Frequently Asked Questions

Kid's Luna Bench with Memorial Plaque

I’m interested in purchasing a Luna Bench and adding a memorial plaque. Where is the best place to add it?

There are a couple of choices for where to place a plaque on the Luna Bench:

1. We can place the plaque on the timber in the front and just below the seat. I’d keep the plaque to a maximum of 3 inches tall. The length can be up to 18 inches if necessary. But, with plaques, our experience is that often times less is more. The plaque would be centered unless you prefer it to one side.
2. The other option is to cut in partially into a few of the backrest slats and inlay the plaque towards the top of the backrest and centered.

An alternative to a memorial plaque is to have us engrave a message across the front board under the seat. It is attractive and will cut down the amount of time to complete the project.

Hello, I am curious to know if your company can build kitchen nook seating? I have a narrow space to work which are the following measurements: 56″ would be the max length against a wall and 40″ the max length from the wall out. I would like to fit a small rectangular table in the middle. Thanks for your time!

Thank you for your email. I am sure we can make the nook seating for you. We just need you to decide what type of table and benches you’d like and the exact dimensions. A photograph of the nook area would help so we can consider any possible obstacles (power outlets, wood trim, windows, etc…).

Let us know. The guys in the shop love custom work because it takes them away from the daily production work a bit and allows them to be creative.

What are the maximum dimensions allowable for a memorial plaque for the top rail of the Ti Amo Bench?

You can have a plaque up to 3 inches tall and any width you like. The board is 3 3/4″ tall. By keeping the height of the plaque to 3 inches, you allow a bit of spacing above and below the plaque which looks best.

The Ti Amo Memorial Bench— often purchased to honor the memory of a beloved person or significant event— can be adorned with a memorial plaque. You must provide the plaque, but we will install it for no extra charge.

Do you sell hardware that can be used to secure benches or tables to concrete in a public park setting? How can you secure them in places without concrete?

Connecting any bench to the ground can be done with off-the-shelf hardware from any hardware store. When we install orders in public places, we usually attach the bottom of the legs to concrete using Simpson Ties. There are many sizes and shapes available. If you let us know what you are planning to purchase and where it will be installed, we can send a couple suggestions or even include the hardware with your order at cost, which is very little.

What we do when we install benches in public undeveloped areas is pour a bit of concrete (2 bags is more than enough). One bag under two of the 4 bench legs is usually sufficient.  Pour the concrete underground about 18 inches and maybe 8 inches in diameter (unless in a snow prone area - then go to below the frost line) and set a metal anchor on the inside of the leg of the bench where it is not visible when walking by. Set the anchor while the concrete is wet so it will set in the concrete. Then attach to the inside of the bench leg with a couple stainless steel deck screws that will not decay. Repeat on other bench side but diagonal. Make sure to measure the bench accurately prior to placing the metal anchors to make sure they’ll line up to the inside of the bench legs you want to attach.

I am considering purchasing an 8-Foot Ti Amo Memorial Bench in Old-Growth Redwood for a donation to a park. Are such benches shipped pre-assembled or in a kit for assembly by purchaser? Can the bench be shipped fully assembled? If so, I would like to know the approximate size and weight of the crate for a fully assembled bench as well as for the unassembled bench in order to obtain a shipping cost estimate and make a decision.

The benches ship in a few easy to assemble parts. It is shipped this way to keep shipping costs down. For example, the Ti Amo ships in 7 parts: the seat is one piece, the backrest is one piece, each arm assembly is one piece, and there are a couple wood braces to tighten the structure. All the parts are marked for ease of reference and the hardware is included. The assembly instructions will be in box number 1.

It can be shipped fully assembled but it would significantly increase the shipping cost. Assembly takes no more than 30 minutes with just a few stainless steel carriage bolts and a couple of braces to tighten up the structure. If the bench ships assembled, the crate will be 8.5′ x 3.5′ x 3′ deep weighing 180 lbs. If it ships unassembled, the crate will be 8.5′ x 1.5′ x 1.5′ weighing 120 lbs.

In regard to the Rectangular 8-Foot Forever Picnic Table with Attached Benches, how far does the bench overhang the leg supports and will it support an adult?

The 8-Foot Picnic Table has the legs recessed 18 inches from the edge of the table. So, there is 5 feet between the legs. Plus there are diagonal braces under the legs that limit the span to less than 4 feet.

The 8-foot attached bench is built with a real 2” thick pair of boards that have several support timbers underneath as well. It’s built to hold over 1,100 lbs per side without giving an inch. The entire 8-Foot Forever Picnic Table with Attached Benches weighs over 300 lbs. The set is truly built to last forever with all stainless steel hardware. The tables have decay warranties of up to 30 years.

We are looking to place a bench in our complex in memory of a resident. Can you please give me an idea of prices?

All of our benches are very sturdy and are often used as memorials because of this. We recommend the Mature Redwood grade for most of our Memorial Benches. It’s our mid-grade Redwood, but it’s the best investment for the amount of time it will last. You can expect the bench to hold up fine in any weather for at least 25 years. The Old-Growth Redwood is an excellent choice also, but it’s usually 20% more for a few more years of durability. With a bit of maintenance every 10 years or so, the Mature Redwood grade will last indefinitely.

We have about a dozen bench designs that have been used as a memorial bench over the years. Below are links to the most popular ones, in order of lowest to highest price:

Angel’s Bench

Alan’s Bench

Ti Amo Memorial Bench

Heritage Bench (Available in Old-Growth Redwood only.)

Veteran’s Memorial Bench (The backless version would be the lowest price in this list.)

There are a few others also, but these are the ones we’ve received requests for use as memorial benches the most.

Also, see our FAQs regarding Engraving & Plaques.

I was looking at the longer lighthouse bench. We need a window bench that will double as a guest bed. I would have a mattress pad made to fit for those occasions. And I need to fit some kind of slide in storage bin/basket underneath.

Yes, of course. The Lighthouse Bench is one of our more popular benches.  It is used from saunas to museum hallways.  It would be a pleasure and a nice twist to turn one into a window bench and guest bed.

If you’re ready to order, you can either just send your shipping and billing address and contact information via email and let us know the grade of Redwood you’d like it built from. We’ll email a preliminary invoice for your review and approval. Once you approve it, I’ll ring for a credit card deposit.

Or, if you’d like to order online, just order the 6-foot Lighthouse Bench and in the comment section add the exact dimensions you want and the exact height.  We’ll build it to your spec and add 10% to the credit card beyond the total calculated by the shopping cart for the smaller standard size.  If you want the bench larger, there is no limitation on size with this design because it is just reinforced more underneath as it gets larger…

Let me know if I can be of further service.

Is it possible to paint over the metal frame of the VFW bench for customizing? Also, is it possible to order the benches with no wood at all?! Thank you.

Yes, we can ship the metal framing for the VFW bench in just raw steel or with just a primer finish if you prefer. You can then paint it any color you’d like. Just let us know how you’d like them in the “Instructions / Special Requests” comment box on the second page of checkout if ordering online, or be sure to mention it if you order by phone.

You can also just buy the frames and add your own lumber. See all options and pricing.