How to assemble a garden bench

• Allen key (supplied)
• Spanner or socket
• Cross-head screwdriver
• Rubber mallet

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Left and right end frames with armrests
• Seat slats or seat panel
• Backrest
• Front and back stretcher rails
• Bolts, barrel nuts and washers

1. 1

   Step 1: Lay out both end frames and check they are a mirror pair: the armrests and the backrest slots should face inward toward each other.

2. 2

   Step 2: Stand one end frame upright and bolt the front and back stretcher rails into it with the barrel nuts, finger tight.

3. 3

   Step 3: Bring up the second end frame and fit it onto the other ends of the rails, still finger tight.

4. 4

   Step 4: Lower the backrest into its slots between the end frames and fit its bolts, then fit the seat onto its ledges and screw or bolt it down.

5. 5

   Step 5: Stand the bench on a flat patio or floor and push the corners until it sits on all four feet without rocking.

6. 6

   Step 6: Now tighten every bolt firmly, working corner to corner, and tap any proud dowels home with the mallet.

7. 7

   Step 7: Treat bare or cut timber with an outdoor oil or stain as the manual recommends, including under the feet, before it stays out in the rain.

• Fitting an end frame the wrong way round, so the backrest slots are on the outside.
• Tightening fully before the bench is standing on a flat surface, which locks in a wobble.
• Leaving the feet untreated and sitting in wet grass, where the end grain rots first.