DIY Porch Table from Composite Material

My wife and I love to sit on the back screened in porch and spend most of our time there when the weather allows.  We have had an old metal round table with glass top for many years. It gets wet whenever it rains so if has finally rusted pretty badly.

I started looking around for a new table and wanted something square for more room. We were at one store and they had a table that was made completely from composite material for outdoor decking. I thought this would be ideal as it was meant to be out in the weather. First of all it was round, which I could live with if I had to.  But, I then looked at the price and for a 30” round table they wanted $299.99, and that was just the table. My wife, Denise, looked at me and said, “I think you can build one for a lot less than that”. Our next stop was Home Depot.

 We purchased two 8’ length of Trex Decking (with a square edge, not the grooved edge) in a nice brown that would match our wicker chairs. This would allow us to get three 30” pieces from each one, for a total of six 30” pieces. This would be for the table top. We then purchased four packages of 5, Square Composite Balusters, in gray to match the color of the concrete floor. Last was some decking screws in two sizes, and some levelers for the completed legs, as the floor on the porch is not real level. I felt the levelers would also keep the legs up off the floor so they would not be scraped if moved around.

The cost was 2 – 8’ Trex Decking - $39.96, 5 packages of 5 Square Composite Balusters - $81.08, 2 boxes of screws - $8.47, and levelers - $2.48. The total cost of the table, not counting labor (which I do for free) was $131.99, less than half of the commercial built table, and it should last at least the rest of my lifetime.

First I build a frame 24” x 24” square that was 28” high, the height of our other table, with the Square Composite Balusters.  I then built a table top using the Trex Decking, using six 30” pieces, which provided a table top of 30” wide x 32-3/4” long.  I used four pieces of the Square Composite Balusters to hold the top together and to attach the top to the frame.  2-3 hours later I had a new table and being square it really provides us with more room than the old round one did. Here are some pictures.      

We had two small pieces of the Trex Decking left after cutting three 30" pieces from each 8' length. 

This is the Square Composite Balusters and I had only two full pieces left when I was finished.

This shows the bottom of the completed table top tied together using two Square Composite
Balusters on each side.

This shows the table frame I made from the Square Composite Balusters.

This shows how the frame was attached to the table top screwing in from the side of the balusters
on the table top to secure it in place.

 A closer view of the frame attached to the table top.

The levelers in place on the bottom of the legs.

A top side view of the completed table.

More of a side view of the completed table.

And the completed table sitting on the screened in porch, ready to use.

As you can see, it didn't take much to make a nice table using composite material that can withstand being left outside year round. It was also a much cheaper than buying one, and I get to do what I love, building things.

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Copyright © 2017 by John D. McCann