Build guides · Seating
8' Wood-Topped Gabion Bench
An 8-foot wire gabion basket filled with stone and topped with 2x4 wood boards — the longer sibling of the 4' gabion bench, with three extra cross braces down its length.
- Size
- 8' L × 1'-6" W × 1'-6" H
Built from these parts it comes out about 19½″ tall. The 2x4 top boards (1.5") sit on the wood frame, whose top edge is flush with the top of the 18" mesh sides, so the bench is 19.5" tall. The PDF's cover gives 18" for the overall height, which its own parts don't add up to.
What you need
Before you begin
- These are DIY recommendations only — tailor the material, assembly and construction to your own project and site.
- Building this assumes some working knowledge of hand and power tools, hardware, fasteners, lumber and basic assembly technique.
- Before using any power equipment, review and follow the manufacturer's safety requirements, and don't let anyone use power tools who hasn't done the same.
- You (the owner) are responsible for any building and safety codes, permits and regulatory approvals this needs.
- Clear the site of trash, hazards and unwanted structures first, and identify any utilities that could interfere before you dig.
- Everyone helping build should sign a volunteer waiver.
- Cut wire mesh and gabion fill can leave sharp edges — wear gloves and safety goggles, and buff any sharp wire with a grinder.
Cut list
| Part | Qty | Stock | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB-1 | 7 | 2x4 | 96" | Gabion bench top + frame sides (2 used as the long frame rails, the rest become the wood top) |
| GB-2 | 6 | 2x4 | 15" | Gabion bench frame — end caps and cross braces |
| 18-8a | 1 | 2x2 welded-wire mesh | 96" | Gabion bottom panel, 96" x 18" |
| 18-8b | 2 | 2x2 welded-wire mesh | 96" | Gabion side (long), 96" x 18" each |
| 18-8c | 2 | 2x2 welded-wire mesh | 18" | Gabion side (short), 18" x 18" each |
Steps
Mark, label and cut the lumber and wire mesh
Mark, label and cut lumber in order of GB-1 to GB-6 to the lengths in the cut list.
Sort your 2x2 wire mesh into equal-sized piles and label them 18-8a (gabion bottom), 18-8b (gabion side, long) and 18-8c (gabion side, short).
- Label each piece of lumber as you measure and cut it.
- Keep a separate pile of lumber for GB-1 and GB-2.
- Lightly sanding the cut edges removes splinters and helps with assembly.
- Building more than one gabion bench? A stop block on your miter saw keeps every piece the same length.
Build the frame
Place two GB-1 and two GB-2 pieces on a flat surface, aligning the edges as shown.
Use the pre-drilling guide at the end of the packet to pre-drill your screw holes, then secure the GB-1 lumber into the GB-2 pieces with an impact driver and 8 2.5" self-driving exterior wood screws.
- Use a carpenter's square to check each corner forms a right angle.
Add the cross braces
Place one GB-2 piece in the middle of the frame created in step 2, and secure it with an impact driver and 4 2.5" self-driving exterior wood screws.
Repeat with two additional GB-2 pieces, placing them equidistant between the middle GB-2 piece and each end GB-2 piece. Secure both with an impact driver and 8 more 2.5" self-driving exterior wood screws.
Staple and close up the wire mesh sides
Secure two 18-8c and two 18-8b wire mesh pieces around the GB-2 and GB-1 frame created in step 3, using a hammer and 32 1.5" galvanized cable staples — 2 staples per piece of wire, one side at a time.
Secure the 18-8c and 18-8b pieces together at the corners using hog rings, one hog ring every other opening, with rings at all corners and edges.
Brace the center
In the center of the gabion basket, below the middle GB-2 piece, add bracing material using one of two options: excess end pieces of 2x2 wire mesh cut in half with bolt cutters, or any excess 2x2 mesh that spans the entire width of the basket (at least 2 boxes, or 4"+, tall).
Secure the middle support piece with hog rings.
Close the bottom panel
Place the 18-8a wire mesh panel on top of the gabion basket secured in step 5 — this becomes the basket's bottom once you flip it in the next step.
Secure it with hog rings on the four sides and the center braces: one hog ring every other mesh opening, and two at each corner. The gabion basket is now ready to transport to the site.
Set the basket on site
Rotate the gabion basket 180°. Place it on site with a gravel underlay.
Ensure the gabion basket is straight using a level.
- If it's next to other gabions, use string and line levels to keep the row straight.
Fill the basket
Place the gabion in its location per your park's design. Apply gravel underneath to fine-tune adjustments.
Starting with the largest, flattest pieces of gabion fill you have, begin filling the gabion starting at the edges, and continue until you've built up the sides.
Fill the frame with leftover gabion fill until it's level with the top of the wood edge.
- Place fill carefully to avoid warping the basket, and make sure all gaps are filled for stability.
- See your Create workbook, phase four, for more on this step.
Add the end boards of the wood top
Place two GB-1 pieces on top of the frame created in step 3, using the pre-drilling guide at the end of the packet to pre-drill the wood. Secure the two end boards first with an impact driver and 12 2.5" self-driving exterior wood screws, keeping the edge flush with the wood below.
- Pre-drilling at this step helps the screws not split the boards.
Finish the wood top and sand
Equally space the other 3 boards between the two end boards. Secure the GB-1 lumber with an impact driver and 20 2.5" self-driving exterior wood screws.
Lightly sand the rough edges of the gabion bench, and make sure there are no sharp edges of gabion wire — buff with a grinder if any are too sharp.
- Keep all screws a thumb's width from the edge of the wood.
Pre-drilling hole guide (template)
Cut out the pre-drilling hole guide along the dotted lines. When drilling, align the edge of the template with the outside edge of the lumber before pre-drilling.
Not all holes are used — not all patterns use the template. Use the assembly steps above for your hole guide. Keep all holes about a thumb's width from the edge (about 1"), even holes that don't use this template.
Finishing
Exterior wood treatment can prolong the life of your park elements, but it isn't necessary — these pieces are built to be low-cost, durable and easy to build by design, so it may be more practical to just let the next generation rebuild them when the time comes. If you do want to stain, paint or seal the wood top, see the finish resources below.
Supplier & resource links
Source: 8_GABION_BENCH_ASSEMBLY instructions, pp. 1–15 (cover; before you begin; common material + lumber selections; steps 1–10; pre-drilling hole guide). The source PDF mislabels the final wood top boards "GB-2" in its step 10–11 text (the on-page diagram callout, and the cut list, both confirm they're GB-1) and gives the closing wire panel a stray "BM-3" label instead of 18-8a — both corrected here.