Building a Brick Bench
Stu builds a brick garden bench from the ground up. A compact project that shows setting out, bonding and finishing on something you can sit on when it's done.
A brick bench is a nice small project that uses all the same skills as a wall in a shape you can sit on. In this video Stu builds one from scratch, working through setting out, laying the courses and bringing it up to a seat height, then finishing the top.
What makes a bench different from a straight wall is that everything shows. There’s no soil against the back and no fence beside it, so every face has to be plumb, every course level and the corners tidy. Watching it come together shows how a bricklayer keeps returns square and keeps the bond running properly round a corner, which is where amateur brickwork usually gives itself away.
It’s also a good example of why a small job still needs proper preparation: a firm base, a set-out that’s checked before the first brick goes down, and a plan for how the top will finish so the seat is comfortable and sheds water.
Who this is for: homeowners thinking of adding a built-in seat or feature to a garden, and beginners who want a small, satisfying project that teaches corners and bonding.
What a homeowner should expect from a good job: a bench that’s level along its length, plumb on every face, with the bond staggered correctly and the corners square. The seat should be flat and finished so rain runs off rather than pooling. Joints should be even and struck cleanly, because on a bench you’ll be looking at them from a foot away.
