How to Build a Window Seat Over a Radiator

You can free up some space in a small room by building a window seat over one of your radiators. Building your very own window seat isn't as difficult as you might first think. With the right tools, materials, and a bit of patience you can construct a professional-looking window seat in under a day.

Step 1 - Measuring Up

The very first thing you need to do is measure the size that the window seat needs to be. To do this measure between the two walls, and also measure the depth to the radiator. Make sure that all of the measurements are accurate as this will make it much easier to get the seat to fit once it's made.

Step 2 - Making the Frame

Then, you will need to construct the basic frame which will become your window seat. To do this use either 2" x 4" or 2" x 6" pieces of wood. Cut two pieces to the width of the required seat, and two pieces to the depth minus 3" to compensate for the thickness of the front and the back pieces which will run the full width of the seat. Before gluing and fastening the pieces together, make sure that when the frame is assembled that it will fit perfectly into its space. Glue and screw the frame together and make sure that it's strong enough to hold your weight.

Step 3 - Making the Seat

Now you need to put a panel on top of the frame to make a solid seat. Make sure that the piece of plywood or composite is cut to the same size so that there isn't anything overhanging. Remember to wear eye protection whenever cutting wood to avoid injury.

Step 4 - Making Brackets

In order to make it possible to leave the bottom open on your window seat, you will need to make some heavy-duty brackets. These brackets resemble those used to put up shelves. You can either make this yourself, or you can purchase them. Make sure that they are big enough to support the shelf and strong enough to carry your whole weight.

Step 5 - Installing the Window Seat

When the basic seat has been assembled you are then ready to start fitting it. You can start by tracing a line around the three walls a which level your seat will be resting. You can then install the mounting brackets against the wall at the height of the traced line and tighten them up. Now you can place the seat onto the brackets and screw them in place. Installing the window seat is actually pretty easy but make sure that it's strong enough before trusting it to take your entire weight.

To make the seat look even better you might want to add moldings around the joints. Choosing molding is easy if you already have some in your room. You could choose molding which matches your skirting boards, or any other molding which is in your room. Glue and screw the top of the seat onto the frame and then fix the molding around the outside.

Now you can add paint and cushions to tie the window seat into your room decor. A window seat is a perfect addition to any room, no matter how big or small it is.