50-55 cm. The seat is made with a slight inward slope - 5-12 cm, so it is more convenient to lean on
- back height - 35-50 cm
- backrest tilt - within 15-45 degrees
- if armrests (hand rests) are installed, then the optimal height for them is 15-20 cm, measured from the seat
Advice! When choosing material for a bench, preference should be given to wood that is especially resistant to moisture and decay - oak, larch, hazel, cherry. But teak is considered to be the “champion” in terms of strength; its wood contains natural resins, protecting it from rot and insects (bark beetles, termites).
The choice of the shape and type of bench depends on both your preferences and the style in which the garden is decorated.
For country style, a bench that is as simple in shape as possible is suitable, natural color or painted in a discreet brown shade. For the Provence style - a slightly antique bench, quite modest in terms of decoration, painted in blue , white , violet or blue.
- The bench must be periodically painted (opened with varnish). It is best to do this at the beginning of the season, before thoroughly cleaning the wood from any remnants of old paint.
- in hot weather, the bench should be placed in the shade - not only you, but also the tree will be comfortable there - ultraviolet radiation negatively affects the quality of wood
- regularly check the fastening elements (bolts, screws, nails), if necessary, fasten them all the way, do not allow the structure to loosen
- If you notice traces of rot on one board, replace it immediately, do not let it spread further
According to the classic, everything in a person should be beautiful. This also applies to everything that surrounds us. Creating comfort in your country house, don’t forget about the garden plot. Smooth lawn or flower beds serve as decoration for your garden is not at all important, the main thing is that there is a place where to sit and relax from the bustle of the city and household chores. A DIY garden bench is a great opportunity to add individuality to your summer cottage. Let's look at a few interesting options handmade benches and figure out how to make some of them.
The simplicity of the design and the availability of materials allows even a novice craftsman to decide to create such an interior element. The best material Wood or stone will be used to create a garden bench. They will fit perfectly into the design of your garden plot and create a feeling of unity with nature. It is possible to create a bench from scrap materials. Surely a zealous owner will have a couple of outdated wooden chairs that can be put to use.
Whatever you decide to make a bench from, the first thing you will need in any case is a design project, and the necessary drawings and assembly diagram for it. Drawings of garden benches for every taste can be found on the Internet, but if you wish, you can develop them yourself; after all, we all received the initial skills of creating them in school, and the design of a bench is not so complicated.
- height - about 40-50 cm;
- seat width - on average 55 cm;
- back height - 30-50 cm;
- the height of the armrests from the seat is 15-20 cm.
These are the dimensions that will allow you to sit comfortably on the bench.
DIY wooden bench
Let's first consider the option of a simple wooden bench.
Pieces of garden furniture are necessary to equip your summer cottage a place to relax at your own discretion. Photos of benches in the garden look attractive. Any craftsman can make such furniture himself.
First, you will need to decide on the choice of material for the future product and select a suitable design solution.
Materials for work
garden bench can be made from various materials. Each of them has its own advantages.
Plastic bench
This piece of furniture has many advantages. Plastic products affordable, they do not require special care, they are easy to disassemble and assemble. Today plastic is presented in a rich range of colors.
However, there are also disadvantages. Plastic item looks cheaper than wooden product. Under the influence of direct sun rays it fades quickly, and its surface can become deformed.
Wood for garden furniture
To make original benches for a summer residence, craftsmen often use wood. Wood is easy to process, the material looks noble, and installation does not take much time.
The main requirements are the absence of defects and good drying.
Stone products
The naturalness of the material is its undeniable advantage; it attracts with its natural beauty. In finished products it looks luxurious and stylish.
Items from natural stone easy to make with your own hands. However, the material has not only advantages, but also disadvantages:
- Sitting on a cold stone is harmful to your health.
- Installation of the bench is carried out exclusively permanently.
What about metal?
Metal benches are an excellent decoration for a recreation area. Way cold forging, like the hot forging method, allows you to create beautiful designs.
In addition, metal combines perfectly with glass or wood.
What should the ideal shop be like?
Among all the requirements, the main ones can be identified:
- Comfort. It is necessary that the bench be ergonomic. A bench with a back is a good option.
- The product must cope with serious loads. The master needs to choose exclusively quality materials and accessories.
Structural features of the bench
A summer resident who wants to improve the landscape around the house should know how to make a bench with his own hands. You must first determine the dimensions.
Dimensions – 1.5 mx0.4 m, height – 0.45 m (seat) and 900 m (back). The back is made at an angle of 18 or 20 degrees. It is important to complete the drawings of the bench correctly, then the work will not be a problem.
