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Park Benches 101
We offer a full selection of outdoor benches in a variety of materials, including high-quality wood benches, ecologically friendly recycled plastic park benches, concrete park benches, thermoplastic-coated metal players’ benches and aluminum players’ benches, and decorative powder coated steel benches. All of our benches are available in a variety of lengths and colors to meet any facility’s seating needs.
Within our extensive collection, you’ll find benches ideal for country clubs, beach clubs, schools, universities, municipal parks, office parks, retail lifestyle centers, multi-family apartment complex, stadiums, arenas, office parks, churches, convention centers and restaurants.
Figuring out which bench to buy:
Whether it’s material type, mounting option, venue appropriateness or proper environmental consideration, below are the recommended questions to assist you in choosing the correct product choice for your venue.
How many people are you looking to accommodate?
Industry standard states every 18” equals one seat. All benches are available in a variety of sizes starting as short as 4 feet and measuring as large as 15 feet. If your trying to accommodate 20 people and wants to know how many 6 foot benches they should purchase, simply utilize the below calculation.
Convert 6 feet into inches. Result equals 72 inches per bench. Divide the result by 18 to determine how many people can fit on one bench. 72/18=4 people per bench. The customer in this example will need five benches to accommodate 20 patrons.
How do I know what mounting option I need?
There are three common mounting options industry wide. Portable, surface mount and In-ground mount. Each mounting option satisfies a specific requirement.
Portable- A portable mount is required if you would like to move the product from one location to another. This is a non-permanent mount that will just allow the product to rest on a flat level surface independently without anchoring.
Surface Mount -The surface mount option is meant for the customer that wants to anchor the product down so it is semi-permanent. This mounting option requires a concrete or asphalt surface in order to anchor bolts into the mounting surface. The surface mount option is one that can be flexible. If your customer wants to relocate the product, they just need to remove the anchor bolts and relocate the bench to the location of choice.
In-Ground - This mounting option is the most permanent of the three mounting options. The most common placement for an in-ground mount is in a grassy area or in an area that will have a future concrete pad. This mounting option requires more labor than the other two mounting options as a predetermined number of holes must be drilled a minimum of 16” below grade, concrete must be poured in each hole, and the frame must be set in the concrete overnight for curing. Once the concrete has cured overnight then the balance of the components can be attached to the already installed frame. This is a permanent mounting option and cannot be relocated once installed. There is a word of caution when utilizing in-ground mount. If the product is not at the proper depth below grade, the thaw and freezing conditions can boost the product out of the ground.
How do I know what material type I need?
Where are you installing the product? If your venue is a Hotel and you want to place benches along the beach behind the hotel, then you will need to recommend a non-corrosive material that will not rust in a salt environment. Our best recommendation would be either Recycled Plastic or Concrete. You will want to stay away from any type of material that has metal as a salt environment will just corrode any type of metal.
If your venue is a park and recreation and you’re looking to purchase products to place throughout your property, almost anything goes. A key thing to consider is how much use the park bench will get. The use will determine how durable of a material you will need. Another factor to consider will be the maintenance schedule. In the industry we know wood is the most high maintenance product. A great recommendation for low maintenance options would be a recycled plastic or thermoplastic coated park bench.
What kinds of benches are there and what’s the difference?
Material Type
Available Color Options
Features and Benefits
Environmental /Venue Appropriateness
Aluminum
Standard Aluminum Planking. Custom colors available via RAL number.
Light weight
Corrosive free
Moderately priced
Available in multiple
Sizes
Economical to ship
due to weight
Can be moved easily
from place to place
Can be used both
indoor and outdoor
Aluminum is appropriate for outdoor spaces where furnishings are exposed to ALL element types.
Aluminum will withstand a high heat, cold, rain or salty air environment.
Aluminum benching is commonly found at all types of recreational venues, such as fields/courts (i.e. football or basketball).
Concrete
Four available finishes and six colors to choose from within each finish. (Please see concrete materials manual for more information.)
