How to Make a 2x4 Slatted Outdoor Bench

How to Make a 2x4 Outdoor Bench

5/22/2024

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Steph wanted a new bench for outside her front door. The design needed to be easy to build, easy to move, as well as something that would not collect rain.

This simple design is not original as you can find many iteration all over the internet. Ours is based on a design by our blogger friend, Home Jelly, who was inspired by Ana White.

Materials/Tools:

(7) 8’ 2x4 (Home Depot)
(4) 6’ 1x4
2inch Outdoor Screws (Home Depot)
Titebond III 16 oz. Ultimate Wood Glue (Home Depot)
Impact Driver (Home Depot)
Rockler Assembly Square Tool (Amazon)
Rockler Silicone Glue Applicator (Amazon)
RIDGID 18V Cordless 5 in. Random Orbit Sander (Home Depot)
DEWALT 7.8 in. Tracksaw Track Clamps Set (Home Depot)
Kreg Multi-Mark (Amazon)
Olympic Elite 1 Midnight Blue Solid Exterior Stain and Sealant (Home Depot)
Plasti Dip 11 oz. Black Spray Paint (Home Depot)
Xena Steel-toe Boots (Xena Workwear)

Overall dimensions

We bought the lumber and screws at Home Depot.

We got all our supplies at Home Depot. The bench uses common lumber that is easy to find and not overly expensive.

How to make a 2x4 outdoor slatted bench.

All the repetitive cuts were made on the miter saw. Stop blocks for the long pieces and legs made it an easy process.

Cut the slatted bench legs on the miter saw.

Here's a close up of the stop block that was attached to the miter saw for the legs.

All the slats for the top of the bench.

Here's the pile of legs from the 2x4s and 1x4s.

Steph sanded the slats and I sanded the legs.

The dry fit looks good so now it's time to assemble!

Painting the bench with Olympic Elite Outdoor stain.

I'm using Olympic Elite Outdoor stain to paint the insides of the slats which will be much easier to do now than after assembling.

We are using a Makita compact impact driver to avoid having to make pilot holes.

To avoid having to make pilot holes, we are using an impact driver and star tip outdoor screws.

These adjustable Husky worktables are handy for building.

Now, we just glue and screw each layer until we are finished. Doesn't get much easier than that! We have this laid out on two Husky worktables so we don't have to work on the floor.

Use a track saw clamp because it fits in the space to clamp the bench to the Husky work table.

Before we started, we clamped the first layer onto the tables. That red silicone square is where we used a track saw clamp. We used it so the clamp would not mar the painted surface.

The Makita Impact driver did a good job screwing the screws into place.

The screws were randomly screwed into each layer of the legs so we didn't accidentally screw one in on top of another. The screws were recessed into the wood slightly.

Assembly complete. Now it's time for the Olympic stain.

I used a foam roller as well as a brush, and very small craft brush to get the paint into all the grooves.

Since this will be exposed to rain, we decided to further seal the bottoms of the legs with spray on Plasti Dip,

We taped off everything but the bottoms, took it outside, and give it a couple of coats of Plasti Dip. Follow the instructions on the product.

We taped off everything but the bottoms, took it outside, and gave it a couple of coats of Plasti Dip. Follow the instructions on the product.

This is the bench Steph made 11 years ago. It served its purpose, but it was time for something new.

Finished DIY 2x4 slatted bench at the front door.

The new bench in place.

It's perfect for the space and coordinates with the ladder plant stand just out of view.

A bench outside a front door, if you have room, is a must! It's a great place to drop stuff going to and from the car as well as place to take off your muddy shoes.

Steph's old bench got a lot of use and I'm sure this one will too. It's already been a great place to tuck things out of the way for a friend to pick up.

Please note: This is not a sponsored post.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don't claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!

FYI: Affiliate links are being used on this page. Purchasing via these links help support MDP.