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+-- Thread: Replacing slats in park bench (/showthread.php?tid=7269533)
Replacing slats in park bench - comfun1 - 04-21-2016
Just wondering if anyone has done this? I have six of the park benches with the cast iron ends and the slats have rotted away. I was getting ready to make new slats when I thought that perhaps some company is mass producing replacements and they would be cheaper than going to the lumber yard and making my own.
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - JimReed@Tallahassee - 04-21-2016
Is this an outside bench? After a few years of exposure, I replaced what looked like trash tree wood from asia with some nice oak that I had in the shop. It lasted about one season. If I had to do it again, I would use Ipe or some deck material. Think 5/4 thickness like deck boards.
Replace it yourself. It is an easy project. Good luck.
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - Howard Acheson - 04-21-2016
>>>> with some nice oak that I had in the shop.
Did you use white oak or red oak? White oak sould have lasted ten or more years. Red oak is not an outdoor wood and rapidly decays when exposed to an outdoor environment.
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - Cooler - 04-21-2016
I had one of those. It was cheap and the dimensions were all a little scant. I think mine were red-oak, but it could have been some other Asian species.
My brother-in-law re-did his deck in Ipe. I think it would make a suitable replacement. It won't alter the fact that the bench was a little small in all dimensions, but it would last a long time.
One of the castings cracked and I threw mine out.
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - EatenByLimestone - 04-21-2016
I have. Watch for knots in the new wood. I have used pine and Doug fir. The fir is nice.
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - mike4244 - 04-21-2016
I replaced the slats on two benches with white oak slats.
The original slats were supposed to be teak, lasted 5 years.I doubt the slats were teak, too much stain and finish to tell.
mike
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - messmaker - 04-23-2016
I used treated wood and it has lasted about 10 years
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - R Clark - 04-23-2016
I just did this today with a small child's bench. Cast iron ends and a cast back splat.
I used 4/4 cypress. Took about an hour. Amazingly, nearly all of the fasteners came right off and were reusable, even after sitting outdoors for a number of years.
If I had to use thicker wood, I'd probably opt for western red cedar because price and availability.
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - mike4244 - 04-24-2016
JimReed@Tallahassee said:
Is this an outside bench? After a few years of exposure, I replaced what looked like trash tree wood from asia with some nice oak that I had in the shop. It lasted about one season. If I had to do it again, I would use Ipe or some deck material. Think 5/4 thickness like deck boards.
Replace it yourself. It is an easy project. Good luck.
Jim,like Howard said ,red oak is the wrong wood for exterior anything.Don't ask me how I found out. I also learned a lesson using poplar trim outside.Poplar was well painted,took 4 years before I noticed I had to replace it.
mike
Re: Replacing slats in park bench - Big Bill - 04-24-2016
Had one I was gonna redo in wood but decided I didn't want to constantly be repairing/replacing the slats. Thought about composite decking, but it wasn't strong enough. Almost went with metal slats but then came up with this: Expanded Metal
