You've found the perfect outdoor benches for your patio or walkway, but now you need to keep them secure. Anchoring benches on a paved surface—be it concrete, stone pavers, or asphalt—is crucial for safety, stability, and theft prevention. The best method depends on whether you want a permanent fixture or a semi-permanent solution you can remove later.
For a truly permanent installation on concrete, the strongest method is using concrete anchors. This involves drilling into the pavement with a hammer drill and inserting concrete anchor bolts or sleeve anchors through the bench's leg plates. Tightening the bolts expands the anchor inside the concrete, creating an incredibly secure hold that is virtually impossible to remove without tools. This is ideal for public spaces or areas with high wind.
If you're working with interlocking pavers, a great solution is to remove a few pavers and pour a small concrete footing underneath. Embed a galvanized steel ground anchor or a piece of rebar into the wet concrete, then reinstall the pavers. You can then drill a hole in the bench leg to slot it onto the anchor. This provides excellent stability without visibly altering the patio surface.
For a less invasive, semi-permanent option, consider surface-mounted anchors. These are metal plates or loops that you bolt to the pavement. The bench then attaches to these anchors with a locking pin or security bolt. This allows you to remove the bench for cleaning or rearranging while leaving a minimal, low-profile anchor point on the ground. Many of these systems are designed with anti-theft security bolts that require special tools to remove.
No matter which method you choose, always check for underground utilities before drilling. Use a stud finder with a deep-scan mode or contact your local utility marking service. For the most secure installation, combine a physical anchor with a secondary theft-deterrent like a steel cable lock. This layered approach ensures your benches stay exactly where you want them, season after season.