Introduction: How to Use Landscape Timbers to Make an Outdoor Table

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About: We're Mother Daughter Projects, sharing our DIY adventures as we learn to maintain, improve, decorate, and use tech in our homes.

We needed a table to use on the screen porch. It needed to be weatherproof as rain routinely gets into the porch.

Nothing is more suitable for outdoor weather than pressure-treated wood! We used pressure-treated outdoor landscape timbers to make our table.


Safety Notice: It is VERY IMPORTANT to note that working with pressure-treated wood can release harmful chemicals. We used all the personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep ourselves safe while we worked: masks, gloves, eye protection--the works!

Supplies

You can find garden timbers outside the garden center at the Home Depot. Tell the cashier how many you're getting and then drive your car up and load them. Choose the straightest ones you can find.

  • 8 ft. Landscape Timber (Home Depot)
  • Everbilt 1-3/8 in. x 48 in. Zinc-Plated Punched Steel Flat Bar with 1/16 in. Thick (Home Depot)
  • Olympic Elite 1 gal. Chestnut Brown Solid Advanced Exterior Stain and Sealant in One (Home Depot)
  • Gorilla 9oz Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive (Home Depot)
  • RYOBI 18-Volt ONE+ Power Caulk and Adhesive Gun (Home Depot)
  • Milwaukee M12 FUEL 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Stubby 3/8 in. Impact Wrench (Home Depot)
  • DEWALT ATOMIC 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Compact 1/4 in. Impact Driver w/ (1) Battery 1.3Ah, Charger & Tool Bag (Home Depot)
  • DEWALT 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Band Saw (Home Depot)
  • Makita 15 Amp 10 in. Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser (Home Depot)

Step 1: Cut List

The measurements of this table are based on another we built for inside the house. But just to be sure, we cut one set of pieces to check that it would be the height we wanted. We bought our landscape timbers a few days prior to using them to give them time to dry out. You can see, we elevated the timbers with wood stakes to aid in circulating air around them as they dried.

Once we were happy with the sizing, we cut the remainder of the pieces using a miter saw.

Cut list:

  • (4) 12 inch
  • (2) 9-3/8 inch
  • (2) 241/2 inch
  • (1) 30-3/4 inch

Step 2: Sand and Stain

After cutting all the pieces it was time to sand. I'm doing this outside, wearing all the PPE including a mask and eye protection. That's a Ridgid battery-powered sander that I clamped upside down on the workbench. I use it a lot in this configuration as I find it easier and less fatiguing to move the piece to be sanded rather than move the sander itself.

We used Olympic Elite Solid stain to finish the table. This stain covers very well so only a single coat was needed.

Step 3: Assembly

We added structural strength and a bit of rustic industrial charm with cut pieces of slotted flat bar. We used this DeWalt battery-powered bandsaw to make the cuts.

We initially constructed this with wood glue--not a good choice as it fell apart when moved! We regrouped and used construction adhesive which proved to be perfect. The table has been in use, at this writing, for about three years with no issues with the construction adhesive.

Those metal bar pieces were attached with hex head screws that we painted with the solid stain. We assumed the stain on the metal would chip off but three years later that has not been a problem.

Lastly, we decided to add even more structural strength with extra long screws on the top and bottom. An impact driver is perfect for this.

Step 4: Use As a Side Table or Coffee Table

This design is versatile as it can be used standing or as a coffee table/footrest. When it gets too dirty from pollen wafting into the porch, it can be taken out and hosed off!


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