How to Build an Outdoor Bench Seat

Take Your Pick

If you are ready to add an outdoor bench to your patio or underneath the shade tree, and you just cannot find anything that will meet your particular needs, it is time to build your own outdoor bench seat. With just a little bit of woodworking skills and some experience with a few power tools, you are well on your way to building the outdoor bench seat you've been longing for.

Things You'll Need

• 12 pieces 2-by-4-by-18 inch spruce
• Wood glue
• Variable speed drill
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• 2 1/2-inch deck screws
• 4 pieces 2-by-4-by-48 inch spruce
• Carpenter's square
• 6 pieces 2-by-4-by-48 inch spruce

Instructions

1. Place all 12 of the 2-by-4-by-18 inch spruce on a worktable. Lay two horizontally and parallel to each other, 9 inches apart. Apply glue to the ends of those two pieces.

2. Lay two pieces perpendicular to the ones with glue on them so that the 3 1/2-inch sides are touching one another. Line one end of the top 2-by-4s with the perpendicular edge of the first 2-by-4s. Secure these four 2-by-4s to each other with the deck screws. Repeat this process for the remaining 2-by-4s.

3. Place two of the 48-inch 2-by-4s on the worktable. Stand one of the support systems from Steps 1 and 2 upside down so that you have a cross member on the table and two legs sticking up. Apply glue to one end of a 48-inch 2-by-4. Line it up with the cross member 2-by-4, and secure it with the deck screws. Repeat this for the other end of the 48-inch 2-by-4.

4. Apply glue to the ends of the other 48-inch 2-by-4, and line it up with the other cross member on the support system. Secure it to the support system with the deck screws. Now, repeat Steps 3 and 4 with the remaining 48-inch 2-by-4s.

5. Measure for one end, and make a mark at 23 1/4 inches. Do the same for the other side of the bench measuring from the same end. This is where the middle support system will be secured to the bench. Be sure to apply glue before securing them with the deck screws.

6. Turn the table over so it is standing on its legs. Apply glue around the top perimeter of the bench and across the middle support as well. Lay the remaining six 2-by-4s on top of the bench, and secure them to the bench with the deck screws.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to countersink the screw holes on the top of the bench as a safety precaution. Clean up excess glue with a damp cloth. As an option, you can install western cedar 1-by-4s around the perimeter of the bench.

• Wear gloves to protect from splinters. Do not paint or stain the bench in a poorly ventilated area.

Resources

• More bench plans
• Build a garden bench