Frequently Asked Questions
Wood Questions
What kind of wood should I use?
Most of our plans use standard construction lumber like pine or fir. It's affordable, easy to work with, and easy to find. It's also rapidly renewing and biodegradable, so a great eco friendly choice!
Can I use hardwoods instead?
Yes—just keep in mind they're heavier, cost more, and can be tougher on tools and harder to join together and finish. I recommend not tackling a hardwood project until after you have built several softwood projects.
What if my boards are warped?
Choose the straightest boards at the store. You can often work around slight warps by cutting them into shorter pieces.
What wood should I use for outdoor furniture?
Use red-toned or pressure-treated 2x lumber for framing, and cedar or cedar fence pickets for the decking. Outdoor furniture should be built like a deck—your local home center can help recommend the right wood for your climate.
Will my wood move or warp after I build?
Potentially, especially in humid climates. Let your wood acclimate indoors before building. Once acclimated and kept in a stable environment, movement should be minimal. Remember, most houses are built using framing lumber - it's all about keeping moisture down indoors.
Cutting Questions
Do I need a miter saw?
A miter saw is great, creating fast, safe, and precise cuts, even for beginners. But most plans can be built with a circular saw and a straight edge. If using a circular saw to cut, take time to practice, and get good at making cuts, before cutting your project boards.
How do I get clean cuts with a circular saw?
Clamp your board, measure twice, cut slow, and use a sharp blade. This takes practice, so spend some time making cuts. I go through becoming proficient at freehand cutting in my course, it is worth taking if you want to master this skill.
Will the store cut my wood?
Yes—most stores will do rough cuts to help you transport your materials home. But from store to store, the quality of cuts could greatly vary.
Joinery Questions
What screws should I use?
We recommend star-head self tapping screws for framing, most common sizes are 2-1/2", 1-3/4". Pre-drill if close to the edge or you find your wood is splitting.
Do I have to use pocket holes?
Pocket holes are the cheapest, easiest and fastest way to do some joints - like edge to edge or a hidden fastener joint. There are other methods, but these can be time consuming and expensive. We recommend using pocket holes as indicated in plans for best results.
How do I keep things square?
Use a speed square and measure diagonals after each step. Always clamp joints before screwing to keep them tight and flush.
Finishing Questions
Stain or paint before or after building?
A quick sand before and a full finish after gives the best results. Pre-finish if you're doing two-tone or detailed finishes.
What type of finish?
Use oil-based or water-based stain. For paint, cabinet-grade latex or enamel works great. High use surfaces on indoor projects should get a coat of polyurethane, I recommend a Helsman or Spar or other flexible poly that won't crack or peel with wood movement. For exterior projects, use a finish suitable for exterior fences.
How to get a smooth finish?
Start with a well sanded project. Sand between coats (220 grit), wipe clean, and apply light coats with a foam brush or roller.
Plan Questions
Can I change the size?
Many people do, and that's the great thing about building your own furniture! But do keep in mind going bigger might mean more supports are required, and often plans are optimized for minimal material waste.
Are these beginner-friendly?
Yes—plans are written with simple tools and clear steps in mind, with every effort to make plans as simple as possible.
Can I sell what I build?
Absolutely! Just don’t resell or repost the plans themselves.
General Questions
What tools do I really need?
A drill, circular saw, tape measure, square, and a few clamps will get you through most projects.
Do I need a workshop?
Nope! A driveway or small patio is plenty to get started, just make sure you have a level place to work. If you find you are building several projects a year, creating a small workbench is a great way to store tools and have a dedicated workspace.
What if I mess up?
Wood filler, sanding, or flipping boards goes a long way. Mistakes are part of the process!
What can I do to make my projects look more professional?
Start with straight boards, make accurate cuts, clamp all joints, and line up everything neatly. Sand thoroughly, use a neutral finish, and apply it in light coats for a clean look.
I've never built anything before. Where should I start?
