Introduction #
This guide is a Variant of Install a Locker Bench with Hooks, the Standard guide for this piece. The bench box, back cleat, and mounting method are identical between the two. What changes here is the storage above the bench: the Standard's upper section is just the hook board, and this Variant builds out a full divided cubby box above it, but the hooks do not go away. The hook rail still goes in, under the cubbies, so the customer gets both hooks and divided cubby storage.
It shows up in the same mudroom and back-entry locations as the hook version, chosen when the customer wants divided cubby storage in addition to a place to hang a coat, not instead of it.
The single most important concept on this Variant is spacing. Every cubby opening has to land square and come out the same width, or the whole face of the unit reads crooked even when each individual board was cut straight. A spacer block, not a tape measure re-check on every piece, is what keeps that consistent.
Before You Begin #
Prerequisites #
- Drywall is complete, flooring is installed and protected, and the wall behind the locker location is verified plumb and level, the same as the Standard.
- This bench is coordinated with any surrounding trim package before you cut anything.
- If you have not built the Standard's bench box before, read that guide first. The box, back cleat, and bench top steps are identical here and are only summarized below, not repeated at full depth.
What You Need To Know #
- The hook rail is not optional on this Variant. It installs the same way as the Standard, under the cubby box, not on the cubby fronts or dividers.
- Cubby openings need to be square and identically sized. Cut a spacer block to the exact cubby width and check every divider against that block, not against the divider next to it.
- The same drywall rule applies as the Standard: we plan for drywall, glue plus fasten into studs by default, and if the customer supplied a backer we fasten straight to it and skip the glue.
- The same joint rules apply as the Standard: glue every miter, never cross-nail one, and glue, putty, and sand any wood-to-wood joint. Nail holes stay the painter's scope.
Tools Required #
Power Tools #
- Table saw or track saw.
- Miter saw.
- A 15-gauge finish nailer, for the bench and cubby box into wall studs.
- An 18-gauge brad nailer, for the face frame, box, and dividers.
- Drill/driver.
- A compressor for pneumatic nailers, or charged battery packs.
Hand Tools #
- Stud finder.
- 4-foot level.
- Tape measure.
- Chalk line.
- Framing square.
- Carpenter's pencil.
- A spacer block, ripped to the exact cubby opening width, cut before you start setting dividers.
Supplies #
- 15-gauge 2-1/2 inch finish nails.
- 18-gauge 1-3/4 inch brad nails.
- PVA wood glue.
- Edge banding.
Materials #
- 3/4 inch cabinet-grade plywood, for the bench box, bench top, cubby box, and dividers.
- 1x hardwood or MDF, for the face frame.
- 1x4 or 1x6 stock, for the hook rail board, same as the Standard.
- Coat hooks, customer or GC supplied unless the job spec has us providing them, same as the Standard.
How to Install a Locker Bench with Cubbies Step by Step #
Step 1: Build the Bench Box (Same as the Standard) #
Lay out, build, and set the bench box and back cleat exactly as described in the Standard guide: cut the plywood panels, glue and brad-nail the box together, install a back cleat with 15-gauge 2-1/2 inch nails into studs, and set and fasten the box. None of that changes for this Variant.
Step 2: Install the Hook Rail (Same as the Standard) #
Install the hook rail the same way as the Standard guide: cut the rail board to length, fasten it to the wall along a chalk-lined reference height with 15-gauge nails into studs, then lay out and drill the hook locations. On this Variant the rail goes in under where the cubby box will sit; it is not the full upper section by itself.
Step 3: Lay Out the Cubby Box #
Above the bench, mark the outside dimensions of the cubby box on the wall and cut its top, bottom, and side panels. Confirm the cubby count and opening width against the customer's plan, then rip a spacer block to that exact width so every divider check is fast and consistent from here forward.
Step 4: Cut and Install the Dividers #
Cut each divider panel to the same height and depth. Use the spacer block to set each divider's position before you glue and brad-nail it in place, and check every opening with a square as you go, not just at the end. A divider that is out of square is easiest to fix before the next one goes in beside it.
Step 5: Install the Cubby Box on the Wall #
Fasten the cubby box to the wall the same way as the hook rail on the Standard: into studs, with 15-gauge nails, along a chalk-lined reference height. Level the box before final fastening; an out-of-level cubby box is obvious the moment something is set on a shelf inside it.
Step 6: Build and Install the Face Frame #
Use the same method as the Standard: miter the corners, glue every miter, brad-nail with 18-gauge 1-3/4 inch brads, and edge-band any exposed plywood edge the frame does not cover.
Close-Out #
Set fasteners below the surface and stop there. Glue, putty, and sand the wood-to-wood joints only, and leave the nail holes for the painter. Sweep the area; we sweep, we do not shop vac. Confirm the hook hardware is installed or staged.
Quality Check #
- Bench box matches the Standard's level and stud-fastening checks
- Every cubby opening is the same width and square
- Cubby box is level and fastened into studs
- Hook rail is level and fastened into studs at every load point
- Every miter is glued and tight, with no cross-nailing
- Wood-to-wood joints are glued, puttied, and sanded
- Exposed plywood edges are edge-banded or otherwise finished
- Area is swept clean
Troubleshooting #
Cubby Openings Are Different Widths #
Cause: measuring each divider off the last one instead of off the spacer block, so small errors stack up across the run.
Fix: reset from the spacer block for every divider, not the previous one. Pull and reset any divider that drifted before you fasten the next one.
Cubby Box Isn't Level With the Bench Below #
Cause: the two were fastened off two different reference lines instead of one shared layout.
Fix: snap one chalk line for the whole assembly's top-of-bench height, and reference every other height, cubby box bottom included, off that same line.
Divider Pulls Loose #
Cause: glued but not held tight while it set, or nailed at an angle that missed the divider's actual thickness.
Fix: re-glue, brace the divider square while the glue sets, then pin it. Do not rely on the brad alone to hold a divider that was not tight to begin with.
