Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
grandstand with storage
Grandstand seating that comes with built-in storage? How good is that!
Gather your supplies
• Frame 90 x 45mm H3 treated pine • Sleepers 200 x 50mm treated pine
• Storage box 18mm marine plywood
• Decking 90 x 22mm treated pine
You’ll also need
Shovel; spirit level; power saw; 10mm plastic spacers; drill; 5mm drill bit; countersink bit; 100mm galvanised batten screws; power plane; 40 and 32mm screws for treated pine; 150mm galvanised T hinges (2); jigsaw; decking stain; paintbrush
Here’s how
STEP 1 Construct dual level frame to fill corner area. To support centre of lower frame, dig a narrow trench, then sit a sleeper in the trench and make level. Top of this sleeper should be 420mm below intended top of frame. Fix vertical pieces in centre of lower frame to this sleeper. Leave a gap 900mm wide for storage box between these pieces. Make top of upper frame 410mm above lower. Fix ends of frames to adjacent walls using appropriate methods to suit the wall material. STEP 2 Cut and fit sleepers to run along vertical faces of lower and upper frames. Cut angles through ends of sleepers to suit angle to walls where they meet. Create an even gap between each row of sleepers using 10mm plastic spacers. Predrill with a 5mm drill bit, countersink and screw sleepers to frames using 100mm batten screws.
STEP 3 Cut and fit sleepers to sit on top of upper frame. Cut angles on ends to suit frames and chamfer edges on top face of sleepers with a power plane. Screw sleepers to upper frame with 10mm gap between.
STEP 4 Cut notch in top of sleeper on face of lower frame to match width of opening for storage box. Make depth of notch 18mm.
STEP 5 Construct storage box to fit inside opening in lower frame. Make width of box 20mm less than that of opening and depth should be 585mm. This is to suit the positioning of decking that will sit on lid of box. Top edge of box should finish 18mm below top of lower frame. Use sleeper offcuts sitting on ground to support bottom of box. Place inside opening and screw through box into frame using plastic spacers between them to hold it in place.
STEP 6 Cut lid to suit width of box. Make depth of lid so it goes from rear of box to face of sleeper along front of frame. Place lid on box.
STEP 7 Cut decking boards to fit along top of lower deck frame, allowing for a 5mm gap between boards. Lay boards and screw
into frame using 40mm screws. Where decking sits on lid of box, screw through decking into lid using 32mm screws. Put screws along sides of lid and in the centre. STEP 8 Screw T hinges on decking so knuckle of hinge is over gap between boards at back of lid. STEP 9 Draw lines across decking boards to match line of lid under. Set the power saw to cut 25mm deep, and run along these lines. Finish cuts on last board with a jigsaw.
STEP 10 Apply 2 coats decking stain to grandstand, allowing to dry after each coat.