Start with a few smaller softwood projects to get hands-on experience. Or if you're tackling a big project, buy a little extra lumber and practice your cuts and joints first. If possible, work with someone who has a bit of experience.
Care & Maintenance
How long will my furniture last?
With good joinery and regular care, your DIY furniture can last for decades. I have pieces in my own home that are over 20 years old and still going strong! One of the best parts about DIY furniture is that it’s easy to repaint, refinish, or repair—so your projects can grow and adapt with you.
How should I care for outdoor furniture?
Lightly pressure wash or hose it down once or twice a year. Tighten screws and reapply finish as needed to protect it—just like a deck or fence. A little upkeep goes a long way in extending the life of your furniture.
How about indoor furniture?
Regularly dust or wipe with a damp cloth. If it starts to look worn, a light sanding and touch-up paint or stain can refresh it in no time. DIY pieces are meant to be durable and fixable—so don’t be afraid to give them some love now and then.
Want to Build with Confidence?
Check out my ebook: 12 Skills to Build Your Own Furniture
It walks you through the core skills every builder needs—measuring, cutting, joinery, and finishing—so you can build beautiful furniture that lasts.
Still Have Questions?
Email us anytime at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help!
Comments
RASMALICE
Fri, 05/24/2019 - 08:11
cut list for 2x4 sofa
Hi! I previously made two of these sofas into a sectional (amazing, easy, everyone loves them) and I'm planning on adding a third this weekend to make a u shape sectional. My question is: Do you have a cut list for the 11 2x4's? I used more than 11 each time. and I also had alot of waste...
In reply to cut list for 2x4 sofa by RASMALICE
Ana White
Fri, 05/31/2019 - 12:25
I'm so glad to hear! Maybe…
I'm so glad to hear!
Maybe try cutting all your long cuts first (the 72" ones) and then from the scrap pieces, cut the shorter arm/legs pieces
Steph84
Mon, 08/05/2019 - 00:58
HELP!!!!
Hey Anna just a quick one , how many 2x4s do I need to build both the two arm and one arm pieces????
emiliemag
Fri, 07/12/2019 - 21:03
Cut your 9 2x4x10 at 72”…
Cut your 9 2x4x10 at 72” first, then use scraps for 25 1/2
use the 10th 2x4x10 to cut the 4 other 25 1/2
the last 2x4 could be only 6” as you will cut your 2 last at 28 1/2
That’s 10 - 2x4x10 and 1 - 2x4x6 with 11 scraps (9x 22.5 - 1x19 - 1x15)
it is plenty!
Richard Ray
Sun, 04/24/2022 - 10:28
Ana's cut list is wrong ,…
Ana's cut list is wrong , found this out after i made the cuts according to her cut list, she hasn't taken into account the width of the legs at 2" thick so add that onto the 25.5" (25 1/2") it should be 29.5" not 28.5" now the top rails are too short by an inch so have to go and buy more wood now
nickus
Sun, 06/23/2019 - 12:09
Your cut list is deceiving…
Your cut list is deceiving. If I’m building to suit specific cushions I don’t need 13 pieces that length. 4 of them still need to be the length of the height of the arms. Kind of a pain in the ass when you’ve pre stained/sealed based on the cut list and then end up with pieces that won’t work.
Davidmarks
Sun, 07/19/2020 - 00:18
Hmmmmm.... did you use…
Hmmmmm.... did you use 2x4x10? Because the only way you would end up with 13 unusable pieces would be if you used 2x4x8 . One thing about Ana I noticed is all her plans Minimize scraps, if any at all.
