Author Topic: Deck Benches  (Read 13133 times)

slugsworth

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Deck Benches
« on: May 27, 2014, 03:04:09 PM »
I'm embarking on some backyard building projects and while I'm not done with the current one, I'm planning the next one. . .which basically includes re-doing the existing 4x8' deck. One of the things I'm hoping to do is add 8 linear feet of bench.  Building 4' on the short side of the deck, turning the corner and making another 4'.   

Because the deck (and my yard) is very small, I'm hoping to minimize the footprint of the benches themselves. One of the options I've seen is using a store bought bracket like http://www.rockler.com/bench-maker-bracket-for-deck-or-dock or http://www.rockler.com/bench-maker-bracket-for-deck-or-dock I haven't seen any other novice construction plans for something similar. Does anyone have any ideas or for that matter used or seen these sorts of brackets in use themselves?

Glenstache

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Re: Deck Benches
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2014, 06:30:56 PM »
Benches are a great place to move yourself up the woodworking skills ladder. There are a number of simple designs available that should meet your skill level. Look for a simple design that uses only right angles, or very few. The brackets are nice in that they are easy to build with and fast. The disadvantage is that the brackets cost as much or more than all of the materials for a simple bench design could cost.

The bench design used by these folks should be approachable for a beginning wood worker. They built squares out of 2x material, and then mounted boards across the top/sides to make the seat. Presto!
http://hellolindastuart.blogspot.com/2012/07/new-deck.html

If you are in a harsh climate, you may consider Trex (or equivalent cheaper composite) for the seats to prevent splinters and reduce future maintenance. It costs more up front, but will save you time and effort later when you aren't sanding and repainting.

slugsworth

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Re: Deck Benches
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2014, 10:19:01 AM »
Thanks Glenstache, I've got a very small lot, with a small backyard and hence my deck is about 4'x8'. . .I'm actually going to frame a 18" wide x 4' long extension onto a portion of it. . .making the corner area with the benches a whopping 4'x5'6" but really given the size of the yard I can't go much bigger which is why I'm looking for benches that cantilever outwards and have a very small footprint. Nearly all of the DIY ones I've seen have been similar to what you posted and would take up too much room to leave much room to walk or really be functional. I did stumble on this one http://kregjig.ning.com/forum/topics/custom-deck-bench-and-railing but I'm not sure if it is the right answer.  Thoughts on that plan?
 

Glenstache

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Re: Deck Benches
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2014, 12:22:37 PM »
That design looks nice, but will be more difficult to construct as it has many angle cuts and oblique screws. If it looks doable, then go for it. You could also dig 3-4 post holes around the edge of your deck, set vertical 4x4 pressure-treated posts in concrete, and build the seat above the posts. This will set the bench further away from the deck space and be simple to build. It sounds like you are building the deck from scratch, so you could also integrate the vertical posts with the edge supports for the deck.

Weedy Acres

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Re: Deck Benches
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2014, 02:40:14 PM »
Here's what I did.  The supporting 4x4 posts are bolted to the deck joists.


Then covered the whole frame with deck boards:


« Last Edit: May 28, 2014, 02:44:11 PM by Weedy Acres »

slugsworth

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Re: Deck Benches
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2014, 03:43:57 PM »
Weedy Acres, You did a great job!

A couple of questions, Did you just use lag bolts to mount the 4x4's to the joists, or did you use hardware? What do you think about the possibility of adding a back to the benches? What did you bolt to where when going perpendicular to the joists?

Glen, I'm not actually building a new deck, I've got an existing 4x8 deck, but have a few projects associated with it - I'm adding that little extension (to make a little more room for the benches), re-doing the stairs, adding the benches and at a minimum resurfacing the decking if not replacing it. 

Weedy Acres

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Re: Deck Benches
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2014, 04:24:43 PM »
Yeah, I just lag bolted the posts to the joists.  Where a joist wasn't in the right place, I just nailed in some perpendicular blocking.  Here's a photo from the archives showing that:


If I were putting a back on it, I'd probably do something like this: (just google imaged, have no personal knowledge of this one).  You could also put that back support inside the bench framework, maybe butting up to the 4x4 posts below the bench level, for extra stability.