Concrete furniture and features
Not everything worth polishing is a floor. Benches, seats, planter boxes, fire pit surrounds, hearths and outdoor kitchen tops are finished by hand with variable-speed polishers and resin pads, working through the grits the same way we do a slab.
What you see. The same two choices as a floor - how much stone shows and how much it shines - with edges eased so they are comfortable to sit on and lean against.
Where it suits. Cast-in-place benches and seats, precast pieces before or after they are installed, planter walls, fire pit surrounds and hearths, outdoor kitchen benchtops.
What to know. Vertical faces and tight corners are slower than flat tops, so furniture is quoted by the piece rather than by size. Near a fire pit or hearth we use a penetrating sealer rather than a coating, because coatings do not like heat.
Who it is for
- Outdoor benches and built-in seating
- Planter boxes and garden walls
- Fire pit surrounds and hearths
- Outdoor kitchen benchtops
Included
- Honing or polishing of tops, faces and edges to the finish you choose
- Eased edges and arrises
- Filling of small holes
- Sealer to suit the use - penetrating for seats, planters and fire surrounds
Not included
- Casting or repairing the concrete itself
- Structural crack repair
- Removing paint or render - quoted separately
How it runs
- 1
Plans or photos
Send the drawings, or photos and rough sizes. Most pieces can be quoted before we visit.
- 2
Test
A test patch on a hidden face shows what the concrete gives and how much stone is there.
- 3
Hone or polish
Resin pads by hand through the grit sequence, edges eased as we go.
- 4
Seal
A sealer chosen for how the piece is used - sat on, planted in, or next to a fire.
Time on site. Most single pieces are a day on site. A run of benches or planters is usually two to three days.
Price. Quoted per piece or per job, from plans or photos. Combined with a floor, it is quoted as part of the same job.
Questions
Can you polish a precast bench or planter?
Yes. Precast pieces often polish well because they are cast against a smooth mould. We can finish them on site or before they are installed.
Will a polished bench be slippery or hot to sit on?
Outdoors we usually hone rather than polish, which keeps a matte, grippy surface and less glare. Concrete in full sun gets warm whatever the finish.
Can you fix chips on edges?
Small chips can be filled and ground back. The repair will be close in colour but rarely invisible.
Can you do the furniture at the same time as the floor?
Yes, and it is the cheapest way to do it - the setup is already on site.
Other finishes
Tell us about the slab.
Still at plans stage, slab poured, or a floor that is already down - send what you have. Plans, photos or a rough area. We come back with what the slab can do and a day count.