Concreting a Wicker Chair

20 years ago

I know someone has done this before but I sure can't find the thread, so I'll ask.

I have a neat large wicker chair that has been on my patio and has seen better days. Rather than pitch it I would like to cover it in concrete and put it under a tree. Do I have to wrap it in mesh first - or will the concrete adhere to what's there? I'm sure the legs will need wrapping but what about the rest? I would like to keep the basic design of the chair as much as possible, with the exception if the wicker that goes from under the arms to the seat. This is (or was) purely decorative and I think it would look better and more open without it, once it is 'reted. The underpinnings are bamboo.

Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

Thanks -

Amanda

Featured Answer

ltd123

20 years ago

Buckyforce, I suspect (no promises since I have not done this yet but as soon as I find a neat chair like yours I will try it) you could get a good result using EIFS mesh and Quickwall (concrete with fibers sold by quickcrete). Sherri Hunter Warner -in her 2 latest books- shows a huge outdoor chair she made with similar materials. Her chair form was sculpted from solid styrofoam and covered with mesh and concrete. She says the finished product is stronger than the form over which it is concreted and mentions using foam rubber or pillows for the form for a chair if you wanted. You might want to check her books out at the library.
Laura

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Comments (8)

tango88
20 years ago
Amanda...what a great looking old chair. No wonder you want to save it. However, unless you plan on three inches of concrete all around, I would strongly suggest adding some rebar in several critical areas, then a layer of stucco lath before concreteing. The bamboo won't last long in all that alkalai and I'd hate to see it lost after just one season. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it won't take that much more than you've already planned. Just try and bend and wire some 3/8 ths rebar right to the bamboo following the existing shape. If you place a length of rebar along each of the major bamboo sections and wire them together everywhere they meet, you'll have an heirloom garden piece anyone would be proud of. With rebar and lath, you can probably get by with an 3/4's to an inch of concrete on each side. Good luck and keep us posted. Oh...and you might want to add a drainhole in the seat.
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tango88
20 years ago
Amanda...what a great looking old chair. No wonder you want to save it. However, unless you plan on three inches of concrete all around, I would strongly suggest adding some rebar in several critical areas, then a layer of stucco lath before concreteing. The bamboo won't last long in all that alkalai and I'd hate to see it lost after just one season. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it won't take that much more than you've already planned. Just try and bend and wire some 3/8 ths rebar right to the bamboo following the existing shape. If you place a length of rebar along each of the major bamboo sections and wire them together everywhere they meet, you'll have an heirloom garden piece anyone would be proud of. With rebar and lath, you can probably get by with an 3/4's to an inch of concrete on each side. Good luck and keep us posted. Oh...and you might want to add a drainhole in the seat.
eva1429
20 years ago
Hi, Everyone,

Here's a link that I'd saved quite awhile back. Doesn't give much info on what changes were made to the wicker chair, but it does look good in concrete.

Amanda, your chair is wonderful...looking forward to seeing it become a great piece of garden art furniture.

Eva

Here is a link that might be useful: Broken Wicker Chair
davidmcdn
20 years ago
Eva
I had my Gardenweb account canceled for posting those same pictures.
rockhewer
20 years ago
Did you post the actual pictures or just a link?
davidmcdn
20 years ago
What do you call this?
http://www.ferrocement.com/products/wickerChair.01.jpg
rockhewer
20 years ago
Well Me, Myself and I would call it a link. You didn't take the photo and show it. I don't see how links are that troublesome. Unless GW doesnt want the net referral comng from here.