Vikasberi
Fri, 06/28/2019 - 10:19
Cushions
Can you add a link to where you got your cushions?
jennilausiva
Tue, 06/02/2020 - 16:03
cusions
Did you ever find cushions? I'm having a hard time finding the dimensions I need.
laj2
Wed, 11/18/2020 - 16:11
Cushions
IKEA has some nice affordable cushions
carpenter_eagle
Sun, 08/25/2019 - 07:03
quwtkom
Thank you for this build. I just built the couch last night. My only question is this:
Step 5 doesn't have any instructions. It's kind of self explanatory as to how to connect the arms in Step 4 to the seat base of the couch, but what isn't clear is how many screws to use? I only attached the arms to the seat with 3, #10, 2 1/2" wood screws. So that's 3 wood screws on each arm holding up a lot of weight when you take into account the weight of the top of the couch and anyone sitting on the couch.Is this enough to hold the weight?.... or should I find a place to bolt the arms to the seat.
That particular piece of wood in Step 4 already has a ton of screws in it. It has pocket screws in each end and pockets screws in the side to attach it to the board in Step 3, and then it has 3 wood screws attaching it to the seat base.
Any help?
phil1964
Fri, 09/27/2019 - 09:26
First, I would not use…
First, I would not use pocket holes for this project. Second, when you are attaching the seat to the arm/leg assembly trying driving two screws at an angle into the legs. This will give you a lot more holding strength.
judie h
Tue, 06/30/2020 - 20:22
Did you ever figure it out?…
Did you ever figure it out? I just bought a few boards to see if I can get the pocket holes right and then I would decide if the plans were both easy enough for me and also if the plans were correct. I can see how that corner can get messy with three boards intersecting. I would appreciate any suggestions before I get into it too deep. I didn't see a reply to your post.
Thanks!
judie h
Mon, 07/13/2020 - 21:01
Did you ever figure it out?…
Did you ever figure it out? I built the couch (with two arms) and used pocket holes on everything. I didn't think it would be strong enough screwing into the ends. I think I may be running into the same issue with corner intersecting screws for the decking. I will have to look at it with a fresh eye this week.
carpenter_eagle
Sun, 08/25/2019 - 07:04
Question about Step 5. Please help....
Thank you for this build. I just built the couch last night. My only question is this:
Step 5 doesn't have any instructions. It's kind of self explanatory as to how to connect the arms in Step 4 to the seat base of the couch, but what isn't clear is how many screws to use? I only attached the arms to the seat with 3, #10, 2 1/2" wood screws. So that's 3 wood screws on each arm holding up a lot of weight when you take into account the weight of the top of the couch and anyone sitting on the couch.Is this enough to hold the weight?.... or should I find a place to bolt the arms to the seat.
That particular piece of wood in Step 4 already has a ton of screws in it. It has pocket screws in each end and pockets screws in the side to attach it to the board in Step 3, and then it has 3 wood screws attaching it to the seat base.
Any help?
oc man
Wed, 09/04/2019 - 18:36
Step 5 - need details
Hi
That's exactly I was thinking about as there is not much info provided for step 5. Even if we are using pocket holes, that is a lot of weight for 2x4s to lift (considering if 3 people are actually sitting on this sofa)
Hope to get some assistance on this topic
dktoronto
Mon, 08/10/2020 - 20:59
extra legs added
I just built this sofa using pocket holes and had the same concern.
I decided to add a few extra legs to the middle section - it's very sturdy now.
crazyascarl
Sun, 09/29/2019 - 10:32
Comfort of vertical back?
Does anybody have a feedback on the comfort of having the seat completely flat and the back completely vertical? I feel that most couches have a slight angle to both the seat and the back... Obviously that makes construction more difficult, but if I'm going to spend time/money on a project I want to make sure it's comfy.
Thanks!
RoBosch
Sat, 10/02/2021 - 10:03
I cut a 10 degree angle…
I cut a 10 degree angle using my mitre saw on both ends of the seatbacks to provide comfort. It works well. There is a diy youtuber who did it on his couch. He charges for his instructions. But he talked about it during the video.
aliasak
Sun, 01/12/2020 - 09:24
Add a slant back
Hello, I want to build this but with a slant back. Has anyone tried this? I made the simple outdoor furniture (loveseat and two chairs) many years ago and I love the slanted back. Should I adjust the depth of the overall plan and add a cleat to attach vertical boards to create a slanted back? Any recommendations are appreciated!
