If you’ve ever seen concrete furniture in someone’s home or office, you know just how rich and elegant it appears. Because it’s so beautifully made, most people have no idea its even concrete. Whether a dining room table, chair, desk, or outdoor seating, this type of furniture looks more like expensive wood. So how do the experts make it?
For starters, the best concrete furniture makers use glass fiber-reinforced concrete, or GFRC, which is four times denser than wood. Instead of overly bulky and heavy stuff crafted years ago of precast concrete reinforced with steel, GFRC is lighter weight yet incredibly strong. As a result, experts can create virtually anything the customer wants.
As with any material, the making of concrete furniture starts with the design. In this case, the piece is cast using GFRC. With the mold complete, the professional applies caulk to the seams. That prevents liquid from penetrating. After curing, the professional pours the GFRC. What makes this so great is that there’s no need to install reinforcement since its part of the concrete material. As expected, this helps speed up the process.
The concrete is then leveled or smoothed out to ensure the concrete furniture comes out perfectly. Once dry, the expert removes the mold, exposing the newly crafted piece. Experts then use various tools combined with years of experience to even out rough areas and correct any minor defects. To give the concrete furniture its final look, the professional applies a decorative solution.
For molds, many professionals rely on 3D images. That way, they can design exactly what the customer wants. Especially when creating furniture with unique detailing, this helps. Also, experts can add various embellishments for a one-of-a-kind piece. These include cobblestone, colored glass, quartz beads, and fossils.
As part of making concrete furniture, the best designers can add special effects. As a prime example, a lot of customers love what appears as either blue water or red lava flowing the length of a coffee table. It’s also possible to have specialty lighting added, giving the furniture even more appeal.