The master will need to prepare the following:
- Primer, varnish;
- Special sandpaper for wood;
- Screwdriver;
- Electric planer;
- Jigsaw;
- Self-tapping screws 40X40;
- Blanks for front and rear legs, as well as for backrest holders;
- Wooden boards with dimensions 1500X150 and thickness from 35 mm to 40 mm.
Making a wooden structure with your own hands
It’s good when you can find boards with the required dimensions on the market.
When suitable option It wasn’t available on the construction market; the craftsman will have to arm himself with a jigsaw to cut the material himself. A miter saw will help speed up the process.
Note!
Finished workpieces must be processed. The surface of the boards for the backrest and seat needs to be sanded. The ends are processed using an electric planer, best option– make them with a rounded shape.
The next stage is to give the required angle of inclination, in this case we are talking about the rear legs of the bench. These elements serve as a frame. Markings are applied to the prepared parts.
We measure the height - 0.4 m. It is necessary to make a cut equal to 20 degrees to form an angle of inclination. The distance between the legs of the bench in front and behind should be 0.28 m. A beam with a size of 0.5 m connects the legs. It is better when the strapping is done not only from above, but also from below.
The sides are connected as soon as the assembly of the main parts is completed. The boards are fastened with self-tapping screws to the strapping bars, which are located on top. Gaps are left between the workpieces to drain moisture.
When installing the backrest, the board that goes first is attached at a distance of 0.2 m from the seat, and the second - 0.38 m.
Note!
You can start finishing coating products. For this purpose, impregnation with varnish for external use is used. Such funds will help ensure reliable protection from any harmful actions from the outside.
How to create a metal structure?
The craftsman can create a comfortable place for a relaxation area using cold forging techniques. It is better to start with models that have angular shapes; they are easier to manufacture.
Detailed instructions
We decide on the dimensions (length - 1.5 m, height - 0.8 or 0.9 m, width - 0.4 or 0.5 m).
We make blanks for the frame from cut pipes. You will need to prepare 2 pieces with dimensions of 0.4 m and 2 more fragments of 1.5 m each. We connect these parts into a rectangle and weld them. To make the structure more durable, we weld 2 stiffeners.
To make blanks for the legs, metal pipe cut into 4 parts, the length of each should be 0.4 m. The blanks are attached to the corners of the bench. To strengthen the legs, additional stiffening ribs are installed.
Note!
To make the back you will need 2 blanks. The length of one should be 1.5 m, and the other – 0.44 mm. We weld the blanks for the back together and weld them to the seat. We must not forget about the angle of inclination. For rest to be comfortable, it must be at least 15 or 20 degrees.
The back can also be strengthened with stiffening ribs.
On last stage The seams are cleaned. The surface of the frame is coated with a primer.
If you plan to make a product with shaped elements, then completing such a task will require more time.
DIY bench photo
A garden bench made of wood, made by yourself, can be an excellent addition to the exterior of a summer cottage. It will be aesthetic and comfortable to use. Some people purchase similar furniture in the appropriate stores, but if you decide to do this, you will understand that choosing a bench based on size and design is very difficult. For this reason, it is recommended to make a similar design on your own. The instructions presented below will be useful for both private home craftsmen and professionals.
Preparing a basic set of materials and tools
A garden bench made of wood with your own hands can be made only after the craftsman manages to prepare the following materials and tools, without which the work will be impossible. Thus, you will need to prepare:
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- a circular saw that can be replaced with a hand saw;
- chisel;
- grinding machine;
- hammer;
- pencil;
- square;
- level;
- roulette
It will be impossible to ensure a strong fastening if you do not use glue designed for working with wood during the work. You will also need a primer. After manufacturing, the bench can be painted, for which you should use the appropriate composition, which will not only improve appearance wood, but will also make it more resistant to external manifestations. Don't forget that putty will also come in handy. But in order to make the pores closed, you need to purchase a composition that promotes this.
A garden bench made of wood with your own hands must be processed; you must use one that has a grain size of 120. For fastening, you should use self-tapping screws, the length of which is 5 and 6.3 cm.
Preparation of material for the structure
You will need to prepare four bars with dimensions equal to 5x10x244 cm. And also a couple of bars with dimensions equal to 2.5x10x244 cm. Another beam should have dimensions equal to 2.5x5x244 cm. After you manage to prepare the above elements, you should cut them out smaller ones, the dimensions of which will be presented below. To do this, you should use, however, you can cope with the work hand saw, but the process will be somewhat longer.
