Build your own height-adjustable desk: Your DIY standing desk

Would you like to do something good for your back and bring more movement into your working day with a sit-stand desk? But you can't find a suitable desk for you on the market or you simply want to give free rein to your creativity and design a sit-stand desk entirely according to your own ideas? Then a self-built height-adjustable desk with an electric desk frame is the right choice!

You can combine the table frame with a customized table top to create an office desk that suits your needs and style. In this blog post, we'll show you what you need if you want to build a height-adjustable desk yourself and how to put together your DIY desk step by step!

Building a height-adjustable desk yourself - is it possible?

Putting together a height-adjustable desk on your own sounds like a big challenge - but it's easier than you might think. Basically, you need to choose a suitable height-adjustable frame and a table top and put these two components together. Nowadays, there is a large selection of height-adjustable table frames, which vary in size, load capacity and functions. Table tops are also available in different designs and materials.

Skilled craftsmanship is an advantage when building a height-adjustable desk, but even beginners can successfully tackle this challenge. With the right tools, good instructions, the right frame and a table top, the DIY project is easy to complete.

What do I need for a self-built, height-adjustable desk?

Basically, the construction of an adjustable desk is simple: it consists of an extendable desk frame and a tabletop. You can find out how to choose a suitable height-adjustable frame and the right tabletop below. To summarize, you should consider the following points when building a height-adjustable desk yourself:

• The right desk top
• Construction drawing of the desk top
• The right desk frame
• Cable management
• Elements such as mobile pedestals and boxes
• The right office chair
• Tools and materials required

The right desk frame for your DIY height-adjustable desk

The basis of a height-adjustable desk is a table frame with extendable table legs. The desk frame should be quick and easy to adjust to the desired height so that you don't have to spend a lot of time and effort changing the height.

A distinction is usually made between two types of bases for a height-adjustable table: manually or electrically height-adjustable table frames. With manually adjustable frames, the table height is adjusted using a crank, for example, while the height of an electrically height-adjustable table frame is adjusted automatically at the touch of a button, as such table frames have integrated electric motors.

Both types of height-adjustable table bases allow you to switch between sitting and standing, but there are differences in their function and use. In the case of manually height-adjustable table frames, the strain placed on your own body when moving the table should not be underestimated. Desks are usually loaded with a wide variety of equipment and therefore carry a lot of weight. If you want to change the height of the desk manually, this requires a lot of strength and puts strain on your neck and back.

A manually height-adjustable office desk therefore requires more effort and time, which can mean that the height of the desk is not changed often enough during working hours and therefore you don't regularly switch between sitting and standing. This means that the benefits of height-adjustable desks, such as preventing pain and tension and increasing productivity and well-being, are not fully realized.

The better alternative is therefore an electrically height-adjustable desk frame. An electrically adjustable table frame includes a control element that is mounted under the table top and allows the desired height to be set at the touch of a button. This makes the height adjustment process much easier, as no effort is required and the height adjustment is quick and easy. Within seconds, you can adjust your desk from a sitting to a standing position.

The right table top for your self-built standing desk

In addition to a height-adjustable desk frame, you also need a suitable tabletop for a DIY height-adjustable desk. The good thing about a self-built standing desk is that you can choose the tabletop according to your own taste and individual needs.

There are various ways to find a suitable tabletop. For example, you can get a high-quality real wood tabletop from a carpenter or joiner or you can choose a custom-made tabletop made from a specific material and in the color of your choice from a DIY store. Both carpenters and DIY stores can cut the table top to your desired size and shape. However, if you have a creative mind and want to do it yourself, you can also assemble your tabletop yourself.

Build your own height-adjustable desk: Step by step to your standing desk

A DIY height-adjustable desk is a project that requires plenty of preparation. Now you already know what different types of table frames are available and where you can choose a suitable table top. However, to implement your DIY project without any problems, you first need a good plan. We'll show you the steps you need to follow.

1. put your plan on paper

Before you get a height-adjustable table frame and table top, you first need to put your ideas, wishes and visions on paper. When planning, it is important that you consider where your sit-stand desk should end up so that you can determine the correct dimensions of your desk. You should also think about the design and functions of your future high table.

2. determine the style of your self-built, height-adjustable table

Once you have decided where your DIY height-adjustable desk should be placed and what width and depth it should have, you can think about the look of your desk. After all, the desk should perfectly match your furnishing style and complete the overall look of your home office.

