Fence shelving project

It’s important to choose the right timber, seeing as your shelving will be outside. It’s going to be exposed to the elements, so you need something that’s going to stand up to rain and wind in the colder months. We recommend using sturdy fence posts for the frame and scaffold boards for the shelves themselves.

Gather your tools and materials so that everything you need is close by. Always make sure that your chop saw is unplugged while you’re setting it up or changing accessories, to ensure your safety.

Be sure to keep yourself safe while you work with your ear defenders, goggles, heavy-duty gloves and dust mask.

When it comes to the size of your shelves, you can either follow the cutting list for guidance or decide on how deep you want your shelving units to be. It’s a good idea to consider the width of the scaffold boards in comparison to your desired size, to minimise cuts.

These cross lengths support the scaffold boards and can be positioned at any height to suit your needs, so tailor them to your preferred setup.

Use your own measurements as guidance and measure out your cutting points. Make a mark with a crow’s foot, before scribing a line with your square to create your cutting lines.

Using your chop saw, cut your frame cross lengths to size and put them aside.

Similarly, to the frame cross lengths, you can either follow the cutting list, or decide on how tall you want your units to be and make your cuts accordingly.

Once you’re sure of your sizes, measure them out on the timber and make your marks with a crow’s foot, then scribe a cutting line with your quick square.

Once you’ve made your marks on the posts, cut them down to size using your chop saw. If you have any difficulty getting through the post in one cut, you may need to rotate it or remove a small section with a hand saw.

The final piece of cutting you’ll need to do is for the scaffold boards, which will become your shelves. Our units were designed to maximise a full length of scaffold board, either without cutting or cut in half to be as efficient as possible with materials.

Working with your tailored dimensions, make marks at your cutting points.

Use your chop saw to cut the scaffold board to size, before putting away any power tools that you’ve used so far.

Now that the cutting is done, it’s time to start bringing it together. Place the cross lengths on the posts, effectively dry-laying the frame, to check where your screw placements will need to be.

Mark your screw placements with four at the end of each cross length.

If you don’t have a mortice gauge to hand, all you need is your hand and a pencil for an easy alternative when it comes to marking lines or estimate fixing distances. Use your finger or thumb as a guide against the side of your edge, and you can easily scribe a parallel line.

Once your screw placements are marked, drill pilot holes in each one.

Place the cross lengths in position on the posts, ensuring that they are perfectly square and ready to be fixed into place.

Twist a screw into each hole to prepare it, then secure them with your drill until they’re sitting flush to the surface.

Once all of your screws are in, turn the unit over and repeat on the other side. The screws should be about twice the thickness of the cross length timber, so they can be driven through both sides.

Once the frames are constructed, screw the long supporting cross lengths to one side of frames to create the back of the unit. If you’d prefer, you can screw this into place after painting as it can become quite heavy.

We painted our scaffold boards in a duck egg blue to complement the slate grey frames, but you can take it in any number of different directions; whether you want something loud and vibrant, some relaxed pastel colours or something darker.

Paint the frames first, giving them generous coat that starts with the joints. Be sure to work the paint in well for a nice even finish.

Once your frames are painted, move onto the scaffold boards. You can keep the look consistent with the same colour, or create some fun clash and contrast by trying out different colour options with the shelves.

When dipping your brush into the paint, try to cover no more than ¾ of the bristles. This is a really simple way to make sure your brush isn’t overloaded, which helps to prevent drips and keep your bristles in better condition.

If you’re stepping away from painting but plan to come back to it soon, wrapping your wet brushes in a disposable glove keeps it ready to go for when you return.

Give it some time to dry – you should be able to find estimated drying times on your paint tins. To achieve the best finish, apply 2 to 3 coats to make sure you’ve got full coverage. You can still add any additional touch-ups after the final coat has dried.

Once it’s completely dry, screw the long back supporting sections into place if you haven’t already.

When it comes to fitting them in your garden, it’s up to you whether you want to leave them freestanding or screw them to the wall or fence.

If you want to make quick and easy adjustments, the modular design can be changed at any time to suit your needs or changing spaces.

Stand up the frame unit in position and simply drop the scaffold boards into place to fully form your shelving unit. It’s ready for any garden project big or small.

For some extra flair, why not tile the top on the scaffold boards to create an outdoor kitchen area, as well as adding a back panel and boards made of tiles too.

Using treated timber gives you some protection against weathering over time, but if you choose to paint you may need to refresh as it fades over time.

Give it a fresh coat every few years to keep your shelving looking its best.

It provides the perfect opportunity for an outdoor kitchen to suit any budget. Go as grand or as simple as you like, and create a space that’s ideal for food prep when you’re dining alfresco.

Creating a planting area with plant pots and soil ready to go, and opt for a colourful display with your favourite potted plants.

Stay stocked up when you want to keep the fire roaring during the chillier months, by using your shelving as a log store that offers easy access.

Go for different finishes, with plenty of options to choose from whether you want a natural look or fancy trying something different by treating the wood.

Add trellis panels for a more decorative touch.