Patio Bench DIYfeatured

by lonepear on February 11, 2021

Posted in DIY

The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on all of us and turned our world and 2020 plans upside down. My husband and I are both essential workers and COVID made our already stressful jobs, more intense.

I started working with wood in 2019 as a creative outlet from work. I love how each piece of wood is unique thus making each creation slightly different from the other. Needless to say my passion for wood grew more intense as the pandemic went on.

Now, we are a year into this pandemic and we have learned to love like there is no tomorrow, the importance of living with purpose and helping those in need.

As a family, on our days off we found ourselves spending more time outdoors getting as much fresh air as our lungs could handle before we had to strap back on a mask.

I decided to make some benches for our small 2nd floor balcony so that we could enjoy a cup of coffee, snack or quick read before jumping back into the craziness.

I got this bench idea from HomeJelly. It is a slatted bench and I fell in love with the color and sleekness of it. I adjusted the measurements and made two small benches to sit on either side of the balcony. The dimensions for each bench are 30in (L) x 15-1/2in (W) x 18-1/2 in (H).

This build is pretty straightforward and easy to put together using 2x4's and 1x4's. You got this!

Supplies

10 - (2x4) x 96in Premium Kiln-Dried Whitewood Stud
4 - (1x4) x 120in Whitewood Board
Pure Black High-gloss Enamel Paint
Multi-surface Primer
Wood Stain ( I used a light wood stain ie. natural or golden pecan)
Polyurethane sealer
120 grit Sandpaper
Wood Glue
2 in. wood screws for outdoor use
^_1/8 drill bit (for pilot holes)

Wood Cuts

Cut 5 of the 2x4 wood boards @30in to make 14 long slats.
Cut the last 5 of the 2x4 wood boards @15in to make 28 legs.
Cut the 1x4 wood boards @18 1/2in to make 24 legs for the leg sandwich (the 1x4 is sandwiched between the 2x4 legs)

Note: Remember to pick your best looking pieces of wood for the pieces that will be showing the most which are the sides of the long slats (top of the bench) and the front facing legs and wood slat.

Instructions

Once all of the pieces are cut, sand all the pieces with sandpaper. Don't forget to sand all sides to get rid of sharp and rough edges. This is the most time consuming part but the most important step to keep your bench looking flawless and safe.

Prime all sides of the 30in long slats with wood primer, let dry and then paint with the high-gloss enamel black paint and set aside. Using the stain of your choice stain all sides of the 15in & 18 1/2in legs and let dry. Apply the polyurethane outdoor sealer to all of the leg pieces.

It is very tempting to skip some of these steps or to only prime/paint/seal the pieces that are showing, however if you are wanting these benches to be kept outside year round. You may experience wood root or splitting if these steps are skipped.

Once everything is dry, get out your drill its time to start assembling!

Remember those nice looking wood pieces you picked out? Start with those. The bench will be assembled FACE DOWN so essentially it will be put together from front to back. Lay out one 30in wood slat facedown and place the two 15in legs facedown at each end of the wood slat. This will be the front of the bench. HomeJelly has some great diagrams to check out if you are more of a visual person.

To hold the legs together to the wood slat, apply wood glue on one side of the 1x4 and place over the leg and end of the wood slat. Drill pilot holes into the 1x4 and screw into place. Make sure to place one screw to connect the 1x4 to the 30in wood slat and one to the 15in leg. Of note, for a flush finish drill countersink holes with a 3/8" drill bit.

Next, add the second long wood slat and legs and secure to the previous 1x4 using wood glue. This time add two screws to the either end of the 15in legs only. Be mindful of where the last screws were placed when layering so that you are not drilling into a screw.

Then add the second 1x4 piece and repeat instructions by adding wood glue and screws to connect the 1x4 to the 30in wood piece and 15in leg. Continue to layer until you have used 7 long wood slats. Then repeat for the other bench.