A steel bench is becoming a popular alternative to classic wooden benches across the US for a number of reasons.

Why? What special advantages does a steel bench provide?

There are many. Let's start with the design.

The beauty of a steel bench is that it can be manufactured to resemble the pleasing aesthetics of traditional wood benches that have filled parks for centuries.

The metal can be forged to create any look:

The curved back of a Savannah bench.

The round arms of a Durham bench.

A straight back steel bench or a steel bench without a backrest.

Basically, any traditional design can be recreated to offer that nostalgic look that people prefer.

Steel bench features and benefits

But there are several other advantages why a steel bench is a smart choice:

• Wear and tear: park benches are popular benches. If you have a busy park, those park benches will have to deal with the challenge of constant usage, for many hours every day of the year. A steel bench built with heavy-duty, tough steel can handle the pressure.

 

• Heavy-duty fabrication: our steel benches are made with thick gauge, sturdy steel strips. The bench frames are reinforced with metal support rods. Legs and arms are also built with thick gauge tubing. Mounting plates are made with the same sturdy materials.

 

• High-quality MIG welding: MIG welding, or Gas Metal Arc Welding, is a process that uses a solid electrode combined with a shielding gas to weld molten material together. It's more efficient than other forms of welding and has deeper weld penetration. Bottom line - it's a high-grade method of welding also used in shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing and for metal pipes. That's the strong, superior type of weld you want on a steel bench at your facility.

  Durham steel benc

 

• Durable coatings: the raw material in a steel bench would eventually succumb to water and air, which causes oxidation and would corrode and cause the metal to rust. But we don't sell steel benches like that. Our benches are covered in one of two tough coatings: powder coating or thermoplastic.

 

• Powder coated: with powder coating, the raw steel is sandblasted to a near white condition. Then the steel bench is covered with a colored powder that is electrostatically-applied and melts the powder right into the metal surface for optimal adhesion. This is a much deeper application than just regular paint. Then the coating is oven cured, so the powder coat is baked right in. This is a hardy coating that is easy to clean, resists UV rays and prevents corrosion or rust. Basically, the steel bench will retain its vibrant color for years. There is no need to sand or refinish the surface, as you would do with a traditional wood bench.

 

• Thermoplastic coating: a thermoplastic coating goes one step further. The metal parts are dipped into a bath of melted plastic that completely engulfs the steel. It then hardens and creates a thicker, virtually bulletproof coating. That coating is also easy to clean, resists UV rays, won't corrode or rust and repels mold and mildew. If vandals try to spray paint the bench, the thermoplastic coating will repel the paint. This steel bench is also low-maintenance and can be usually cleaned with just soap and water or a common industrial cleaner.

 

• Hardware: a steel bench is easy to put together. All you need is stainless steel hardware, the secure type, and then bolt the pieces together.

 

• Color options: here's a big advantage of a steel bench over other types of benches. There are plenty of color options besides black. You can pick red, yellow, burgundy, blue, green, brown, beige, dark grey, matte black. Even white or purple. This versatility allows you to choose a color to match the environment where the bench will be located. Or, you can choose colors that match a school logo or a corporate brand.

 

• Patterns: a steel bench can also be ordered in different patterns. There are vertical or horizontal slats. Even diamond or perforated patterns. The big benefit of these patterns is that while the steel bench is still sturdy and supportive, the patterns allow air to pass through so the metal is cooled during the summer months. Also, those openings allow rain or spilled liquids to pass through, so there's still a place to sit in spite of weather conditions. Benches can also be ordered without backs. Some have options for center arms as well. Lengths vary from 4-foot to 6-foot to 8-foot.

 

• Installation: a steel bench has different mounting options as well. For one, you can order a portable steel bench without any mounting. This bench can then be moved around a landscape. Or, you can order a surface mounted bench where the bench is bolted into a concrete slab.

Steel benches favored for low maintenance

Weather and people can be tough on outdoor site furnishings. In a public place or popular facility, those site furnishings can be subject to wear and tear several hours a day, 365 days a year.

That's why you need commercial site furnishing that are more resilient than a bench in someone's backyard.

More and more park supervisors and facility managers are realizing the benefits of installing a steel bench.

One alternative to a metal bench is an aluminum bench. Those benches are also resilient to weather. The major advantage with an aluminum bench is that they are lightweight, so if you need to move park benches around a location, say for special occasions, then aluminum benches are a smart choice.

Metal benches look great. Are easy to maintain. Will last for years.

As you can see, with a steel bench you can enjoy both the benefit of a classical look with the advantages of exceptionally strong and protected materials.