In this step, decide what color your height-adjustable table should be and what material you want to use for the table top: should it be an "eco home office" with natural elements and a wooden table top or do you prefer a clean, minimalist office with a white multiplex table top? If you want something more daring and creative, you can also opt for a colorful table top.

3. choose a table frame for your DIY height-adjustable desk

It's up to you whether you opt for a manually or electrically height-adjustable table frame for your DIY desk. In any case, make sure that the height-adjustable table base frame has the right size and load capacity for your desired table top. Ideally, the table frame is extendable and can be combined with different tabletop sizes.

Adjustable table frames such as the Desk Frame from Yaasa can be extended in length and are therefore suitable for table tops with a length of 120 to 200 cm and a width of 70 to 80 cm, for example. The sturdy desk frame from Yaasa can also be loaded with up to 100 kg and has a memory function with four memory positions.

4th DIY height-adjustable desk: Choose a table top

Once you've chosen a height-adjustable desk frame, all you need is a matching tabletop. Depending on how much time and effort you want to invest in your DIY project, you can design your tabletop yourself or get it from a carpenter or DIY store, where it will already be cut to size and ready for assembly.

The good thing about a DIY sit-stand table is that you can choose the material, shape and color of the table top yourself and select it to suit your taste. Just make sure that the table top is cut to the right size and has a minimum thickness. For example, a laminated chipboard or solid wood panel in a rectangular shape with a minimum panel thickness of 18 mm is recommended for the combination with the Desk Frame.

5. build your own standing desk: Tools

Certain tools and materials are required to ensure that assembling the DIY height-adjustable desk is easy and trouble-free. Exactly which tools you need depends on whether you need to work on your tabletop or whether you already have a tabletop ready for assembly. For real wood table tops, it is recommended to treat them with special varnish or oil before use so that the surface does not become worn over time. A cordless screwdriver and suitable screws are usually required to assemble the table top and frame. The required screws are often supplied with the table frame.

6. assemble your DIY height-adjustable desk

Plan drawn up, table frame selected and table top procured? Then it's time to get to work! Depending on whether you have already purchased a pre-cut and finished tabletop or would like to design your tabletop yourself, there are different work steps involved.

If you have already purchased a ready-made tabletop from a carpenter or DIY store, you only need to attach the tabletop to your height-adjustable table base. You can find out how to do this further down in the blog post. Otherwise, you first need to cut the wood for your future table top to the desired length, plane, varnish, glue or screw it together and then paint and design it according to your ideas.

Build your own electrically height-adjustable desk: Mount the table top on the table frame

The first step to your DIY height-adjustable desk is to assemble the height-adjustable desk frame. The desk frame from Yaasa is delivered partially pre-assembled, which makes assembly particularly easy; you can find the simple assembly instructions here.

After assembling the frame for your DIY height-adjustable table, place the tabletop on the floor with its top side facing down. Place the table frame on the tabletop and secure it with the screws provided. Then simply attach the motor and the control element, which you can position at the desired location underneath the tabletop.

DIY ideas: Build your own standing desk

When designing your height-adjustable desk, you can give free rein to your creativity and create a sit-stand desk completely according to your own ideas and needs.Below, we present some ideas on how you can build and design your own unique tabletop from scratch.

Spoilt for choice: which table top for a DIY height-adjustable table

If you opt for a custom-made table top from a carpenter or directly from the DIY store, you will be faced with a variety of possible table top materials and colors. Oak, beech, spruce, pine or acacia? The choice is up to you: Choose a type of wood that meets your needs and also matches the look of your home office.

You should definitely choose a hard-wearing table top for your home office so that it lasts longer. The tabletop should also have a smooth surface so that you can work comfortably at your desk. Whether the tabletop should have classic angular or modern, rounded edges depends on your preferences.

Recycle and upcycle for your self-built standing desk

You don't necessarily have to buy a new tabletop. You can also reuse a tabletop from your old desk and upgrade it a little. This not only saves resources, but also saves you a lot of money.

If you want to put your craftsmanship to the test, you can also opt for a DIY tabletop made from Euro pallets. To do this, take the pallets apart, cut the wooden boards to the right length, sand them down and then varnish and glue them. You can also paint the wooden boards with a color of your choice so that the tabletop fully matches the look of your home office. Another option is to upgrade your old nursery or closet door and use it as a table top.