Pcreson
Wed, 03/25/2020 - 07:10
Board lengths?
Why do I need to buy 10ft length's?
Can I get away with 8th lengths?
My local store only carries 8ft and 12ft long boards.
ralfey
Wed, 04/01/2020 - 09:39
Cushions
I have 24.75 cushions, should I build this to 26.25” instead of 25.5”?
In reply to Cushions by ralfey
kmb23
Tue, 11/17/2020 - 17:35
Where did you find cushions?
Where did you find cushions?
GoDevils
Sat, 04/11/2020 - 08:05
Fun Pandemic Lockdown Project
My kids (10 and 13) had a great time building this set while on lockdown at home. We painted it all white. Now the challenge is getting cushions. We live in Arizona, so the sun destroys most material that is outside. I will likely purchase cushions that are made from Sunbrella material. Very expensive, but they will last longer.
In reply to Fun Pandemic Lockdown Project by GoDevils
kmb23
Tue, 11/17/2020 - 17:37
Did you find cushions? Do…
Did you find cushions? Do you know dimensions for cushions? We are in AZ too!
lknolan2
Sat, 04/18/2020 - 20:13
Great plan
Loved this plan! Super easy to follow and easy on the wallet. Only complaint is the amount of waste, but not really much could be done about that.
suev
Sun, 04/19/2020 - 13:17
How do you print so I can…
How do you print so I can have this built?
justinmgibson
Thu, 05/07/2020 - 09:50
Yes! Bring able to print the…
Yes! Bring able to print the plans would be incredible!
trfountain22
Sun, 04/19/2020 - 16:49
outdoor sofa help
Hi Ana,
I am getting ready to build this. I bought all the wood today. I have a couple questions though. For some reason I thought this planned called for pocket holes. (I have the Kreg kit). I guess I'm confusing it with another plan. So my question is it says to screw pieces together with the self tapping screws....but don't you see those after it's complete? I'm confused on why you wouldn't use pocket holes.
My next question is how hard would it be to make the back slanted? I saw a plan for a sofa that had a slanted back but I went this this plan because I am making a U shaped sectional. I would really like the back to be slanted though...but I don't think I could just wing it. I would need step by step directions and exact cuts. I'm a beginner!
Thanks for the help!
heathert
Mon, 04/20/2020 - 10:02
Cushions and pillows
Beautiful! Where did you get the cushions and pillows?
scott james
Wed, 04/29/2020 - 05:21
I've seen a few people ask. …
I've seen a few people ask. I can't seem to find them either.
kellya72
Fri, 05/01/2020 - 14:36
Outdoor Sofa Length
Can anyone tell me why the sofa and the one arm sofa that you put together to make the sectional are 2 different lengths? The cushions would be the same size so wouldn't you need the same length. One is 72" and one is 70 1/2". Unless I'm reading it wrong.
jupiter7
Thu, 05/21/2020 - 22:06
Outdoor Sofa Length
If you look closely at the diagrams for each sofa, on the sectional piece without the arm on one end, the back corner wood piece is turned differently since there is "no arm" attached on that end. It's turned sideways. So, that probably explains the slight difference in length.
tnbeard
Mon, 05/04/2020 - 10:43
Where did you buy your cushions??
In the picture with the stained wood couch where did you buy your white cushions from?
mattstriker
Thu, 05/14/2020 - 10:13
Arm issues
Hi there. Just building this for our garden.
Having an issue with the arms. The 28 1/2” cut seems to be an inch too short for the frame and to get the 25 1/2” support in also.
