How to Make a Loft Style Bed
Not only is a loft bed cool looking, it's an excellent use of space. Of all the space in our homes and apartments, height is the dimension most often wasted. If you're short of floor space, a loft bed can instantly give you back some of your floor. This step-by-step guide will teach you how to make the most basic of beds. You can add tweaks like guard rails and ladders and varnish to suit your tastes as well. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- L Brackets (4)
- Wood (2x4s, wood sheet, 2x2s, 2x6s)
- Heavy Duty Bolts (approximately 40)
- Joist Hangers (approximately 10)
- Wood Screws
- Drill
- Saw
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Measure your mattress. Your bed frame must be a bit larger than the mattress. Add an inch to the length and width of your mattress. If your mattress is 10 feet by 4 feet for instance, make sure your frame is at least 10'1" by 4'1".
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2
Select your wood. To make a loft bed, you'll need a lot of wood. Most of the wood can be 2x4 though. You'll need some 2x2s and sheet wood for the mattress to rest on. Overall, you'll need 8 long 2x4s for the bed posts, four 2x6s for the bed frame and at least five 2x2s for the mattress platform. If you want to add guard rails so you don't fall out of the bed, get a few extra 2x4s.
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3
Measure and create a diagram. You can't fully select your wood until you know all your dimensions. The main question you need to answer is, "how high off the ground do you want the bed?" Your bed posts should be double that height so the weight of the bed is distributed evenly. Also make sure to note how long your 2x2s should be. To calculate this amount, take the length of the bed frame (that you calculated in step 1) and subtract the width of the posts (which should equal 8 total inches on each side of the frame).
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4
Saw your wood to match the diagram. You may not find the exact piece you want in stock, but you can always saw down the wood to match your dimensions. Most lumber yards and Home Depot-type stores can probably do this for you if you don't want to handle the saw.
Building the Bed
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5
Construct your posts. Each post will consist of two 2x4s secured together by heavy duty bolts. Space your bolts out 16' vertically all the way up the post. Make a mark halfway up the post for where the bed frame will go. In that area separate the bolts by just a couple inches. Remember to place your bolts in the center of the 2x4.
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6
Attach the bed frame to your posts. Use screws to attach each section of the bed frame to the appropriate posts. Each section of the frame will be attached to two posts in a simple rectangle. Attach your length frames first by screwing three screws into the 2" section of each post's inner 2x4. For the length sections of the frame, screw three screws into each post's outer 2x4.
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7
Construct your mattress rest. To accomplish this, first attach jowls to the length section of the bed frames. Evenly space the jowls for the entire length of the frame. Make sure the jowls line up from one side of the bed frame to the other. You'll want jowls on both sides so the mattress supports don't fall out.
Once your jowls are secured, place your 2x2s in the jowls. Then place your wood sheet over the 2x2s so the wood beams aren't digging into your mattress. -
8
Secure your bed frame with L-brackets. In each corner of the frame, attach an L-bracket.
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9
Place the mattress on the bed. If the bed breaks once you place the mattress on it, make sure you weren't using rotten wood and that you used enough bolts and screws for fastening.
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Tips & Warnings
Now that you have the bed built, you'll probably want a ladder to get to your mattress. You can construct your own ladder by attaching two 2x4s to the bed frame and using smaller bits of wood as ladder treads. Or you can use a step stool or even buy a bed ladder to attach to the bed.
It's probably a good idea to attach your bed to the wall. The easiest way to do this is to attach a shelf to your wall and then attach the bed to the shelf. Conversely, you can place the bed against the wall and then drill holes through the wood, into the wall and then use heavy duty bolts and/or industrial screws to attach it to the wall. If your wall is dry-wall, you'll want to make sure to locate studs or use dry wall fasteners. Don't over-tighten your screws. You don't want to split the wood!
