How to Secure Benches and Picnic Tables to Various Surfaces

Choose a flat surface and put your bench in place to mark the holes for drilling.

Installation on Concrete

Concrete sidewalks are the most common surface that benches are installed on. Hammer drill the appropriate size holes for 3/8″ tap-in concrete anchors and secure the bench in place with your anchors. For additional security to prevent theft, use one of our anti-theft removeable or non-removeable nuts.

Installation on Wooden Decks

For wooden decks constructed from beams or ties that have a small gap in between each beam, line up your bench so all the mounting holes sit in the center of the beams (at least 3/4″ away from the edge). Mark your holes and drill pilot holes so you can install 3/8″ or 1/2″ lag bolts without splitting the wood.

Installation on Asphalt

Heavy objects such as parking curbs are usually pinned in place on asphalt using 14″ long rebar spikes. For lighter objects such as benches, this will not provide adequate security. A section of asphalt should be cut out and replaced with a concrete footing at least 4″ deep. The bench can then be secured using the standard concrete anchoring procedure. Concrete footings can be painted with black paint to blend them into the surrounding asphalt.

Installation on Interlocking Pavers

Interlocking pavers or brick sidewalks create a unique challenge for anchoring benches and other site furnishings in place. The first step is to remove the pavers and dig out the layer of sand beneath them. Next, pour concrete footings or an entire concrete pad to anchor your bench to.

There are two options for finishing this kind of installation. The footings can remain under the pavers with the bricks put backin place over the footings, or the bricks can be left out with the top of the concrete footings or pad being level with the top of the surrounding pavers.

Installation on Landscaped Areas

The only way to secure your bench in a landscaped area is to build a concrete pad underneath it. Choose an area the bench will fit in comfortably. Dig out the area and insert wooden forms around the edges of your pad location. Your forms can be built using 2″ x 4″ or 2″ x 6″ boards sitting on edge.

Your concrete pad should be at least 4″ thick and level with the surrounding ground. Once your pad is in place, you can anchor your bench to it as you would any concrete surface.

See our selection of benches and picnic tables.