As 25 1/2”+ 2”x 2 for both legs is 29 1/2”. Does this make sense? Has anyone else had this issue please?
jupiter7
Fri, 06/19/2020 - 23:10
Arm Issues
You may have figured it out by now. A 2 X 4 board is not actually 2 inches depth. It's 1 1/2 inches. So, the two 1/2 inch differences account for the 1 inch you are asking about.
Alfiepon
Wed, 07/08/2020 - 13:52
Yes @mattstriker you are…
Yes @mattstriker you are right. It's happened to me building the first sofa (not the sectional) and now I change the 28 1/2" for 29 1/2" and it's work perfect for the sectional part. @Ana White need to update the plans or make a comment to confirm this issue.
Joel Brown 1055
Mon, 05/18/2020 - 05:25
End grain vs pocket joints
Hi Ana, I notice a lot of the time in the project you’re drilling into the end grain. Does this have much impact on how robust the whole project is? Would it be better to use pocket holes?
MACMAN
Fri, 05/29/2020 - 13:30
2x4 couch
Nice project. I still have to sand and stain. I changed the 2x4 backrest and added another 2x4. In the process of getting cushions. Thank you!
MAC
Beryl
Tue, 06/02/2020 - 11:40
Why not pocket screws?
Looks nice and I'm planning to build it, and probably the sectional and table as well as soon as I get done with some things that I "must do" before I get to the "want to do" list. I was curious why you used regular wood screws on the butt joints, screwing into end grain, when you so often talk about pocket screws in that kind of application. I'd appreciate your insight.
jupiter7
Fri, 06/19/2020 - 23:13
Why not pocket screws?
I have seen her state that she wanted to keep it simple for beginners to be able to build it, but that you could use pocket holes if desired. The one arm sectional piece that goes with it does call for two pocket holes.
jennilausiva
Tue, 06/02/2020 - 16:04
cushions
I just made the couch and table - I cannot find cushions anywhere that fit the couch. I'm looking for three that are 24 x 27 - can anyone make some suggestions?
amazon, target, home depot, lowes...all don't have the size I need. thanks.
jupiter7
Fri, 06/19/2020 - 23:15
cushions
Did you find cushions? If not, is 27 your depth or width?
judie h
Tue, 06/30/2020 - 20:39
Walmart on line had 24" -…
Walmart on line had 24" - one set $40.
cocoloco182
Sun, 06/07/2020 - 10:26
2x4 outdoor sofa
I am a VERY beginner wood DIY builder and this project was super simple, easy and very clear with directions. My son and I completed the building in 5 hours and that was because I measured 5X and cut once! I used Valspar Black Midnight wood treatment so that I could still see the grain. Great time with my son and I saved mucho dinero $$$$$$$ since something like this at a place like "Clay Shack" without naming specific brands would have been out of my budget for now. THANKS SO MUCH for the plans and easy to follow diagrams! The next project is the outdoor outdoor Bar Table.
cocoloco182
Mon, 06/08/2020 - 11:53
2x4 outdoor sofa
Here is the finished product:
Enmanuel Campusano
Mon, 06/15/2020 - 08:01
Great!
Great!
kanga
Fri, 06/19/2020 - 10:50
My HD carries 2x4x104 size…
My HD carries 2x4x104 size boards, much easier for me to transport and much less waste in cutting. Once you cut the 72" and a 25.5" for a board you only have 6.5" of waste.
cassmae
Fri, 06/19/2020 - 18:23
Great first project
I just finished it! This was my first big project. I spent a couple hours yesterday cutting and then a couple hours today assembling. Super easy and can be done in half a day.
I didn’t have a miter saw, so I just used a circular saw. It worked, but it would have been MUCH easier with a miter saw.
judie h
Tue, 06/30/2020 - 20:36
Did you run into any issues…
Did you run into any issues or problems? I see those corners that tie in with the newly added back piece = being a bit messy with so many intersecting screws. And do you think seat is strong enough to hold weight of 2-3 people?
Thanks