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A fixed-frame outdoor daybed lounge built around your cushion — 2x4 boxes for the base, arm, back, and foot, decked in cedar 1x6, with a universal cut list keyed to mattress size.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base rails FORMULA: mattress length − 3-1/2". Shown for a 75" mattress. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 71 1/2" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Base cross members FORMULA: mattress width − 3". Shown for 30". | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 27" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Arm (head-end) legs | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 26" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Foot-end legs | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 14" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Head/foot cross members Mattress width − 3" again. | 5 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 27" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Head-end cap Full mattress width. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 30" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Side legs | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 26" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Side top rail | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 51" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Side rails | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 48" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Decking Cut to match your actual base length. | 4 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 71 1/2" | Cedar 1x6 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4 lumber Buy long lengths — they cut with less waste against this list. | 60 linear ft | ☐ |
| Cedar 1x6, 6 ft (Cedar) Decking, ~71-1/2" each. Cedar fence pickets substitute if sanded well. | 4 each | ☐ |
| Exterior screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping, star drive | 75 each | ☐ |
| Exterior screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping, star drive Decking. Up to 2" works. | 64 each | ☐ |
| Exterior wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Exterior opaque stain Opaque stain, not paint — it fades instead of peeling. | 1 qt | ☐ |
| Exterior wood filler | 4 oz | ☐ |
| Outdoor cushion or mattress, 30" x 75" Not in the cost estimate — prices swing wildly. Buy it FIRST; the frame is cut from its dimensions. | 1 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Circular Saw, Drill / Driver, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4 lumber, Exterior screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue, Outdoor cushion or mattress, 30" x 75"
Lay the actual cushion down and take its real length and width — labels lie by an inch more often than they don't. Run the formulas (rails = length − 3-1/2", cross members = width − 3") and cut the base parts.
Then build the base: two long rails, four cross members spaced evenly, glue and 2-1/2" screws at every joint, two per joint. Square it by matching diagonals.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square. Materials: 2x4 lumber, Exterior screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue
Build the head-end arm assembly — the tall 26" legs with its cross members and the full-width cap — with glue and screws. This is the piece you lean against and set a drink on, and the joint where its cap meets the legs takes real leverage, so don't skimp the glue here.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4 lumber, Exterior screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue
Repeat the same box construction for the back assembly — same joinery, per the diagram's proportions. Building these as separate complete boxes before any of them meet the base is what keeps every face flush at final assembly.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4 lumber, Exterior screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue
The low box for the foot end: 14" legs, same cross members, same glue-and-screws. Three boxes and a base, all waiting on each other.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: Exterior screws, 2-1/2", self-tapping, star drive
Stand the arm, back, and foot assemblies around the base and screw everything together with the 2-1/2" screws — through the base rails into the legs, and box-to-box where they meet.
Do this on flat ground and check that all four feet touch before the final screws. A lounge that rocks on a patio slab will find its wobble every afternoon at nap time.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Cedar 1x6, 6 ft, Exterior screws, 1-1/2", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior opaque stain, Exterior wood filler, Outdoor cushion or mattress, 30" x 75"
Run the four cedar 1x6 deck boards along the top of the base with even gaps, fastened with the 1-1/2" screws — the gaps drain the inevitable rained-on cushion. Sand everything, hard, then fill screw holes with exterior filler and sand again.
Finish with an exterior opaque stain: painted look, penetrating behavior, fades instead of peels. Drop the cushion in — it fits exactly, because it designed the frame.