Decorative concrete furniture

Concrete is known as a building material. But today, human fantasy has gone much further. Concrete began to be used for the production of modern furniture. And not only for outdoor use, but also for indoor use.

Furniture made of this durable material is a feature of modern design solutions.

What concrete is used to make furniture

What concrete is used for furniture depends on how the product will be used further - outside or indoors. As a rule, the base solution is a mixture of sand, cement grade M 400 (without additives), fine gravel, water (25% by weight of dry matter) and a special superplasticizer - a substance that gives the solid mixture more plasticity.

In addition, this facilitates further work on the processing of the already finished, hardened composition.

Decorative

To solve various design problems, the following can be added to the basic solution:

• pigments, preferably natural (for example, oxides of various metals);
• marble chips;
• stone filler;
• coil;
• water-repellent additives;
• additional elements for decoration.

The use of a variety of impurities and fillers allows you to create unique specimens of concrete furniture, which become an excellent component of a modern design solution, decorate the interior, and make it original.

How concrete furniture is made

To make concrete furniture, you need to know the features of the casting process. To begin with, they are determined with the form.

To form a future product, they use:

• old plywood;
• laminated chipboard;
• slats;
• laminate;
• boards and other durable materials with a good water-repellent surface.

To make the stripping easier, the wooden frame is shaped, covered with a thick plastic wrap. For reinforcement, mesh or matter is used.

While the solution is soft, you can use pre-dried fruits or plant leaves, beautiful pebbles, coins - whatever you like to decorate the upper part of the product.

Additional information: objects are laid neatly to the very bottom, glued so that the dense mass does not move them during spreading and hardening.

What tools are used for work

Making concrete furniture takes a lot of time, since there is no need to rush in such a "delicate" matter - everything must be done carefully and carefully. Tools and special materials are indispensable.

For the manufacture of concrete furniture are used:

• circular saw or jigsaw (for cutting the formwork);
• mixer or special attachment for a perforator;
• wood drills and a screwdriver (for assembling the base of the structure);
• grinder for processing concrete surfaces (preferably with moisture protection);
• small tools: spatulas, tape measure, square, container for mixing the basic solution and others.

For your information: the number of tools that you have to use in your work, and their purpose may differ. It depends on the complexity of the structure being manufactured.

Important! When working with a circular saw, jigsaw and sander, it is important to comply with safety rules.

Casting technology

How is concrete furniture made - more precisely, how is it cast? There are two main methods known - direct casting and reverse casting. In the first case, the formwork is assembled (in place), the upper side of the grout will be the front side in the future.

In the second, the form is assembled, the filling is done separately: the bottom becomes the top in perspective. Re-pouring results in a smoother surface, which further reduces finishing time.

Mixing mortar and pouring: stages of work

How to make a base solution? With a mixer, of course. The composition of "furniture" concrete is already known. It was discussed above.

1. Knead the mass.
2. The mold is poured in one of the casting methods from the edges to the center.
3. So that there are no cavities left from air bubbles, the sides and bottom are well tapped.
4. Cover the top with a thick film and leave to dry. The time of the latter depends on the thickness of the mass, its volume: sometimes 4 hours are enough, and sometimes it takes several days.
5. The dried product is removed from the frame (a spatula - to help): first, carefully release the side parts, then the bottom.
6. The product is trimmed, cleaned with a brush dipped in water.
7. The obtained sample is well polished, the surfaces are treated with special means.

How does the processing take place?

Concrete furniture should not only be durable, but also visually attractive. This is achieved through further processing. Irregularities, voids are covered with an acrylic-based sealant, then the composition is allowed to dry.

The next step is a thorough sanding. You can also process the surface by hand, but it will take a long time. It is better to use a grinder or a drill with special attachments.

1. They begin to work with a coarse, coarse circle. Then they change it to those with a small fraction - 50 and 100.
2. Polishing is performed with a disc with an abrasiveness of 400 units and above. It is possible to use a suede or felt nozzle. To achieve a specular surface, they work at minimum speed.
3. Sometimes the polishing stage is omitted: they immediately use an acrylic-based varnish or primer. Then the treated surface is dried.

What are the legs for furniture made of

Legs for concrete furniture can be made from a variety of materials. The main thing is to provide reliable support.

1. Metal. These can be ready-made, store-bought legs or made yourself. Metal and concrete go well together. The shine of the metal and the well-polished concrete surface is an interesting option that can complement well the modern design of the room.
2. Wood. The use of wooden, stable supports and concrete is one of the common combinations. Such furniture is suitable for both outdoor and indoor use. Legs of an unusual shape can be made from wood. In some bold design solutions, the support can hardly be called legs. It all depends on the imagination and taste of the author.
3. Concrete. Legs can be made of this material in square and rectangular and cylindrical shapes, with bends and bizarre shapes. The main thing is to have a good shape for low tide, and the conversation about technology went above.

How to decorate concrete furniture

There are many ways to decorate a concrete surface. This is a creative process.

• The easiest option is to decorate with pigments, white or colored.
• Laying ceramic tiles. A very convenient way to refine a straight horizontal surface. Its advantage is that the long and tedious stage of grinding and polishing is practically unnecessary. The tile protects the surface well from dirt and moisture, washes well, retains its original appearance for a long time. Instead of ceramics, you can use become mosaic, composite tiles.
• Various fillers: beads, shell rock, seed beads, coins, colored glass or stones (marble, granite). Let us repeat that at first these objects must be "put" on glue so that the composition does not collapse at the moment of pouring the concrete mixture.
• Wood inlay. The use of valuable wood species. Concerning this option, the opinions of connoisseurs of concrete furniture are not unambiguous. Some believe that such a combination of materials is just perfect, while others, on the contrary, see it as a dissonance: wood "breathes", and concrete is static.

Additional information: Cracks may appear in the wood over time.

There are a lot of options for concrete furniture, you can't list everything: chairs, tables, stairs, benches, countertops and more. Such products are durable, easy to clean. Here are just lungs they, perhaps, can not be called.

It is obvious that making such furniture is a whole art. Originality, creativity are appropriate in this matter.

Video: Unit Economy - Concrete Interiors

Furniture and concrete products in the photo