Floating Bench Garden Wall

[karlitob1983]

Hi all

Appreciate your advice on the following.

As part of our garden design, I’m planning to build an ‘L-shaped’ garden wall with an ‘L-shaped’ floating bench attached.

I’m thinking of going with a 4’ block on flat wall (3m x 3.7m ‘L-shape’), 900mm tall with the bench somewhere at 450mm. Can anyone advise the best way to support the bench please.

I’ve seen a few suggestions - box steel through a planter wall to the far side of the wall (not applicable here as not building planters); box steel or mild steel mortared in between a course and weighed down by the courses above; and an ‘L-bracket’ but the fixings are visible.

My main concern is the structural integrity of the wall. Would really appreciate your comments. Thank you.

 

[cdbe]

Considering you'll have about a tonne of concrete sitting on top of the brackets I don't think you'll have a problem, if you have some hefty friends you could build some threaded bar into the back of the wall set into the foundations and bolt the box section to it. Use galvanised box section.

 

[karlitob1983]

Considering you'll have about a tonne of concrete sitting on top of the brackets I don't think you'll have a problem, if you have some hefty friends you could build some threaded bar into the back of the wall set into the foundations and bolt the box section to it. Use galvanised box section.

View attachment 234027

Thank you so much for this. Much appreciated.

Can I ask - when you say to put threaded bar through the back of the wall - do you mean on the outside, as in flush against the block? I plan to render the wall - would that affect the render?

Another suggestion I read was to sink a rod through the block on flat itself but seems like a lot of work? Would it be straightforward do you think? Or would cavity block allow me to thread the rod into the foundation?

Thanks again for your efforts in replying.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

Dont have it fully floating. Partially support it with slim gabions and in the infill have a layer of crushed glass with an LED rope light in it. Or entirely crushed glass it the budget will take it.

 

[cdbe]

If you position the rod at a joint between two blocks you'll only need to drill a block every other course and drop over the rod. I'd keep it at least 50mm in the wall to avoid any rust staining and/or use stainless.

 

[karlitob1983]

If you position the rod at a joint between two blocks you'll only need to drill a block every other course and drop over the rod. I'd keep it at least 50mm in the wall to avoid any rust staining and/or use stainless.

Thank you so much.
One final question - how far across the course of blocks would you put the box steel. In other words, if I lay 215mm of the box steel over the full course of brick, does that affect the render on the other side? Hope that makes sense. Thank you.

 

[cdbe]

50mm

 

[^woody^]

Use angle iron for a better fit in the wall and to be less obtrusive for the floating effect.

Any steel should be galvanised else it will rust, expand, crack the wall and loosen and blow/stain the render.

 

[karlitob1983]

Use angle iron for a better fit in the wall and to be less obtrusive for the floating effect.

Any steel should be galvanised else it will rust, expand, crack the wall and loosen and blow/stain the render.

Thanks for the reply. I think I understand what you mean. Do you mean flat stock rather than box steel so that it sits flatter?

 

[Captain Nemesis]

He means galvanised angle....

 

[^woody^]

Angle iron not flat bar. So you don't see it so much.

 

[Captain Nemesis]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=angle iron

 

[karlitob1983]

Sorry all. Not sure how the angle iron would work in this instance. How would it be fitted?

 

[Captain Nemesis]

This has got to be a windup.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

This has got to be a windup.

Perhaps