Sawing out parts of the bench
It is quite possible to make a garden one) it will have four legs, the size of each of which is 5x10x42 cm. You will also need two wooden spacers. The size of each is 2.5x10x5.7 cm. The edges of the frame should also be made in duplicate, each measuring 2.5x10x15 cm. There should also be two spacers (5x4x30 cm). The sides of the frame (2 pieces) must have the following parameters: 2.5x4x155 cm. You will also need the same amount internal partitions frames with dimensions of each within 2.5x4x24 cm. But the supports need to be cut out five pieces, their dimensions are 2.5x5x24 cm. The boards that will form the basis of the seat of the structure should be four, their dimensions are 5x10x165 cm. At the end you can cut There are also two edge boards, their size should be 2.5x10x35 cm.
Before you make a garden bench out of wood with your own hands, you need to think about whether it will be used in tandem with any table. This is important because the bench should be in harmony with the rest of the furniture in the garden. In order for the bench to look consistent with the overall exterior, its surface after manufacturing can be painted to match the color of the rest of the furniture. personal plot. After the master has cut out all the elements, among which the legs can be distinguished; seats; beams for the frame, etc., you need to carry out work to clean the surface of all elements in order to rid them of roughness and chips, using sandpaper.
Bench assembly technology
If you are thinking about how to make a garden bench out of wood with your own hands, then at the first stage you need to work on the legs. During this process, the master must try to take care of the stability of the structure. To do this, it is equipped with spacers. Using a chisel, you need to make a notch in the bars that are intended for making legs. A hammer should also be used in tandem with a chisel. Each leg consists of two bars, which are secured together with glue designed for working with wood. In addition, for a more durable connection it is necessary to use mechanical fasteners - self-tapping screws. The recesses must be made such that their depth is equivalent to the thickness of the leg bar. At the next stage, it is necessary to begin attaching the gaskets that are installed on inner surface legs In this case, it is necessary to use self-tapping screws, the length of which is 5 cm. Additionally, the parts are attached with an adhesive composition.
Fixing plates to spacers
When is it made? garden bench made of wood with your own hands, the drawings of which are presented below, at the next stage you can begin attaching the spacer plates. In this case, mechanical fastening and glue should also be used. The length of the self-tapping screw used should be 5 cm
Working on the spacers and frame
Now you can strengthen the legs together using spacers. In this case, you must use the same screws and glue. Then you can do the installation of the frame. To do this, a pair of 155-centimeter bars and a pair of 24-centimeter boards must be strengthened with screws and glue. In this case, the master must use a square, which will ensure the correct arrangement of the elements in relation to each other, as for the bars. The spacer parts must be installed and then fixed with self-tapping screws and glue to the lower edge of the main frame, this will ensure the stability of the frame.
Fixing legs and seat boards
Having made garden benches and benches from wood with your own hands, at the next stage you can begin fixing the frame to the legs. Now you need to use self-tapping screws, the length of which is 6.3 cm. The fastening is also carried out with glue. It is necessary to install mechanical fasteners extremely carefully, this will eliminate the possibility of damage to the bar, the body of which may simply split.
In order to be able to correctly install the boards for the seat, you must first determine the center of the supports, and then attach them. If you make blind holes, then the seat of the structure can be mounted separately, only after fixing it to the frame. When making a garden bench from solid wood with your own hands, a diagram of which is presented in the article, you need to make the grooves between the boards minimal and ensure that the boards are close to each other.
Working on edge boards and finishing
Only now can you start working on the edge boards. They need to be screwed with self-tapping screws to the legs of the structure. But if you make blind holes, it will be possible to strengthen the edge boards at a distance of 6 cm from those that underlie the seat.
With your own hands, solid wood must be finished with high quality in order to protect its surface from negative influences environment. Initially, the product must be rid of burrs, there should be no chips on the elements, for which the structure must be well polished using sandpaper. The holes that remain after installing the mechanical fasteners must be filled with putty. Afterwards, the wood must be treated with a foam-filling compound. This will not only protect from moisture, but also from drying out, the latter of which can cause a violation of the original dimensions of the bench. For high-quality paint application, the wood is pre-treated with a primer. After it has dried, you can begin painting. In this state, the bench should be left for the time necessary for the paint to dry, only after which the bench can be used.
Certainly, excellent option is a combination of wood and metal. Do-it-yourself garden benches made of metal and wood are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also durable, but in order to make a bench from steel, you must have the skills to use a welding machine.
A garden bench is perhaps the most common furniture in a summer cottage. This is natural, because the garden involves relaxation and enjoyment of nature. And it is best to admire the surrounding vegetation while sitting on a comfortable bench.
Description and dimensions
The simplest metal bench for a summer house consists of two supports and a seat. For greater comfort of vacationers, a backrest is provided.
