How to Make a DIY Hose Holder

Cut and paint the pieces

Cut all pieces of wood. The height of the project is a personal choice. Adjust your body pieces (D) accordingly, considering the additional height of the fence post topper or finial you choose.

All of the pieces are straightforward, square cuts except the garden hose caddy sides (M), which have an angle cut into them. To cut the angle, measure 1-1/2-in. up from the same long side of each hose caddy board and mark it on the two short sides. Set your miter saw at 31-1/2 degrees and make the miter cuts on each end of the board so that the cut finishes on the marks you just made.

Before building the hose holder, paint all the cut wood pieces. Use exterior grade paint to paint all sides and edges of each board to seal the wood.

TMB STUDIO

Paint the finial

First, spray paint the finial with grey primer. When the primer is dry, spray paint the finial with a top coat of black—your choice of satin or gloss. Set aside and allow to dry.

TMB STUDIO

Assemble the hose caddy

When securing an odd shape like this, it can be difficult to hold or clamp the pieces in place while screwing them together. Construct the joints with exterior wood glue and a few brad nails to keep them aligned, then screw them together with 1-1/4-in. deck screws.

Attach the hose caddy sides (M) to its bottom (L). This creates a “U” shape to drape your hose around. Attach the caddy support (N) centered on the underside of the “U” shaped caddy. It serves as a mounting plate for the decorative shelf brackets, which will be attached later.

TMB STUDIO

Assemble the post cap

To create the three-layered post cap, glue and nail the mid-cap (B) on the body cap (C). Then, the top cap (A) on the mid-cap (B), making sure each layer is centered on the next.

TMB STUDIO

Assemble the sink shelf

With the back edges flush, center the smaller sink support (F) on the sink shelf (E) from side to side, and secure them together using exterior wood glue and nails. Be careful not to place a nail right in the center where you will be drilling for your hole for the drain later.

TMB STUDIO

Assemble the drain bucket shelf

After using the layered lumber, look for the sink shelf and post cap. I decided to layer some pine lumber for the drain bucket shelf as well. When building the drain bucket shelf, take into account the height, footprint and stability of your bucket. I built this to work with a small milk can bucket I purchased. Change the necessary dimensions as needed.

• Attach the drain bucket mid-shelf (H) to the drain bucket lower shelf (J) so that they sit flush on the back and there is a 3/4-in. gap on either side. That will leave a 1/2-in. gap on the front edge. Glue and nail this in place.
• Glue and nail the drain bucket shelf (G) on top of the drain bucket mid-shelf (H) so there is a 1/2-in. gap on either side and centered under where the bottom of your bucket will sit when it is on the shelf (which was two inches from the front edge of the mid-shelf (H) for my milk can bucket).
• Finally, attach the drain bucket support (again using glue and nails) under the three drain bucket shelves. This is here solely to provide the aesthetic I was going after, so I centered it on the bottom of the lower shelf (J) from left to right and lined it up with the drain bucket shelf (G) from front to back.

TMB STUDIO

Build the central tower

Glue and nail and screw together three of the body pieces (D) to construct the central tower. Because the fourth side will be attached with hinges so you can access the inside of the tower, this will need to be assembled in a specific manner, with one of the body pieces being attached flush to the face of the next body piece and the other being attached flush to the edge. This creates a “U” with one side 3/4-in. taller than the other.  Again, be sure to use exterior wood glue with every section you are joining.

TMB STUDIO

Install the hinged side of the tower

Install the fourth body piece (D) on the tower with hinges, closing it in and making a four-sided post. With the hinges closed tightly, install a slide bolt latch at the top corner two to three inches from the top of the tower to keep it from swinging open.

TMB STUDIO

Attach components to the tower

Using shelf brackets, I attached the assembled hose caddy, sink shelf, and drain bucket shelf to the main tower. At this point, I also added the handle blocks and handles at the top of the tower for some flair and to have a place to hang my sunglasses or gardening gloves while using the sink. I pre-drilled pilot holes when installing the brackets for the shelves and sink to prevent the wood from splitting or cracking.

