The 2×4 DIY Adirondack Bench – a perfect solution for creating beautiful, comfortable, durable – and most importantly – inexpensive outdoor seating for 2.
What better way to shed the winter blues than with a little indoor woodworking project.
Especially if it helps to prepare for the upcoming outdoor summer season!
Like much of the country, the last few weeks of January in Ohio have been a mess.
First snow, then frigid cold, then more snow. And with more snow on the way again next weekend.
For two people who love to be outdoors, it is the perfect recipe for cabin fever.
So we decided the best way to fight it was to start building for summer now.
And we had the perfect project to tackle. A DIY Adirondack bench made only from 2×4’s.
The 2×4 DIY Adirondack Bench Project
I have to admit it was a bit comical to build the chairs in the middle of a snowstorm.
But ever since creating our 2×4 Adirondack chairs a few years back, so many folks have emailed us to ask us if we could create plans for a matching bench too.
And being snowed in gave us the perfect chance to go for it.
We have always loved the Adirondack chairs. They have really been an amazing addition to the farm.
We now have a total of 12 – and use them at our fire pit, on the patio, and for a couple of seating areas around the farm.
We built all of them in 2016. And every single one of them still looks great and show no signs of wear and tear.
The 2×4 construction makes them incredibly strong and durable. To boot, the chairs are unbelievably comfortable.
And since they are made with simple 2 x 4’s – they were extremely inexpensive to build. See : How To Build The Ultimate Outdoor Chair
In fact, at $2.75 per 2 x 4, it cost a grand total of about $22 to build each chair. That is pretty amazing for a chair that stands up to any kind of weather with ease.
It has been our number one downloaded plan on our DIY plans site for over a year now. And we love getting all of the photos from folks from all over who have built them. See : 2 x 4 Adirondack Chair Plans
So with that said, we decided it was time to see if we could create a matching Adirondack bench.
Creating The Matching 2×4 DIY Adirondack Bench
I have to say, as much as we love the chairs, the bench might now be our new favorite!
It takes just thirteen (13) 2 x 4 x 8’s to create. And can be made in a single afternoon.
With 48″ of actual seating length, it can easily and comfortably fit 2 people.
And just like the chairs, the tough 2 x 4 construction will hold up for years and years to come.
And yes, we created easy step by step plans for them! See : OWG Step by Step Adirondack Bench Plans
The Joy Of Building Chairs Indoors
Creating a bench and step by step plans during a snowstorm and deep freeze can be a challenge.
Building them in the barn wasn’t a viable option. With temps below zero, even a propane heater wasn’t going to make it workable.
And the garage wasn’t any better. But I could at least handle running to it to make the necessary cuts with the miter saw for a few minutes at a time.
But one of the great things about living in a house with heated concrete floors is they clean up easy!
So we cleared off a bit of space in our main living area and went to work on our 2×4 DIY Adirondack bench.
We used our original chairs as a guide to create new measurements for the bench.
More than anything else, we wanted to make it big enough to be comfortable for two.
Once we had a few measurements, I bundled up, ran to the garage, and made the cuts.
And then it was a quick dash back to the warm house to put it all together.
Other than a bit of sawdust in the house, it actually worked really well.
The bench went together quickly. We use exterior star screws and a impact driver to assemble all of our building projects.
They are so tough and never strip. The impact driver also makes putting together pieces effortless.
It makes the need for ever using glue obsolete. Besides, if a piece ever does fail, it is easy to unscrew and replace. Not always easy if it has been glued!
We can’t wait for the weather to warm up to try out the new bench!
Here’s to building a little summer in the middle of winter. Happy Building! Jim and Mary.
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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