How to Build a Planter Bench
By , This Old House magazine
Photo: Kolin Smith
- Time: 8 hours
- Cost: $350 for cedar construction
- Difficulty: Easy
Shopping & Tool Lists
- Supplies You Will Need:
- 1. cedar 2×4s Get twenty 8-foot boards to make the 16½-inch planter pieces and the 82½-inch-long seat frame.
2. cedar 1¼×6s Get four 6-foot boards to make the 63-inch-long seat, and one 8-foot board to trim the tall planter.
3. ¾-inch gravel for drainage below the planters and to fill the assembled planters. Get at least 1½ cubic feet (three bags).
4. potting soil to top off the planters filled with gravel. Get four 32-quart bags.
5. construction adhesive Get 4 tubes.
6. 3-inch stainless-steel deck screws
7. 2-inch stainless-steel deck screws
8. 3-inch galvanized siding nails
9. 12-inch galvanized spikes Get eight
- Tools You Will Need:
-
1. 4-foot level
2. miter saw
3. circular saw
4. jigsaw
5. Speed Square
6. drill/driver fitted with a ⅜-inch paddle bit
7. garden spade
8. hammer
9. hand tamper
10. caulk gun
Introduction
There is lawn furniture, and then there is what you might call landscape furniture—custom seating built right into the terrain. Done right, it can create a little oasis in your yard or even on your deck. Take, for instance, this bench with planters for piers. Senior technical editor Mark Powers made the entire installation from rot- and weather-resistant cedar lumber using lap joinery, a sturdy construction method meant to keep the planter walls from bowing against pressure from roots, should you decide to plant trees. See how the project comes together step-by-step on the pages that follow.
The cedar lumber for this planter bench costs far less than built teak furniture but is just as weather resistant.
Steps
- Introduction
- Overview
- 1. Cut the Pieces
- 2. Assemble the Seat Frame
- 3. Pick a Location
- 4. Lay Out the Planter Bases
- 5. Prepare the Base
- 6. Excavate the Soil
- 7. Add the Bed Gravel
- 8. Establish the Base
- 9. Lay the Second Course
- 10. Secure the Courses
- 11. Erect the Planters
- 12. Drive the Spike
- 13. Assemble the Inner Frame
- 14. Install the Seat Boards
- 15. Cut the Planter Opening
- 16. Miter the Cap Pieces