How To Build A Stone Inlay Concrete Bench

To build my 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.

See the drawings below for the dimensions of the bench forms.