How to build outdoor storage bench seat

Outdoor Storage bench seats are all the rage today. An outdoor storage bench is appropriate for people with gardens or backyards who enjoy spending time in the crisp open air.

But benches can serve a bigger purpose than simply keeping you comfortable. The right bench can also store your things, items you would rather keep out of your house but which are, nonetheless, valuable.

The outdoor storage bench seat can store outdoor cushions, gardening materials, tools boxes, outdoor playing toys, and other accessories. Moreover, it also allows one to sit over it comfortably. Many people use outdoor storage boxes for storing outdoor things rather than the outdoor storage bench seat. The difference between outdoor storage boxes and outdoor storage bench seat is few. Both have storage and sitting options. The only difference is that the outdoor storage bench seat allows one to sit over it by leaning backside, which is not available in the outdoor storage box.

However, before starting the job, you should know How to build an outdoor storage bench seat. Otherwise, mistakenly we will waste your valuable times and money.

Building The Outdoor Storage Bench Seat

It sounds difficult, but you can make your own outdoor storage bench seat. There are some approaches you can take. The steps that are laid out below are not the only way to craft your bench.

Don’t be afraid to experiment where necessary. But if you are completely new to the concept, these steps will be of immense help to you.

What You Will Need To Build an Outdoor Storage Bench Seat

For the most part, all you will require is a

• Drill,
• Hinges,
• Miter saw
• 2x4 boards,
• Screws (1 1/2”, 2 1/2”),
• Kreg pocket hole jig,
• A clamp,
• A deck drain.

What Should You Do?

If you can follow a variation of these steps, you should be fine.

1). Make Front, Back, and Side Panels

Get your boards and cut them into pieces. You will need six of them for the front and back panels. Those you should be 25 inches.

You will also require six pieces for the side panels. Those should be 10 inches. This is where the miter saw comes into the picture.

2). Make the Legs

You will require four legs for your bench seat. So cut your boards into eight pieces of 17 inches each. After this, you can equalize the legs.

Take two leg boards and bring them together in an L-form. Do this for all eight boards until you have four legs.

At some point, you might notice that the side of one board is wider than the side of the other. You can solve this issue by cutting a piece off one of the boards. Keep this scrap piece.

Take a moment to ensure that you have all your boards in place that is, for the front, side, and back panels, and the legs.

Once you are confident that you have all the boards you will require, apply the deck stain. You will need a synthetic brush for this step. Apply the first coating, let it dry, and then using another coat.

3). Assemble the legs

Once the staining is done, you can proceed to open three holes into one side of the legs of your bench. If your Kreg pocket hole jig is in place, you must set it to 7/8”. Naturally, you will require a drill to make the holes.

Once you are done, position the clamp that will hold the legs together and then insert the screws into the holes.

Get the stretcher piece, return to your Kreg jig and insert two screws on each end of the stretcher piece.

Position the stretcher in between two legs and then drill screws into the holes of the stretcher. Some professionals will suggest putting the scrap piece you cut earlier next to the drilled stretcher to allow for more even spacing.

4). Assemble the Side Panels

Grab a side panel and place it below the scrap piece that was positioned next to the stretcher you drilled. Do with the second stretcher what you did with the first stretcher.

Move the scrap piece below the second stretcher, add another side panel and repeat the steps. Do this for the other legs and panels. Once you get that first leg and panel done, you have to rinse and repeat.

Of course, to attach the side panels, two holes must be drilled into either end of the panels at which point the screws that will connect the panels to the legs of the bench are inserted.

You can still use the scrap piece in between the side panels if you need it.

5). Cleats and Shelves

This is where you work on the compartments. Get two scrap pieces and divide them into 14-inch sections. These will be the cleats for the shelves.

If you planned properly, you should still have a few boards lying around. Cut them into 29” inch pieces. You will need them to act as the bottom shelf.

This is where you miter saw returns to work because you will need it to cut a pair of seventeen-inch boards and four 25-inch pieces for the four stretcher pieces that will constitute the top.

Don’t forget to stain all these shelf boards appropriately, after which you can place your cleat on the bottom side panel. This is what will support the bottom shelf, so you must drill three holes into it and insert screws.

Then put the bottom shelf in place and insert screws in the sides of the bottom shelf pieces. This will require some drilling.

Once you are done, you can proceed to connect the stretcher, and the breadboard ends, a step that will require you to drill a pair of holes on each end of the stretcher. Position the bench pieces appropriately.

Do this for the rest of the stretchers and then attach the hinges to the back of the bench. At this point, you are done.

Of course, if carpentry is foreign to you, you might encounter some complications along the way, especially if some of the terms and processes above are entirely new for you.

But the steps should still give you all the information you need to experiment. So long as you keep trying, your outdoor storage bench seat will eventually take form.

6. Security Issue

You need to ensure the security of the items inside the outdoor storage shed or bench seat or box. We are recommending to use a padlock to lock this bench seat as it remains in outside. If you do not have a padlock at your home, you should buy from the market. We are suggesting Stanley Hardened Steel Padlock secure your outdoor storage as this lock is heavy, durable and it is very difficult to cut off by the lock cutting tool.