Build Your Own Deck Bench – Many of us inherit old roofs when we buy new properties. Some are very nice, others are poorly made or designed. That was the case with our weekend spot: our cool mobile home conversion project.
What we didn’t like was that it wasn’t structurally sound, a bit ugly and not entirely secure. We have been working on one project after another to improve our old package.
Build Your Own Deck Bench
This old deck was crying out for a bench seat! (I also applied for a cover extension; you can read about that here.)
Picnic Areas And Seating
There were several reasons why we decided adding a bench to this existing deck was a good idea, and we’re so glad we did! After building it, we realized the advantages that we did not count on.
This cover has a pretty good depth – it’s as deep as it could be without removing the trees.
There is no railing, so no one would be comfortable unless they sat a few feet from the edge.
So we’d end up pushing the chairs up against the house and almost sitting in line. Strange for conversation and such a waste of space. I knew we needed some advantage to maximize the deck’s utility.
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I also wanted to add table seating for dining under the porch, for shade and protection from the rain. But there wasn’t enough room for a table and chairs to be useful and safe.
The deck seat we built solved these problems and more! If you want to make your deck bigger, safer, more useful, and more attractive, adding a bench to your existing deck might be the DIY project for you.
We love how it turned out! It looks great and makes the porch an ideal place for comfortable eating. Total cost with rail and plinth was less than $180. I think it adds a lot of value to the home.
An unexpected perk: This is now Ed’s favorite place to prop himself up with his feet up and read a book with a cold drink.
Diy Outdoor Storage Box
Ultimately, a mockup of your specific project will save you time. You can get the right size and angles without wasting good material.
The model was very helpful in deciding seat height and back angle. Since the whole unit was grafted onto the existing deck, we also used our mockup to check the strength and structural appearance. It’s worth the extra effort!
It’s basically a small deck that you build out of 2″x6″ and then go over to the main deck beams. Ours is 70″ x 24″ – some of that 24″ will overlap the existing decking.
(Please avert your eyes from the mess below. The broken cinder blocks were used by the previous owners to “support” the deck. We’ve since added actual structural support, leaving just his mess underneath to hide it.)
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Secure your new baby cover in place by attaching it to the old beam with screws/nails. Level it up and attach a temporary board (the one in the middle above) as a support post to level everything.
Place the fence post anchors and push them in as deep as they will go by hand; be careful to keep them straight.
Cut sections of 4″ x 4″ fence posts, attach them to the post anchor points, and pound the remainder with a mallet or hammer.
The height of these posts will vary depending on your floor – ours were 24-30 inches tall. We cut them to the height of the seat base – your dimensions will be specific to your deck.
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Most of the work so far has been structural, meaning it has to be strong and secure, but it will also be hidden, so it doesn’t have to be pretty.
Now we’re going to start with the parts people will see, so take your time and get all your angles right. I can’t tell you the exact exact angle we made for it because we didn’t measure. We simply adjusted the mock-up until we found a comfortable angle and then wrote it on the boards.
It is made from 2″ x 6″ boards cut to about 4.5′ lengths and anchored to the frame with screws.
This was a test seat to make sure we were still happy with the height (16″) and back angle. In fact, we were still happy.
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We attached a temporary top rail to stabilize things while I worked and to verify that the back was flat as well.
Time to frame the seat. This was made of 2″x4″ and was 16″ tall but about 22″ deep. Remember that about 6 inches of the depth of the backrest will overlap the back, so the depth is also more like 16 inches.
Fasten securely and add a few pieces of bark to stabilize them until the remaining boards are in place.
Now for some awesome miter cuts. Use a circular saw (unless you have one of those gigantic sliding miter saws).
Diy Cinder Block Bench: Cute Outdoor Seating
Now do it again! You are still an amazing hand miter saw. Excellent. Secure everything with screws.
Mentioned above, but this photo shows the dash boards we attached to cover the bench better than the previous photo.
If you’re interested in adding a cover, here’s how we created the cover extension you see above. What a difference these projects have made to the look and feel of the home! We also added a DIY planter to the other side of the old deck and it looks fabulous.
I love your bench! This is a great idea and I wish I had seen it while I was still in my house! Your tutorial shows that it can be done “easily” and I appreciate the details!
How To Build A Deck Storage Bench
Really very nice and practical. I have to ask, have you all had termite problems? My house was under contract for over 10 years until they finally found “IT” place to sell, I HATE TERMITES and I know what they can do to a loved home! Any wood must be at least 4 inches off the floor or it will go right into the wood. Please be diligent and watch out for these pesky creatures. I didn’t put anything on the floor that wasn’t 4 inches or more off the floor. Also, I love your spirit! This DIY article is about free deck bench plans. Building deck benches is an easy woodworking project if you use the right plans for your needs and choose the right wood. A well-built deck bench will enhance the look of your patio and add drama to your garden. There are many designs to choose from depending on the method of anchoring and the materials you are going to use. Regardless of your choice, you should try to use the same materials for the bench that you used for the deck.
Wooden deck benches come in many shapes, designs and sizes because you can use different sizes of wood. On one side, you can use 4×4 posts to support a simple deck seat, while on the other side, you need to install a 2×10 beam to build the back rest of the connected deck bench. However, you can combine these techniques and materials according to your needs, taste and budget.
You should plan everything from the very beginning if you want to achieve a professional result. Therefore, you should determine whether you will anchor the deck bench to structural beams or attach it to the deck. Although this aspect may seem insignificant, it greatly affects the final design of your project. Therefore, you should analyze all the techniques mentioned in this article and choose the one that suits your needs. Check out all my premium plans in the store.
First, if you want to build a simple deck seat and anchor it to the frame, you should follow the instructions in this tutorial. Therefore, you should install the 4×4 wood post to the deck joists using two 6-inch carriage screws (or use 5-inch screws) and a 2×6 cross beam.
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After installing the two brackets to the deck frame, attach the 2×4 (or 2×6) wood planks with 3-inch deck screws. As you can see in the picture, the slats should extend about 2” on either side of the bench. To give your bench a dramatic look, round the edges with a router and a 1/4″ bit.
After you have built the deck seat, you should sand the entire surface with medium-grit sandpaper and fill the holes with wood filler. As you will notice, you must have access to framing to assemble this bench, otherwise you must choose a different model.
On the other hand, you can choose a cleaner design if you are willing to spend more time on this project. As you can see in the picture, two 4×4 posts and some wooden supports need to be installed.
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