This extra surface folds out from the wall when you need it and disappears when you don't.

Tools and Materials

• 5 pieces of wood recommended for outdoor use (such as cedar)
• Paintbrushes
• Exterior primer
• Exterior latex paint
• Drill
• One 6-foot piano hinge (with included screws)
• Exterior-grade wood glue
• 3 Ikea Ekby Valter shelf brackets (with the top nubs removed)
• Three 10-inch piano hinges with an open width of 1 1/2 inches (with included screws)
• Screw gun
• 9 exterior screws (masonry and cinder block facades require appropriate screws and anchors)

How-To

1. Have wood cut at a hardware store: one 6-foot-by-2 3/8-inch-by-1-inch board; one 6-foot-by-10 1/2-inch-by-1-inch board; and three 10-by-2 1/2-inch-by-3/4-inch vertical buttresses. Paint each piece of wood with primer, and let dry. Then paint, and let dry.

2. Assemble the under mount: Connect 6-foot-by-2 3/8-inch board to the back of 6-foot-by-10 1/2-inch board using drill and 6-foot hinge. Glue vertical buttresses to bottom of smaller board: Place 1 in the center, and others 3 3/4 inches in from each end.

3. Drill 2 screws into smaller plank and each buttress from above (predrill holes to prevent wood from splitting).

4. Connect brackets to buttresses using 10-inch hinges, and drill.

5. Attach under mount to house using exterior screws, placing 3 on each buttress.

Ekby Valter shelf brackets, $4 each; ikea.com.