Thematic material:
Benches made of metal without the use of other materials (wood, plastic, etc.) are classified as anti-vandal.
However, it is irrational to install such furniture in a home garden. After all, metal has tens of times greater thermal conductivity; sitting on it is uncomfortable and even harmful to health. That's why country bench It’s better to build according to the formula: metal carcass+ wooden seat with backrest.
Bench diagram from profile pipe section 25x30 mm and wooden beam 60x30 mm.
The size of the bench is selected individually. But there are a few rules to keep in mind:
- The length of the bench is determined at the rate of 0.6 m per person.
- Width – minimum 30 cm.
- Back height - from 30 cm.
- The angle between the seat and backrest is from 105° to 120°.
- The height of the bench is determined by the length of the tibia (to the popliteal fossa). Usually it is 38-45 cm.
If the bench is above 45 cm, then the legs hang down; when below 30 cm, the knees are bent under acute angle, which impedes blood circulation and manifests itself in the form of an uncomfortable feeling of numb legs. Another nuance that requires attention when designing is the relative position of the backrest and seat. If the angle between them approaches a right angle, then you will have to sit as if you had swallowed a crowbar. From a physiological point of view, this is useful for the spine... But it is inconvenient.
Options for arrangement of wooden parts
There are two ways to place bars - along and across. There is much less work with the longitudinal one, but the transverse one allows you to make a more homely and comfortable bench.
The location of the bar across – 1, along – 2
Considering that the frame is the same in both cases, additional work are required only for drilling holes and manufacturing wooden elements.
In case of damage, it is much easier to change the transversely located lamellas, and such repairs are cheaper.
Bench protective cover
Wood and metal are processed separately. It is better to use a primer for the frame. IN ideal– red lead, which will protect the metal frame from corrosion for decades. Especially considering that at the dacha there is such garden furniture is under snow for six months.
The wood can simply be painted. But if you first dry it, let it dry for a couple of days, then apply varnish in two layers, then such a coating is guaranteed to protect the wood from environmental influences.
In any case, color compatibility and design ideas are important. For example, if the frame is covered with Kuzbasslak, then it is better to varnish the wooden parts, this will emphasize the natural texture of the material.
To make the protection of the bars effective, the treatment is carried out before fixing to the frame.
Raw materials for frame
Depending on the type of metal base, the following types of garden benches are distinguished:
- forged;
- from a professional pipe;
- from the corners;
- from scrap metal.
Forged benches
- machine (cold) forging;
- artistic (manual).
In the first case ready product welded from elements subjected to machine processing (casting, stamping, rolling). To create a garden bench from such components, you need a drawing on which all the parts and their locations are marked. The elements are fixed by welding. Then the seams are cleaned, sanded, and the finished product is primed. Such a bench for a summer house will cost 5 times less than one made by artistic forging.
But it’s impossible to make a hand-forged shop without special skills. The sidewalls can be purchased separately and the seat can be fixed to them. On the one hand, this good decision, because you can independently adjust the length of the bench, but on the other hand, such pleasure is expensive. It takes a blacksmith a whole day to make one element. This is reflected in the price. A forged garden bench is a very expensive thing.
But we hasten to note that if you meticulously, without deviating one iota from the drawing, assemble a bench from machine forged elements, then carefully process and paint the welds, then 99% of people will not distinguish such a garden bench from a more expensive one forged by hand.
Bench made of profiled pipe
This is the most convenient material to work with. To make the bench frame, a square or rectangular pipe is used. Its advantage is its high resistance to physical impact, ease of assembly and low price.
A pipe with a wall thickness of 2-3 mm is enough to support a weight of up to 300 kg. You just need to correctly draw up a drawing and select elements from wood of the appropriate thickness.
You can bend parts made from professional pipes yourself. Before bending, the pipe is tightly filled with fine sand. A ready-made elements structures are fixed either by welding or bolts.
Special requirements are placed on the fasteners that connect wooden elements. They should have rounded hats to prevent damage to clothes.
Benches from the corner
Working with this material is as convenient as working with corrugated pipe; bolting is easy. It's just more difficult to bend the corner. The drawing for making a basic bench can be sketched by hand, the main thing is to maintain symmetry and maintain the dimensions.
At the dacha, such furniture looks organic, especially if you paint it in uniform style with surrounding objects.
Scrap shop
This is the most creative direction in making garden furniture. There can be no exact drawings here. Only general design ideas limit the owner’s imagination.
You can use any metal that comes to hand. The main thing is to clearly understand what you want to see in your dacha - a practical bench or a futuristic miracle that will attract the eyes of guests and passers-by.
