If you have ever watched an Olympics Game, you must have seen ping pong, aka table tennis. It is exciting to see players hitting that tiny ping pong ball on a small table. It shows their ball control and physical skills.
And thanks to such excitement and enthusiasm, ping pong has become a popular game worldwide. It is now a favorite game of 300 players. Also, its popularity means the indoor game has spread to the outdoor space.
It is made possible with the concrete ping pong table. Yes, the indoor game is played on a wooden table, but that wasn’t a good option for outdoor sports. Thus, people have invented the concrete table to play ping pong outdoor.
If you plan to play ping pong in your garden or lawn with your family or friends, you should try setting up a concrete table. And to aid you with the cause, we will discuss the steps to make a concrete ping pong table outdoor and its possible cost.
So, let’s jump into the discussion without wasting time anymore.
Concrete Ping Pong Table History and Definition
As the name suggests, the concrete table for table tennis is made with concrete or cement. The indoor table for the ping pong is made with wood or wooden boards. Nonetheless, it is inappropriate for outdoor use. Outdoor elements such as rainfall, heat, or pests can easily ruin the wooden table.
That’s why people invented the concrete table to bring the popular indoor game to the outdoor locations. The history of the outdoor ping pong game isn’t too old also. It wasn’t until the 1970s when Chinese people started playing the game on their lawns and gardens.
Slowly, it spread all over the world. However, the greatest boom in the outdoor ping pong and the concrete table to play the game happened in 2010. In 2010, London Olympics Committee set up more than a hundred concrete tables to promote the 2012 Olympics.
The promotional event for the concrete ping pong table stayed across London for weeks. As a result, London got an outdoor ping pong fever. Later, it got worldwide attention, and the outdoor ping pong game became even more popular.
Consequently, the concrete table also rose in popularity. Later, different manufacturers of ping pong accessories also started producing the table. But instead of getting the expensive table from them, you can easily make one at home.
So, let’s see the steps to make a ping pong concrete table at home.
How to Build A Concrete Ping Pong Table
Ping pong tables are undoubtedly expensive. And when you think about the concrete tables for ping pong, it is even more expensive. Thus, you should choose the DIY ping pong table manufacturing process instead of ordering from the manufacturer.
Yes, you can make a DIY concrete table for playing table tennis. Also, it’s not as tough as most people think. You will, however, need ample time, enthusiasm, labor, and money to make the concrete table at home.
Step 1: Collect everything you will need
It can be challenging to make a concrete table for ping pong. It starts with collecting all the materials and equipment you will need to make the concrete table. The essential materials list includes the following things.
- A few bags of concrete
- Plastic container and shovel
- Screws, hammer, and rubber mallet
- Waterproofing paint
- Drill and screwdriver
- Portland cement
- Cement glue
- Mesh wire
- Circular saw
- Rubber gloves
- Painter’s tape
- White and green paint
- Orbital sandpaper and sander
- Metal plate and melamine wood
Step 2: Fix the size of the table
You need to first determine the size of the concrete table for ping pong. You should follow the official measurement for the ping pong table. It includes the following measurements.
- 274 × 152 cm of length and width
- At least 22mm thickness
- 76cm of the horizontal plane from the ground
You can fix the measurement with a tape measuring. Also, recheck the measurement twice before you initiate the cementing process.
Step 3: Prepare the mold
You will need to prepare the mold on which you will build the concrete table. It will be incredibly useful to make the table perfectly. Use the circular saw to cut the melamine and create the lower part of the concrete mold. You should work carefully with the mold to don’t damage it.
Now, cut the strips of the mold. These strips will border the mold. Now, use the screws to mount the strips around the mold. Use drywall screws for assembling the borders of the mold. Once you have made the mold, check it carefully for any imperfections.
If you see any imperfections on the mold for the concrete table, you must rectify them.
Step 4: Check and correct the imperfections
If there’re any imperfections in the melamine mold, it will break apart soon. Thus, the concrete table for playing ping pong will be fragile. It can be risky because the table may fall apart and hurt your feet badly.
Thus, you have to remove the imperfections. For this, check the entire melamine-made mold. When you have found any impurity on the mold, use putty silicone. Yes, 100% putty silicone will be ideal for removing impurities.
