Do you ever think of an idea but don't quite know how to execute it?
Well that's pretty much where I was at a year ago when we first got our pool blanket. I mean this thing works, it keeps the water clean, warmer for longer, saves us having to turn the heater on.. it's got it's advantages right? But they're just not pretty to look at and this is where this DIY really came in handy, I hope it comes in handy for you as well 😊
In this blog you will see everything... the mistakes, the design changes and why ..etc
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Some things to note..
If you want to do this as a bench seat like us, you will need a low profile roller which is usually about 400-420mm high.
The standard height for a bench seat is about 450mm-480mm so your feet can comfortably touch the ground when you sit down.
I would also recommend may be not doing a gas lift door if you have a really wide pool. Our pool is only 2.5m wide and the weight of the door was already really heavy. Not sure what the maximum appropriate weight should be but as long as you can find nice solid gas struts for your door then it should be ok.
THE TOOLS:
Drill and Impact Driver
Pocket Hole jig
Nail gun
Level
THE MATERIALS:
90 x 45 Treated Pine
Hume 42 x 18mm cladding
Hume 66 x 18mm cladding
Galvanised Screws and nails
Exterior UV WPU Membrane
Paint roller / Paint brush
Primer
Gas Struts
Angle Brackets
22mm white plastic cushion glides
Flush pull handle
White spray paint
STEP 1: WORK OUT YOUR OVERALL DIMENSIONS
The first step would be to determine the size of your bench seat.
Measure the width of your roller the add about 200mm so you have a bit of play on each side.
This measurement will end up being the internal size of the bench seat
As for the depth, you basically need to make sure that the legs of the roller fit in there nicely if you have wheels like ours, you'll need to allow for them as well.
STEP 2 : ASSEMBLE THE SIDES AND RAILS TOGETHER
I wasn't quite sure how I was going to start this so I just put together 4 pieces of timber using a pocket hole jig and basically worked my way from there. This is what the sides looked like.
Then I added a long piece of timber to join them both like below .. after that, this is when things started to change around...
I then changed my mind and decided to make the long piece of timber sit 45mm higher to allow for the door frame to butt against it (thickness of the timber is 45mm)
My initial plan was to make the door open all the way to the back but instead I chose to make a little fixed top piece at the top back of the bench.
Reason for that is: I didn't want to have to remove the cushions all the time I had to open the door to use the pool blanket.
Now as you guys are aware of this, you can oversize that back piece by 90mm and do a little check out around the ends for a nicer finish 😊
I had already cut mine and didn't want to waste it so I just used it as it was 😁
As per the photo, you can now add on your top back rail, screwed from the back and into the sides. (sits over the ends)
And you can also add your front rail (sits in between the ends). Your front rail needs to sit 7mm lower then the top edge of the ends and will also need to sit 52mm in from the front edge (I'll explain later)
I also started to realise that the long pieces needed a bit of support in the middle, so I joined them both with a middle rail. The longer your bench seat, the more supports you'll need to add.
Now that your basic frame is pretty much done, time to start making your door...
STEP 3 : MAKING THE DOOR
The door is basically 2 frames screwed together at 9o degrees with the help of angle brackets to keep it square. (Make the supports of the frames line up)
These are the angle brackets that I've used from Bunnings. I know it says "suitable for indoor use" but they've been fine so far
So why I asked to make the front rail sit lower and in by 7mm is because these angle brackets are 6mm thick. You'll need to allow for that thickness so that the door shuts completely.
And at the front, you need to allow for the thickness of the door + the angle bracket (45 + 7 = 52)
You can also router them into the timber if you prefer the front rail to be flush at the top and front
The top frame of the door should be the overall width of the bench (minus 5mm on each side)
And the front frame of the door should be the overall width of the inside of the ends (minus 5-10mm on each side)
I then added little plastic cushion glides to the bottom of the frame ends and to the bottom of the door so that the frame stays off the floor away from water.
STEP 4 : THE GAS STRUTS
By now, your bench seat should roughly look like this photo here.. Keep going you're almost there!!
😊👏
For the gas struts, I've added little blocks to the inside of the ends for the bottom part and for the top part, they're screwed directly onto the frame
Once you've put them on, if you can open your door easily but struggling to close it, then you've probably used the correct set of gas struts! So keep it like this.
If you're closing the door easily with only the frame, chances are.. you'll be needing more powerful ones. Because once this door is cladded, the add on weight will make a significant difference.
These are the Gas Struts we ended up using from Bunnings and the clips for them.
STEP 5 : WATERPROOF, PRIME AND PAINT EVERYTHING
STEP 6: THE CLADDING
These are the two different sizes we've used for our bench:
I started by adding the 42 x 18mm cladding to the sides then added the 66 x 18mm to each end.. on the top and on the front
The side cladding should stick up by 45mm
The 66mm wide pieces is to cover the side clads and the thickness of the frame (18+45) + a bit of glue and it works out perfectly flush
Here is a photo of what the setup should look like once completed.
You can then proceed with the rest of the bench seat.
Where the door joins I've done square edges and where the door is hinged, the cladding will be reverse-mitred.
Meaning that, the mitres will close together when the door is open. that way you don't have a leave a massive gap for the door to open
You'll have to cut the cladding a bit shorter around the hinges but that's it
I would suggest oversizing the little pieces at the back, then run your circular saw over it and cut off the excess
Fill all the nail and screw holes then spray paint the whole bench with a couple of coats
For the handle, I just went with a Stainless steel flush pull handle from Bunnings and sprayed it white
Use a multi tool and do a cut-out for the handle, don't overcut it too much as these handles are screwed in from the sides
I would love it if you guys could show me yours once you've done it and if you have any feedback or if you've found a better
way of doing something as you attempt the project, comment on this post so others can see your suggestions and ideas 🥰
If you've lost motivation after reading this 😅here are some photos and videos of the completed project 💛
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