Outdoor living and entertaining is something we all love doing. From a balcony of a high rise apartment through to our large outdoor patios, an outdoor sofa is one of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you’re catching up with friends or enjoying a peaceful moment by yourself, there is nothing more versatile than your outdoor sofa!
Unfortunately, they can be very expensive and often are not built to fit the space you have available. So, why not create your own?
Looking at what you will need, there is a selection of relatively inexpensive and simple items in terms of material. All of which will provide a far superior option that the flat pack options your local discount furniture store can provide you with
What you will need to create your own outdoor sofa is as follows.
Materials for your outdoor sofa:
- 4 × 8 planks
- 2 x 8 planks
- L-brackets
- Lag screws
- Outdoor cushions
Tools for your outdoor sofa:
When it comes to cushions, it is very important that you select these before your project starts, not only because you need to use the sizing as a guide, but so you can ensure that your colour scheme matches your outdoor deco and stain used for the sofa.
Step 1 – Prepare your planks to start making your couch
Using your saw, cut the 8×4 planks into 32” long pieces. Ensure you are wearing safety goggles and earmuffs to protect yourself when using power tools.
Once you have made the cut, and then cut the 2 x 8 planks into pieces that match the size of the sofa cushions you have selected. At this point, you should have three pieces for the bottom and one piece for the back.
Step 2 – Sand the outdoor sofa to round edges
Next step is the process of sanding all the edges to ensure all your pieces of timber are smooth and round the edges of your planks to ensure that there are no sharp edges on your new furniture. Take the time to sand properly and don’t cut any corners, as you want to make sure your outdoor couch is nice and comfortable and free from splinters.
Step 3 – Assemble your couch sides
Using a socket attachment, drill in a recess so your 8” lag screw can reach to connect the 4×8 planks. Connect three of the 4×8 panels to create a side of your sofa. Do this twice to get your side sections completed. Stand back, and you’ll start to see your couch take shape.
Step 4 – Prepare your L-brackets
Put the two side panels side-by-side, screw in the L-brackets along the seam between the bottom and middle 4×8. This will ensure that the sofa is level – there is nothing worse than a sofa with a wonky sofa!
Take enough time to make sure everything is level and you are happy with everything as the next step is screwing in the base so if you want to make any tweaks now is the time.
Step 5 – Screw in the base of our outdoor couch
With the sides sitting upright and the L-brackets facing upwards, place the 2 x 8 panels on the bracket and screw into place, using your cordless drill. You may need to roll onto the side or upside down to get leverage for your drill.
Step 6 – Install the back of your couch
Similar to the bottom section you just completed in step 5, screw the L-brackets into place, then the final 2×8 that will act as your backrest.
You will now see your outdoor sofa taking shape. Ensure that the frame is solid, that all screws are tight and that your L-Brackets are in securely before you move onto the next step.
Step 7 – Stain your outdoor couch and start making it look fancy
When your outdoor sofa is sitting in direct sunlight, it is always better to use a stain or sealant that is sun resistant, in may cases grey or a darker colour is preferable, as the sun will naturally do this to most wood.
Apply the wood stain liberally with a brush and let set for 30 minutes or so, wiping off excess then reapplying the stain a second time and letting it all soak in. When you are happy that the stain is all dry and ready for the next and final stage it’s time to get decorating with cushions.
Step 8 – Move into place, and set up all your cushions
Having your completed couch frame, it is now time to add your comfortable cushions you selected before you started your project. Ideally, you should have picked a colour that matches the stain you selected and also compliments the outside of your home.
What you have created here is an extremely sturdy, trendy and functional piece of outdoor furniture for a fraction of the cost of purchasing a comparable flat pack item from your local furniture store!
A lot can be said about the satisfaction and quality of a ‘DIY’ project, and this modern DIY outdoor sofa is a DIY piece that will be the envy of all your friends.
If you are ready to take on this project but don’t have the tools don’t worry about running out and purchasing expensive tools, there is another option. Whether you have a small DIY project or a big one, we have the tools you need to get the job done. Listing tools is easy!
Do you own a bunch of tools at home, gathering dust that you hardly ever use? Instead, you should be letting them make you money by renting them out to people in your area. With ToolMates Hire you can now hire your own tools out whenever they’re not in use.
Simply register, add a tool, details and photo, add the dates the tool is available and confirm, and your tool is listed on ToolMates Hire as available.
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