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How to choose a rebar chair
A rebar chair holds steel at the right height while concrete is placed. Pick it by what it holds up, the cover height and the bar size.
What is a rebar chair?
Rebar chairs, also called rebar supports or rebar spacers, lift the bar off the form so concrete can flow under it. The gap between the steel and the finished face is the cover.
Without a chair the bar sits on the form, there is no cover, and the steel can rust through to the face. Every chair we make is plastic and made in Colorado.
Step 1: types of rebar chairs, by what they hold up
Each line links to its sizes and carton prices.
| You are holding | Use | Fits | Cover heights |
|---|---|---|---|
| One bar, or two crossing bars | Snap-on rebar chairs | #3 to #6 bar | 3/4 to 3‑1/2 in |
| A bar that needs a wider footing, or PEX tubing | Rebar chairs with base | #3 to #6 bar, and PEX tubing | 1‑1/4 to 5 in, 6 to 8 in on request |
| A bar or crossing bars that must stay put in the pour | Caged/ | #3 to #5 bar, single or crossing | 2, 3 and 4 in |
| More than one cover height from one part | Stackable/ | #3 to #5 bar, single or crossing | 1‑1/2 to 2‑1/2 in |
| A row of bars at once | Bolster chairs | Rows of bars | 3/4 to 2‑1/2 in |
| Welded wire mesh, such as a twin tee bed | Snap-on mesh chairs | #4 to #10 wire | 3/4 to 1‑1/2 in, 2 in on request |
| Mesh on an exposed aggregate face | XA exposed aggregate mesh chair | #4 to #10 wire | 1 to 2 in |
Step 2: pick the height
Your drawings or specification give the cover. The chair height is that number. The height chart lists every height we make, by product line.
Not sure? Send the job on the quote page or call 720-429-4999.
Step 3: check the bar size
Snap-on rebar chairs fit #3 through #6 bars. Caged and stackable chairs fit #3 through #5 bars. Mesh chairs fit #4 through #10 wire. Each product page lists the sizes in full.
How many in a carton
Prices are per carton. Shipping is not included in these prices. Overnight or 2 day shipping: call for pricing.
| Product line | Pieces per carton |
|---|---|
| Snap-on rebar chairs | 500 to 2,000 |
| Rebar chairs with base | 250 to 1,500 |
| Caged/ | 120 to 200 |
| Stackable/ | 200 |
| Bolster chairs | 48 to 200 |
| Snap-on mesh chairs | 2,500 to 5,000 |
| XA exposed aggregate mesh chair | 500 to 1,000 |
Questions
What does a rebar chair do?
A rebar chair lifts the bar off the form so concrete can flow under it. The gap between the steel and the finished face is the cover.
Are rebar chairs necessary?
Without a chair the bar sits on the form, there is no cover, and the steel can rust through to the face.
What size rebar chair do I need?
The size is the cover your drawings call for. Find that height on the height chart, then check that the chair fits your bar size.
How many rebar chairs come in a carton?
It depends on the size. The pieces per carton for every size are on the price tables, and the table above shows the range for each product line.
How many rebar chairs do I need, and how far apart?
Your drawings or specification set the spacing, so the count comes from them. Send us the list and the sizes on the quote page, or call 720-429-4999, and we price the cartons.
Do you sell to contractors, or only to precast plants?
We make these chairs for precast and prestressed plants. A small job can order a few cartons: call 720-429-4999 or send the list on the quote page.