Maximum durability
Low maintenance
Rugged steel
reinforced
construction
Extremely heavy
More permanent
application due to
product weight
Can be used both
indoor and outdoor
Concrete is appropriate in all outdoor spaces where furnishings are exposed to ALL element types.
Concrete will withstand a high heat, cold, rain or salty air environment.
Some common facilities that would utilize concrete are military bases, state parks and official buildings.
Fiberglass
There are five standard finishes for fiberglass.
A smooth finish is available in thirty designer colors.
There are three upgraded finishes that have a textured look and are available in nineteen color options.
A premium patina finish is also available in eleven metallic colors.
Designer look
Maintenance free
Can be used both
indoor and outdoor
Fiberglass is great for indoor and outdoor use.
Common interior venues include food courts, restaurants and office buildings.
Common outdoor environments include streetscapes both inland and oceanfront.
Fiberglass products are manufactured to compliment a wide range of interior/exterior styles to match any environmental condition.
Thermoplastic
There are Sixteen popular colors to choose from:
Beige
Black
BK Green (forest green)
Blue
Brown
Burgundy
Granite
Gray
Green (grass green)
Navy
Orange
Purple
Red
Sandstone
Teal
Yellow
Available in six
different construction
styles:
Expanded Metal
Perforated Metal
Strap style
Welded wire
Diamond pattern
Rod style
Graffiti resistant
Easily repaired if
vandalized
There are three
mounting options:
Portable
In-Ground
Surface
Can be used both
indoor and outdoor
Thermoplastic is perfect for any high traffic environment that requires industrial strength seating.
Common venues for this type of seating include schools, parks, recreation facilities, campgrounds, sports complexes and universities.
Thermoplastic is ideal for either indoor or outdoor use in most environments excluding oceanfront.
Powder Coated Steel
There are thirteen powder coat colors to choose from and some bench options offer custom colors.
Custom colors available via RAL number.
Available in simplistic
designs such as strap
metal or extremely
decorative, intricate
designs
Heavy duty steel
construction
Can be used both
indoor and outdoor
Powder coated steel is known for its modern look.
These types of products are perfect for most environments with the exception of ocean front.
Most venues, such as convention centers, office buildings, universities, commercial retail lifestyle centers, country clubs and stadiums, utilize this modern style benching for both indoor and outdoor use.
Recycled Plastic
There are five plank colors to choose from:
Black
Cedar
Green
Gray
White
Products are
constructed of 100%
recycled plastic with
no fillers
Extremely durable
Maintenance free
All planking contains
UV
inhibitors to protect
the
beauty of the plastic
Repairable if
vandalized
Material qualifies
towards LEED
certification
Recycled plastic is perfect for any environment including ocean side. Recycled plastic will withstand a high heat, cold, rain or salty air environment.
Recycled plastic benches are commonly found at a variety of venues such as convention centers, office buildings, universities, commercial retail lifestyle centers, schools and stadiums.
Wood
There are five available wood plank options:
Oak
Mahogany
Redwood
Southern yellow pine
(both treated and non-treated)
Teak
Cost effective
Requires maintenance
Must be treated with an insect repellant and coated with polyurethane or an appropriate top coat in order to maximize longevity of the product
Different types of wood are appropriate for different venues and environments.
The basic wood benching is most commonly found in State Parks, along walking trails or on athletic fields. The higher end wood products such as Teak, Redwood and Mahogany will be commonly found at hotels, streetscapes or in a restaurant setting.
Which bench is appropriate for my facility?
Facility Type
Aluminum
Concrete
Fiberglass
Thermoplastic
Powder Coated Steel
Recycled Plastic
Wood
Campgrounds
X
X
X
Federal Government
X
X
X
X
Muni
X
X
X
X
Oceanfront
X
X
X
Office Buildings
X
X
X
Resorts/Country Clubs
X
X
X
X
Retail Lifestyle Centers
X
X
X
X
Schools/Colleges
X
X
X
X
X
Stadiums/Arenas
X
X
X
X
State Parks
X
X
X
X