In recent years, recycled furniture and sustainable materials have become more popular. A table made of concrete is no surprise in interior design. With custom sizes and designs, a concrete table will bring a unique look to your interior space. If you want to build a DIY concrete table, read on!
Why Should You Build an Outdoor Concrete Table?
Benefits of building an outdoor concrete table base
Credit: Flowyline Design
Buy now: Desk Legs 502 Priya Table Legs
An outdoor table must be durable, able to withstand extreme temperatures, and suitable for your space. Tables with these criteria often cost up to hundreds of dollars at furniture stores. It may seem like a luxury if you rarely use it.
If you want to make a personal table, building an outdoor concrete table is the best choice. Why? There are some of the benefits of them!
- Requiring low maintenance: Concrete is known the best for its durability and ability to withstand the weather. While, glass, wood, or steel materials require regular maintenance. Otherwise, they will rot or fall apart. On the contrary, you only need a clean towel to keep the concrete table looking new.
- Coordinating easily with many styles: A concrete table looks simple but fits any interior space indoors and outdoors with any design color from classic to modern. The concrete table with wooden, concrete, plastic, or glass dining chairs without disturbing the layout.
- Customizing design: You can customize the shape, size, and color with simple tools. For industrially produced tables in a few sizes suitable for your home, a homemade concrete table will help you overcome this.
- Protecting environment: Concrete materials have a long life and rarely need to be replaced. It helps to limit waste to the environment and recycle other decorative items for your home.
- Saving costs: The investment cost for a concrete table is much cheaper than other materials. You also have less maintenance and will save money.
How to Build a DIY Outdoor Concrete Table?
How to make a concrete coffee table? Or how to make a concrete dining table for the garden. The good news is that you can find many instructions on Google and YouTube. Making a concrete table is not too expensive and does not take much time. You prepare the tools and materials and follow the detailed instructions below.
Equipment / Tools
- Caulking gun
- Rubber mallet, hammer drill, or orbital sander
- Hacksaw
- Tape measure
- Cordless drill
- Garden hoe
- Wheelbarrow or mixing tub
- Orbital sander
- Sandpaper
- Circular saw
- Speed Square
- Beveling tool (marble or ball bearing)
- Waterproof gloves
- Breathing protection
- Eye protection
- Shop vacuum
- Clean rags
- Drill bits and drivers
Materials
- Countertop concrete mix
- 1 sheet melamine-faced medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panel, common thickness 3/4-inch
- 1 roll 10-gauge remesh
- 1 1/2-inch screw
- Concrete sealer
- Silicone caulk
- Silicone adhesive
- Mineral oil or spray release agent
- 1 5-pound bag Portland cement
- Acrylic cement fortifier
- Instructions
- Cut Form Bottom and Sidewalls
- With the circular saw, cut the MDF into:
- Form Bottom: 1 piece, 38 inches by 26 inches
Step 1: Cut Form Bottom and Sidewalls
Prepare MDF to create a form
Credit: @Helgy on Canva
With the circular saw, cut the MDF into:
- Form Bottom: 1 piece, 38 inches by 26 inches
- Long Sidewalls: 2 pieces, every 38 inches by 2 1/4 inches
- Short Sidewalls: 2 pieces, each 27 1/2 inches by 2 1/4 inches
Step 2: Attach Form's Long Sidewalls
Lay the form bottom on a table. On one of the long sides of the form bottom, attach a long sidewall. Do this by first drilling six pilot holes in a line on the long sidewall. Space the pilot holes equally apart and 3/8 inches from the edge of the long sidewall.
Then, attach the long sidewall to one of the long sides of the form bottom. Use a cordless drill and 1 1/2-inch screw to attach the board to the bottom. Check for square with the Speed Square. Repeat on the other side of the form bottom with the remaining long sidewall.
Step 3: Attach Form's Short Sidewalls
Similar to the long sidewall, drill pilot holes in one of the short sidewalls and attach it to one of the form bottom's short sides. The only difference is that you will use four screws instead of six. Make sure that the ends of the short sidewall overlap the ends of the long sidewalls.
Step 4: Add Bevel
Tighten the joints with a glue gun
Credit: @abbesses on Canva
With the caulking gun, inject the silicone caulk into all 90-degree joints. Bevel the caulk with any rounded item such as marble, ball bearing, or glue stick. Parallel tracks of excess will develop. Leave the excess caulk in place for now.
Step 5: Remove Silicone Excess
Once the caulk has dried, slice off the excess caulk with a straight razor blade or with your fingernail.
Step 6: Cut Remesh
With the hacksaw, cut the remesh to 36 inches by 24 inches. If you are using remesh with a 6-inch grid pattern, you should have 24 full grid squares (6 on one side, 4 on the other side).
Step 7: Add Release Agent
Spray release agent inside the frame
Credit: @GregorBister on Canva
Clean the inside of the form with the shop vacuum. Spray the inside of the form with the release agent or, if using mineral oil, wipe on the oil with a clean cotton rag.
WARNING
Make sure you use mineral oil, not mineral spirits (a flammable product).
Step 8: Pour Concrete
Wearing rubber gloves and safety glasses, use the garden hoe to mix the concrete in a wheelbarrow or masonry mixing tub according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pour to the halfway point (3/4 inch).
Step 9: Add Remesh and Continue Pour
At the halfway point, add the remesh. Press the remesh into the concrete. Make sure that you maintain a 1-inch border between the remesh and all sidewalls.
Pour the rest of the concrete until it reaches the top of the sidewalls.
Step 10: Vibrate Concrete
Vibrate the sidewalls with a hammer drill or orbital sander to settle the concrete and eliminate voids.
Tip
Alternatively, you can rap the sidewalls with a rubber mallet to create vibration.
Step 11: Trowel Concrete
Smooth and even concrete surface
Credit: @kozmoat98 on Canva
Add more concrete as needed, since vibrating will cause the concrete to settle. Trowel the concrete smooth.
Step 12: Remove Form
Let the concrete cure for two to three days. Use the drill to unscrew the screws holding the sidewalls to the bottom of the form. Carefully pull the sidewalls off. With a helper, turn the concrete table over. Remove the bottom of the form.
Step 13: Sand Concrete
Sand the tabletop with 220 grit sandpaper on an oscillating sander or by hand. Mix a small amount of Portland cement and acrylic fortifier to fill voids, then sand again. Round off sharp edges. Round the beveled edges, too.
Step 14: Seal Concrete
Clean the tabletop with the shop vacuum. Apply three to four coats of concrete sealer. Each coat must thoroughly dry before you apply the next coat. Upon completion, apply countertop wax.
Step 15: Add Table Base to Concrete Table Tops
Choose suitable and sturdy table legs. Because the concrete table top is quite heavy, you choose table legs that can withstand the tabletop for a long time. Some models of metal table legs are introduced at Flowyline. After the table legs are installed on the concrete table top, fix them with silicone glue to ensure sturdiness.
Metal outdoor table legs and bases from Flowyline Design are highly crafted by handmade metal furniture makers, so they are prolonged to use, unique look, contemporary elegance, are budget-saving, easy-setting, and are easy to care for. They can hold up to 500lb top, so completely suitable for the concrete top.
Whether you prefer an inside or outside, modern, or rustic design, concrete tables can complement your style and withstand the challenges of the great outdoors. With minimal maintenance, your concrete table will be a lasting centerpiece for outdoor gatherings, providing you with years of enjoyment. Contact us at +1 (310) 756-0002 customerservice@flowyline.com or call us at to find solutions for your DIY concrete table.
