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A pool blanket storage solution that doubles as a bench seat.
The project
A pool blanket really works to help keep the water clean and also warmer for longer, which saves us having to turn the pool heater on. This is where this DIY project will really come in handy.
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 450-480mm so your feet can comfortably touch the ground when you sit down.
Steps
Step 1
The first step would be to determine the size of your bench seat. Measure the width of your roller then 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 sizes and rails together.
I wasn't quite sure how I was going to start this so I just put together four 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.
I changed my mind and decided to make the long piece of timber 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 that I didn't want to have to remove the cushions every time I had to open the door to use the pool blanket.
Now that you guys are aware of this, you can oversize that back piece by 90mm and do a little check around the ends for a nicer finish. As per the photo, you can now add 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 than the top 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 two frames screwed together at 90 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. The reason I asked earlier is Step 2 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 plus 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 cushioned 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. 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 struggle 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 added weight will make a significant difference. These are the Gas struts we ended up using from Bunnings and the brackets for them.
Then waterproof, prime and paint everything!
Step 5
The cladding.
These are the two different sizes we've used for our bench: 66 x 18mm (for the outside) and 42 x 18mm (for everything else). 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 are to cover the side clads and the thickness of the frame (18+45), plus a bit of glue and it works out perfectly flush. Here is a photo of what the set-up 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 mitre will close together when the door is open. That way you don't have to 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 over cut it too much as these handles are screwed in from the sides.
Tools and materials
Materials used in the project:
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It looks as though you may have cut down your pool roller frame to reduce its height as well. Ours had a triangular aluminium frame at each end with castors and a handle; it was still too high to fit under a bench seat, so we cut off the bottom of the triangle with the castors and fitted it inside the frame of a somewhat simpler seat which is in a fixed position at the end of the pool. The seat is 3.4m wide and we found that 90x35 timber was adequate for the entire frame, although we glued and screwed the top 140x25 reeded decking along its entire length for extra stiffness, and added three crossbars on the flat to support the middle piece. The end dimensions were dictated by the clearance required for the winding handle.
It hasn't got a door (as yet), but everything looks tidier than it did; we can pull the blanket out or wind it up without the roller falling over, it doesn't blow around the garden in a wind, and we have a seat, so it is practical too. Thanks for the inspiration.
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