Apply the putty silicone to the imperfect places of the mold with the compression tube. Also, allow a few minutes to help the putty silicone set. You should use painter’s tape to apply the silicone putty perfectly. Once you have applied the silicone, remove the painter tape after a few minutes. But remove it before the silicone dries entirely. Finally, retouch the mold if the putty has spread too much.
Step 5: Prepare the first layer of the table
You will need to make the first layer of the ping pong table. You will need to use H-230 concrete with a 0.250m3 (meter cube) measurement. You will also need to mix aggravated gravel and reinforced sand with the concrete.
The steel round bars will be 6mm in thickness. They should stay 10cm away from each other. Place the steel bars on the melamine mold when you have prepared the concrete mixture. Pour in the concrete mixture of cement and gravel over the steel round bars on the mold. Allow the first layer to dry properly on the melamine mold.
Step 6: Prepare the second layer for the table
You will need to make the second layer of cement for the table. You will need 100Kgs of composed Portland cement for preparing the layer. You will also need the following materials to prepare the mixture with the cement.
- 0.199 cubic meters of sand
- 0.179 cubic meters of gravel
- 0.045 cubic meters of clean water
Once you have prepared the mixture of the Portland cement, make the second layer. Then allow it to dry out properly. Also, check the second layer to look for any imperfections. If there’s any impurity on the second layer, apply the cement mixture carefully to fix it.
Step 7: Prepare the third layer
You will need to make the third layer of concrete over the previous two layers. You must ensure that the cement of all three layers is distributed evenly. You can use thick wood to distribute the cement properly.
Also, there should be no air bubbles inside the cemented layers. So, hammer the concrete layer with the rubber mallet to remove the air bubbles. Finally, smoothen the concrete with the trowel. You should smoothen the layer as correctly as possible.
Wait for 3 to 4 days to remove the mold. The cement will dry out and form a strong structure when removing the mold.
Step 8: Prepare the concrete legs
Now, you must make the legs of the ping pong concrete table. You can use plastic tubes to make the legs using cement. Use a wider diameter of the plastic tube and pour in the cement mixture inside it and let the mixture dry.
Also, the concrete legs should be at least 6″ thick. Otherwise, the legs will fail to hold the weight of the concrete table. It is crucial since the ping pong table made of concrete is truly weighty. It can easily weigh a few hundred kilograms.
Thus, the ping pong table legs should be strong enough to hold the massive weight. Also, apply a rectangular metal tube right underneath the concrete table. It will reinforce the table. Alternatively, you may also look for the red cedar wood-made stand for the table. Red cedar wood is famous for its strength and durability.
Also, the cedar wood won’t get damaged soon due to weather elements. It will easily stay for years in your outdoor space. Also, cedarwood will give the concrete table a more homely appearance. It will look aesthetically pleasing too.
Step 9: Paint the table and the legs
Now, you will have to paint the table and the legs. We recommend you use waterproof paint. It will help you keep the paint intact for the leg and table. Also, the waterproof paint will protect the steel bars and the concrete from damage.
Apply the red and green colors since these are easily identifiable. Also, you can see the white ping pong ball easily on the red and green color.
Step 10: Finalize making the table
When you have applied the red and green paint on the table, allow it 24 hours to dry properly. Then, attach the net along with the two stands on either side. Make sure the stands are strong enough. You may make them with a metal tube.
Once you have installed the net on the table, you may start playing the ping pong.
How Much Is A Concrete Ping Pong Table?
You may already know that ping pong is an expensive game. Similarly, the concrete table for the ping pong outdoor game is also expensive. But how much does the concrete table cost?
The average price of a concrete table at ping pong shops is around $9500. The top will cost around $18128. Thankfully, you can make a concrete table for playing table tennis in the outdoor space for half the cost. So, the DIY ping pong concrete table is a great investment. We make a list of under $500 Best Indoor Ping Pong Tables you can check here.
Conclusion
Outdoor ping pong is a great recreational and relaxing sports item. You can set up the concrete table in the outdoor space and spend quality time with your family and friends. Of course, the DIY concrete ping pong table is a challenging and expensive project. Hopefully, our ten detailed steps to make the ping pong table using concrete and steel tubes will solve your problem. Also, you will surely love the DIY concrete table preparation project. And when you hit the first ping pong ball with your racket on the table, the satisfaction will be immense.
