How to Tighten Wooden Headboards

Age and wear and tear can gradually loosen a wooden headboard, making it squawk every time someone moves. With a few household tools and a helping hand, you can tighten your headboard and get rid of the squeaks, squawks and the banging of the headboard on the wall.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdrivers Small hammer Cooking spray

1. Lift off the mattress and box spring and set them aside.

2. Remove the side rails by lifting them out of the slots in the headboard. In some cases, there will be screws that will need to be removed to do this. You may also need a hammer to urge the side rails out of the headboard.

3. Spray both sides of the hooking part of the side rail that goes into the headboard with a light coating of cooking spray and slip them back into the slot, pushing down firmly. If there were screws holding the rails in place, re-screw them, making sure they are very tight.

4. Wiggle the frame from side to side to see if it is loose anywhere else and might be causing a noise. It could be that the headboard itself needs repair if it is wobbly. You may need to glue loose joints or add shims, if needed, to tighten it. Check the foot of the frame as well and tighten any loose nuts or bolts.

5. Replace the box spring and mattress. This is a good time to change the direction of the box spring so that what was the head is now the foot, and to flip your mattress.

Tips & Warnings

• You may find that this is a good time to vacuum beneath your bed and take care of items that may have migrated there.