Help!! Custom Trim Ideas Needed.

Kevin75

Hi guys...I have a client that wants the concrete benches in this photo wrapped with wood. The dimensions are roughly 4" thick by 13" deep. There's a total of about 40 linear feet to cover. In the picture below the concrete is directly above the stone...both in the corner and below the windows. She wants it stained as opposed to painted. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Kevin

The picture is here:

wink

some type of moisture barrier or thin pressure treated sleepers, then one of the veneer plywoods,(oak or maple or such), across the wide part, then a peace of quarter round,(of the same type of wood)so you can then put another peace of veneer plywood down the 4" part ending with a peace of inverted base cap or cove molding , then stain and finish, i hope i exlpained what i was trying to say, sometimes i'm not to good at it, pictures of the finished product please, good luck

HamiltonTrim

One possible way would be to liquid nail some pressure treated cleats onto the concrete and let that dry.
From there you could take 1/4 mdf and cover the face of the seat.
Create a bench top from mdf with a 3/4 hardwood edge with any number of edge profiles.
If you make the front edge of the top 1 1/2 wide it will have over the front covering the top edge of 1/4" mdf.
If the back edge of the seat is scribed to the window no need for any trim back there.
You could also dress up the bottom edge of the 1/4" front with some sort of panel cap as well.
Finish wood as usual.
Hope this helps.

__________________
An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
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Double-A

As large as those benches appear, I'm not sure I'd use an adhesive on them. This is nice looking work, and someone down the road might prefer the way they look now, as opposed to the wood look.

A wooden bench top would sit on them without much movement, just from weight alone. Not much chance of them sliding off.

I like the shim idea, perhaps some shims cut from dry treated lumber 1/16th inch thick spaced 3 inches apart or so should give excellent support and keep your tops from directly contacting the concrete.

If you are worried about anything sliding, you can 'butter' one side of your shims with a thin layer of silicone, let that dry, then 'butter' the other side and let that dry before installing them. This should make the wooden bench top and shims nonslip enough to resist movement under any lateral load anyone's butt might apply (some butts are more lateral than others).

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

troubleseeker

I kind of had the same feeling about permanently disfiguring them as it looks like something that blends in well with what seems to be the original architecture of the house. I was thinking maybe slow set hot melt or even double sided carpet tape to hold the plywood skins in place. The little vertical skirt could be mechanically fastened to the top with conventional glue, nails, pocket screws, or any combination, then the assemply "tacked " to the concrete. If it is sealed completely on the back before installation, and built from cabinet grade birch, there should not be much potential for it wanting to warp, and needing a bunch of mechanical fasteners.

skymaster

Kevin; I agree wood does not belong there, the look "wood" be all wrong. Why not have upholstered cushions made? I think that would look so much better. If you put a few pcs of self stick velcro, then they would stay put and NOT do any damage to the stone work.
Someone spent alot of time and money to create what is there, kinda looks like a Craftsman design.

HamiltonTrim

I agree that the benches should be left alone, but the post said the client wanted them covered in wood.
Sure hot melt an double sided tape might hold for a while but would you warranty that.

__________________
An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
Ben Franklin