How to build a Concrete Lounger for your Pool, Cocktail Pool, Spool or Hot Tub

If you want to make your Pool, Cocktail Pool, Spool or Hot Tub even more comfortable and relaxing for the family, then building a concrete lounger is an excellent idea.

 

 

There are many ways to create one of these chairs – but this blog post will focus on how to build a simple concrete lounger that can be used in any type of pool.

The method that we are going to describe here is going to involve building a wooden form and then pouring concrete into the form to create the lounger.

Design considerations

Creating a concrete lounger is more than a simple mould, there is definitely a design process involved.

A number of variables must be considered when designing any type of chair – even more so when the end result is that someone is going to sit on it trying to relax! It has to be comfortable.

Purpose 

A lounge chair typically allows someone to recline. In a pool or hot tub, it is not going to be moveable, certainly not as it is going to be made out of concrete.

Therefore, you need to consider the angles and the final seated position. Is this for sun bathing, eating and drinking? Lots to consider here to find what position would be best for you.

Are you going to cast some arm rests or go for the modern look without? Again, something to consider.

Location 

Will the lounge chair be in a sunny location where a dark color would become too hot? Will it be partially submerged in a shallow end of the pool or hot tub? Is it meant to be moved? If so, by how many people as it will certainly not be the lightest of things? Lots of things to consider here.

Aesthetics 

Here, color and texture come into play as well as shape. One part of design is influenced by the your tastes in these three factors: color, patterns, and any form of personal branding, your initials for example? You are probably not going to want to paint it. You can add coloured dye to the cement to colour the cement when you are mixing it. This is the best way to add color.

You can of course tile your lounger as in the example above. Swimming pool tiles are going to work best for this as regular ones will not give you the finish you are looking for.

Physical characteristics 

What is its size and shape? How heavy can it be? How much force does it need to withstand?

Anthropometrics 

How does it fit the bodies of the people who will use it? This is a fancy term to address whether it is comfortable to sit in.

Prototyping

Building a prototype is essential. The last thing you want to do it go straight for the final mould without trying it first! Cardboard cut-outs or rubber models can be used for this purpose, but cardboard has many advantages over other materials and is more flexible.

Look at existing furniture. Look for ideas on the web. Visit a furniture store. Even use your own body as a template to create the mould.

Try different positions and angles to find the one that works for you. It will be important to test your chair for comfort, ease of getting in and out of it as well as what happens if you lean back or forward.

I strongly suggest that you make a life-sized cardboard version of your chair before you do anything in wood. It is much easier to correct a mistake in cardboard before you are in MDF!

Once you have built your prototype, you are ready to build your mould.

Creating the Mould

As you can see from the images above, we recommend that you create a ribbed support section that will support your concrete chair. The concrete itself is not the lightest of materials to work with, so in order to keep the form of your chair, wooden support ribs are needed.

Obviously, the depth of the mould will be the thickness of your chair. For strength, you are going to want to have a thickness of around 2″ or 5cm as a minimum. If you are going any thicker, you may wish to add rebar to your structure to stop it cracking and to give it extra strength.

What about the Dimensions

At buildahottub.com we do like to help you out so you can find below dimensions of a tried and tested concrete lounger that you can use.

Hope you have found this article useful, happy Hot Tubbin’

Can I Help You?

If I can help you in any way I would love to hear from you. You can get in touch using the form below.

Thanks - Andi

 

Hi, Andi here. I own Buildahottub.com and also write all of the articles and info pages on the site. Some years back now, I built my own hot tub but struggled to find the information I needed. So, once my tub was complete, I started this website to help others in their own pursuit of hot tub and plunge pools DIY building information.

Today, I've helped over 1000 DIY customers just like you all over the world build hot tubs and pools. Have a good look around the site, there are lots of resources here. Please do get in touch if I can help you. - Cheers, Andi