Outdoor patio storage
Save yourself a few extra trips to the garage or shed to find your patio accessories, tools and yard toys by building your own do-it-yourself outdoor patio storage in one weekend. An excellent type of outdoor patio storage is one that serves a dual purpose--storage and seating. Before jumping into the task of building your new patio storage, think about the ideal length of your storage and its best location. Does this Spark an idea?
Measurements and Placement
Lumber centers commonly sell wood in 8-foot lengths, so working with this length is a good starting point. If you have enough room, use the full 8 feet of wood as the length of your seating. If you have ample space on your patio, consider making more than one patio storage bench.
Make note of your patio storage's measurements--its length, the width of the seat and the height of the patio storage. For comfortable seating, make the bench the height of a standard chair.
Determine the ideal location for your patio storage. Select the spot on your patio that receives the most shade, or position it where it doesn't obstruct traffic, preferably against the house or along the patio rail. If you're planning a patio design using furniture, your patio storage may work as a divider between two different conversation areas. Flanked with planters on either side, it is certain to make an outdoor design statement.
Building Your Outdoor Patio Storage
Select outdoor, weather- and termite-resistant wood, preferably cedar or pressure-treated lumber. The first step is to construct the frame of your patio storage. Use 2-by-4s or 4-by-4s to make four posts, one at each corner of the storage unit, cut to your height measurement.
Connect the four posts using eight pieces of 2-by-4; four pieces cut to the short width measurement for the two ends and four long pieces cut to the length of the back and the front. Cut an additional two pieces using the same width measurement. These will connect the top and bottom horizontal frame pieces of wood, crosswise at the center of the storage unit--one at the top for extra bench support, and one at the bottom to support the bottom of the unit.
If you are working with 8-foot long pieces for your bench seat, subtract 4 inches for each post--8 inches total--plus an additional 2 to 4 inches to make the storage compartment's length a little shorter than the bench top. Subtract 2 or 4 inches from the width measurement for the posts and an additional 2 to 4 inches for the same effect.
After positioning the top horizontal support bars flush with the top of the post ends and the bottom support bars either flush with the bottom of the post ends or a few inches higher than the bottom, screw these horizontal pieces to the vertical posts using outdoor screws that are long enough to pass through the post and side pieces. Pre-drilling countersink holes gives the unit a flush screw-head finish.
The Finishes
There are two options for enclosing the frame of your do-it-yourself outdoor patio storage. Use 1-inch-thick plywood to enclose the sides or use 1-by-4 cedar or pressure-treated wood to make vertical planks to enclose the sides of the units. For either choice, use outdoor screws to secure in place from the inside of the unit. Cut a piece of plywood to fit over the bottom, making sure to notch out the corners to fit around the posts.
For the top, cut a piece of 1-inch outdoor plywood, trim the edges with wood trim and attach it to the top back edge using hinges and screws. Dress up the plywood by covering its top with a few 1-by-4s cut lengthwise or make a seat cushion using high-density foam covered with outdoor vinyl stapled to the underside of the top. Sand and stain or paint to give your outdoor patio storage a finished appearance.
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