Summer is fast approaching and the sun (and the heat) is setting in little by little! So to best prepare for the long sunny days chilling by the pool, in the garden or on the terrace, you need now think about arranging your exterior to make it a real cocoon. Do you already have the dining table and chairs to put on your terrace? So it's time to look at the garden furniture and especially on the manufacture of a durable and resistant outdoor sofa that you can keep for years. 🌱
You do not know where to start ? At RIPATON we give you the solution to make a quality garden sofa.
of materials to be used for perfect weather and sun resistance at the making DIYs, we give you all our advice. Let's go !
What materials to choose to make a durable and resistant outdoor sofa?
Rattan, aluminum material, metal, pallets, braided resin, wood (teak, spruce, etc.) or acier : you can not make your choice for your outdoor furniture?
We are not going to go through 4 paths, for partially (and the structure) at RIPATON we obviously advise you to choose steel who will give you perfect resistance and robustness. ⛱️
Of course, other materials are also very durable outdoors For example aluminum or lresin wicker sofas. However, the price of garden furniture made from these materials can quickly become very high. In addition, very trendy in decoration and garden furniture magazines, aluminum and braided resin are seen and reviewed a little. 🏵️
Alors for a more personalized garden furniture, our steel foot " the Sunny » in matte black will be ideal for outdoor use. In addition, thanks to an anti-UV and anti-corrosion treatment, it will perfectly resist the sun and bad weather.
Info RIPATON: in addition to its resistance to heat, humidity and weather, steel is also very easy to maintain since there is actually zero maintenance to be done. However, do not forget to choose an anti-UV and anti-corrosion treated steel. ⛅
RIPATON advice: although it is very resistant, we still advise you to protect your garden furniture when winter comes by bringing it indoors (garage, swimming pool enclosures, etc.). Same thing for your outdoor cushions: it would be a shame if they were damaged by the humidity! 🌨️
What about the boards then? Which material to choose?
Our steel foot blends with any material. However, for a durable and resistant outdoor sofa, we advise you touse treated solid wood planks. For example, you can use decking boards which are ideal for outdoors. 🪵
Need some names of wood species recommended for outdoor use? No problem, you can, for example, use exotic wood, Douglas wood or autoclave treated wood (spruce).
Please note : if you want a durable wood over time that does not deteriorate (blacken or swell) with humidity and heat, it is recommended to treat your boards regularly with a treatment oil. 🖌️
How to make a durable and resistant outdoor sofa?
- A garden chair
- A 2-seater garden sofa
- A 3-seater garden sofa
DIY n°1: Make a garden armchair:
Necessary material :
- 2 feet "The Sunny"
- 7 solid wood planks of 60 x 14,5 x 3 cm
- A screwdriver
- Screws (supplied with the feet)
Note: for the thickness of the boards, we advise you to choose boards 2.5 to 4.5 cm thick. 📏
RIPATON tip: If your boards are not treated, we advise you toapply a treatment oil before attaching them to the feet.
Once all the materials have been gathered, all you have to do is screw the boards to both legs. As the leg is 60 cm deep and 43 cm high (the backrest only) you should have 4 boards on the lower part of the chair (the seat) and 3 boards on the upper part.
And here you have created your chair! Pretty easy, don't you think? For the final touch, add cushions for even more comfort. 😴
DIY #2: how to make a 2-seater garden sofa?
Do you want to bet on something a little bigger than an armchair? So keep reading, here we give you the dimensions to choose for make a durable and hardwearing outdoor sofa for 2 people. ☀️
For materials, no change. You will need to use treated solid wood planks and our "L'Ensoleillé" matte black steel foot in 2 copies.
And as for dimensions, you will only have to multiply the length by 2 ! Because yes, for more comfort, it is advised to opt for a width of 60 cm per person ; so you will have understood 60 x 2 = 120 cm.
So you will need:
- 2 Legs Sunny 70,2 cm tall
- 7 treated solid wood planks of 120 x 14.5 x 3 cm
- 1 screwdriver
- Screws (supplied with the feet)
RIPATON tip: consider buying a treatment oil to treat your boards regularly for better protection. 💡
DIY #3: What about a 3-seater sofa then?
Surely you have already understood this, for a 3-seater sofa, it is enough to make: 60 cm x 3 = 180 cm.
To make an outdoor sofa for three people, you will therefore need 7 wooden boards 180 cm long. 🪚
What size cushions should I choose for my garden armchair/sofa?
Have you just made your outdoor sofa but don't know what size cushions to choose to go with it? Here is a brief summary of standard sizes for cushions! ⛱️
Standard sizes for seats of a garden sofa:
- 1 seat: 60 x 60 cm
- 2 seats: 120 x 60 cm
Standard sizes for outdoor sofa backs :
- 1 seat: 60 x 45 cm
- 2 seats: 120 x 45 cm
Note: these are standard sizes that you can find in stores. If your sofa is larger, all you have to do is modulate the cushions according to the number of seats. For example, for a three-seater sofa you can choose 3 seat cushions of 60 x 60 cm or 1 cushion of 120 x 60 and 1 cushion of 60 x 60 cm: it's up to you! 😉
RIPATON tip: for a fully personalized sofa, you can also choose to make your own cushions!
In the meantime, here our “L’Ensoleillé” garden sofa foot to make your garden furniture.
The essentials to remember to make your durable and resistant outdoor sofa:
- The materials to use to make my garden furniture: choose solid materials that are weather and UV resistant such as steel treaty, the solid wood treaty, aluminum, the resin wicker furniture and especially forget the plastic because in addition to not being very aesthetic, the plastic will be damaged in contact with heat and humidity and will end up breaking.
- The dimensions for an armchair: 60 cm wide x 60 cm deep and approximately 40/45 cm high for the backrest.
- The dimensions for a 2 seater sofa: 120 cm wide x 60 cm deep and about 40/45 cm high for the backrest. 📏
And that's the end of this article! Find other tips and tricks on our blog.
Find our practical guide to making your garden sofa on the Ensoleillé page, click on “👷♂️ Assembly instructions”. You can then download our “Garden sofa” guide which includes all the information written in this article! ✨
See you soon at RIPATON ! ☀️