Jakob Einfeldt

Back
Completed DIY raft adventure - finished wooden raft floating on water with people enjoying outdoor living space

DIY Raft Building Adventure

Building a DIY Raft

The raft is built to extend the current outdoor living space of my apartment. It is not supposed to travel and will be used to rest on, eat on, and also swim from.

Materials

I ordered the materials online for the cheapest price I could find. Transporting costs and options were some of the biggest factors in deciding where I wanted to order from. The barrels I found for cheap used on a local online marketplace.

Wood

  • Terrace boards: 28x120mm pressure-treated fir (NTR AB - 70% PEFC)
  • 6 pieces x 300cm
  • 18 pieces x 420cm
  • Beams: 45x120mm pressure-treated fir with rounded edges (NTR/AB HVL.4S)
  • 6 pieces x 300cm
  • 3 pieces x 420cm
DIY raft building materials - pressure-treated fir terrace boards and beams for outdoor construction

Other Materials

  • Barrels:
  • 6 x 200L plastic barrels
Plastic barrels for DIY raft construction - 200L capacity barrels used for buoyancy and flotation
  • Screws:
  • terrace screws 4,2 x 55mm stainless steel A4 (250 pieces)
  • terrace screws 4,8 x 75mm stainless steel A4 (300 pieces)
  • terrace screws 6.0 x 100mm chipboard screws (100 pieces)

Tools

  • Measuring Tools: Tape measure, square
  • Cutting Tools: Circular saw, miter saw
  • Fastening Tools: Screwdriver, cordless drill

Building

Frame

The frame was built as a simple rectangular structure, designed to hold six barrels securely in place. The barrels sit snugly in their slots and are tied down with metal wire and the first decking boards. This setup ensures stability when the raft is lowered into the water.

DIY raft frame construction - wooden frame structure with barrel slots for secure flotation system

Transport

DIY raft transportation - heavy wooden raft being carried by multiple people to water location

The raft turned out to be surprisingly heavy. Moving it required several people working together to lift, balance, and carry it to the water.

After getting the unfinished raft to its place, we added the first decking boards in the final place and added the final side pieces.

DIY raft decking installation - adding final decking boards and side pieces to complete raft construction

Final Result

We couldn’t be happier with how the raft turned out. It feels stable, spacious, and has already become a perfect spot for relaxing and enjoying time on the water.

The raft comfortably holds up to six people, making it great for small gatherings. When loaded a bit heavier, it can even carry up to ten people. Either way, it has proven to be both fun and reliable, exactly what we hoped for.

Completed DIY raft adventure - finished wooden raft floating on water with people enjoying outdoor living space