TMB STUDIO

Drill holes for plumbing fixtures

The plumbing fittings for the wall mount faucet and the hose bibb should be drilled at the appropriate depth so that the threaded ends remain exposed for the plumbing connections to be made inside the tower. To do this:

• Drill a 1/2-in. deep hole with a 1-1/4-in. Forstner bit centered on the tower where you would like each fixture. I positioned the wall-mounted faucet hole 43-1/2-in. from the bottom of the tower on one side and the hose bibb 14-in. from the bottom on an adjacent side.
• Next, use a 3/4-in. spade or Forstner bit to drill through the remaining 1/4-in. of wood centered in the same hole.

Place the hose caddy, faucet, and bibb on the side of the tower that works best for your yard or garden and will not interfere with the opening or closing of the hinged body piece (D).

TMB STUDIO

Attach the sink and drain

Mark the center of your “sink” tray (this is the tray I used) and drill a 1-1/4-in. hole through the sink bottom and shelf below it to accommodate your drain pipe and sink plug. Start with a metal hole saw to drill through the metal bottom of the sink and switch to a Forstner bit to go through the wood sink shelf (E) and support (F).

Place the sink on a shelf and thread the drainage pipe through the sink and wood shelf/support hole. Secure the pipe nut on the bottom side of the drain snug to the bottom of the sink support (F). This will keep the sink tray from moving. Use a plumber’s putty to seal the top gasket of the drainage pipe and prevent leaking.

Fill, sand, and touch up

Use exterior wood filler to seal all of the nails and screw holes.  Once dry, sand it back with 220-grit sandpaper until the surface is flush. Touch up all filled holes and any other raw wood or edges with paint.

TMB STUDIO

Secure the tower to the base

Center the tower on the landscape paver. Mark and drill holes for masonry screws to attach the 2-in. x 4-in. angle brackets to the paver. Then when the tower is plumb, attach the tower to the brackets using deck screws. This will give the post some weight and prevent it from falling over when the hose is in place.

Connect the plumbing

My initial plan was to run a single three-foot hose into the tower to power both the hose bib and faucet. However, after seeing the water pressure it produced, I decided to take a different approach.

I hooked up the plumbing for the hose holder as follows:

• Install the faucet and hose bibb into the countersunk holes you drilled for them on the tower’s body. Ensure you can thread the back side of the faucet through the wood opening to hold it in place securely. For all threaded plumbing connections, use TPFE tape to seal them and avoid leaks.
• Fit a 3/4-in. PVC elbow followed by a three-foot long 3/4-in. PVC pipe with a female garden hose adapter at the end to the backside of the faucet.
• Fit a female PVC garden hose adapter onto the backside of the hose bib
• Attached two three-foot long hoses to the female garden hose adapters behind the hose bib and at the end of the three-foot PVC pipe that connects to the faucet.
• Using a jigsaw, cut an opening at the bottom of the hinged body piece (D) to allow the hoses to connect to the house. Run both of these three-foot-long hoses out of the hole at the bottom of the hinged body panel.
• Install a two-way water supply line diverter on your house’s garden hose bib and connect both three-foot hoses to this.
• Test your connections to make sure there are no leaks.

TMB STUDIO

FAQ

How do I know which plumbing fittings go with which?

Plumbing has a huge assortment of connections, shapes, materials, sizes from OD – Outer diameter to ID – Inner diameter to number of threads per inch and, on and on. Yes, it gets complicated.  As a general rule stick to similar materials, meaning PVC with PVC, Brass with brass and copper with copper.  There will always be exceptions and don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Most stores do not have every combination of plumbing fittings. Be patient.  Even the professionals accept they may have to go to the store more than once to complete a plumbing project.

How long will untreated wood last outside?

Wood will last outside in the elements as long as it is maintained. It is important to sand and repaint wood when it starts chipping, cracking and splintering. Wood can last over 100 years if properly taken care of.