An absolutely unique piece: a DIY electrically height-adjustable desk with an epoxy resin tabletop

Do you want more than a simple wooden tabletop on your DIY height-adjustable desk? Do you want something more daring and unusual? Then an epoxy resin tabletop is just the thing for you! It turns your sit-stand desk into a truly unique piece. And the most important thing: you can build an epoxy river table top yourself at home.

An epoxy resin table top consists of a combination of wood and epoxy resin, which can be dyed in different colors for the ultimate wow effect. A tabletop like this not only looks modern, but also elegant and high-quality and is a real eye-catcher. As with any DIY project, there are no limits to you and your creativity: You can create an unusual and extravagant tabletop as well as a classic, more neutral tabletop with epoxy resin.

For a tabletop like this, you either need two to three wooden boards or alternatively a single board that you cut in half lengthwise so that the epoxy river can be inserted between them. Once the wooden boards have been processed (cut to the same length and planed), you can use MDF boards to create a frame with a base and four edges. The wooden boards are placed in this frame and epoxy resin is poured between them and into any cracks or uneven areas in the wood. It is therefore important that the edges of the frame are slightly higher than the table top itself and that the frame lies on a flat surface so that the epoxy resin does not run out.

However, before you place the wooden boards in the frame and pour the epoxy resin between them, you should apply a release agent to the frame. For example, you can tape the frame completely with adhesive tape or use liquid release wax. This step is particularly important so that the resin table top can later detach from the frame.

You can prepare the epoxy resin, which you can buy at the DIY store, according to the manufacturer's instructions and add a color pigment of your choice. Once the epoxy resin has hardened, the final step is to polish and oil it for the perfect finish to your unique table top.

What are the advantages of a DIY height-adjustable table?

A DIY height-adjustable desk has many advantages. You can fully customize your self-built, height-adjustable desk to suit your individual needs. This means that your new desk can be perfectly integrated into your home and fits in the designated space with the tabletop size you have chosen. You can also determine the design, color and shape of the tabletop yourself and create a unique piece of furniture.

A DIY bar table also has a positive effect on your health and well-being. One of the most important benefits of height-adjustable desks is the reduction in back, neck and leg pain, as you regularly switch between sitting and standing. Concentration, productivity and motivation also increase with more movement in everyday life.

What you need in addition to a DIY standing desk for a complete office setup

If you want to build an electrically height-adjustable desk yourself, you shouldn't do without practical accessories such as cable management or storage options. These ensure order and clarity on and around your desk.

Cable management for the self-built standing desk

Your self-built height-adjustable desk should not be without a cable duct - after all, you want your DIY desk to stand out and not be hidden under a tangle of cables. When choosing a cable duct, make sure that it is the right size and can be mounted on your own tabletop.

The cable management from Yaasa is the right choice for many DIY standing desks because it comes with a drilling template - making installation quick and easy. The cable holder is available in two sizes: S/M and L. You can either attach it over the edge of the desk or let it disappear completely under the desk. You can also adjust the volume of the Cable Management at any time, depending on how many cables, chargers and multiple sockets you want to store.

Office chair for your DIY height-adjustable desk

An adjustable desk is the basis for an ergonomic home office or office, but a suitable office chair is also essential. If you work at your desk often and for long periods of time, an ergonomic office chair is recommended. This enables a healthy posture while sitting and prevents pain.

The Yaasa Chair, for example, can be optimally adapted to the body with its six different adjustment options. The seat height and depth as well as the alignment of the armrests, the resistance of the backrest and the position of the lumbar support can be individually adjusted. As a result, the office chair offers an ergonomic and comfortable sitting position and ensures optimum sitting comfort.

If you attach particular importance to design, the Luis chair is the perfect addition to your DIY table. The comfortable armchair is available in three different colors and can therefore be combined with different furnishing styles.

Sufficient storage space for your DIY workstation

If you want to build an electrically height-adjustable desk yourself, you should make sure that there is sufficient storage space under or next to the desk. Pay attention to the dimensions of mobile pedestals, boxes or cabinets so that they fit next to or under your finished DIY standing desk. You can always move a practical, small mobile pedestal as you wish and place it both under and next to your desk or, if you don't need it at the moment, place it in a free corner.

Building a height-adjustable desk yourself is easier than you think!

A DIY height-adjustable desk is the perfect solution if you want a standing desk in a particular size, shape or color. To build a standing desk yourself, you need an extendable table frame and a matching table top. Assembling a DIY standing desk is easy with the right tools using the instructions for the desk frame. Once your self-built adjustable table is ready for use, you can benefit from the many health advantages of regularly alternating between sitting and standing.