How to Build a College Bed Loft

A college dorm room can be a cramped space, especially when two or more students share the same room. One way to create space for a college student is to build a loft bed for his room. He can sleep on the top of the loft and use the area below as a place to put a desk, to store items, to hang clothes or for living space. Keep construction of the loft as simple as possible to make it easier to transport to school, set up when school begins and disassemble when school is over.

Things You'll Need

• School rules and regulations for dorm loft
• Measuring tape
• Hand saw
• 8 boards, 2 inches by 6 inches by 8 feet
• 1 plywood board, 4 feet by 8 feet by 1/2 inch
• 4 boards, 2 inches by 4 inches by 8 feet
• Drill
• Pilot hole drill bit
• Power screwdriver
• Box of 4-inch wood screws
• Washers to fit the screws
• 4 boards, 2 inches by 2 inches by 8 feet

Instructions

Building a College Loft

1. Analyze the rules and regulations for having a loft in the dorm. They may contain dimensions you need for the loft. Of importance is the dimensions of the mattress the school issues so that you know the dimensions for the loft. Many schools regulate how high the loft can be. If there is no rule, a safe height is 6 feet.

2. Cut the eight 2-inch-by-6-inch pieces of wood to the height of the loft.

3. Cut the plywood to the dimensions of the mattress, adding 1/2 inch to the dimensions to allow for movement in the mattress and for blankets.

4. Cut two of the 2-inch-by-4-inch boards to the exact length of the shortest side of the plywood frame.

5. Measure the width of the 2-inch-by-4-inch boards cut in Step 2. They should be about 1 1/2 inches in width. Measure two of the 2-inch-by-4-inch pieces to the length of the longest side of the plywood base minus the width of the two boards already cut. For example, if your plywood base is 78 inches long, and your 2-inch-by-4-inch pieces are 1 1/2 inches in width, then cut the two 2-inch-by-4-inch pieces to a length of 75 inches.

6. Create a rectangular frame by using the cut pieces of 2-inch-by-4-inch boards. Place a longer piece up against a shorter piece to create a corner. Drill four pilot holes through the shorter piece into the longer piece. Place a screw with a washer at the head in each hole and screw tightly. Repeat this at the other three corners.

7. Place the box frame on the floor. Place the plywood base on the frame. Create a pilot hole every 4 inches on the plywood base into the wooden frame. Use a screw and a washer on each hole.

8. Place a 2-inch-by-6-inch board on either side of each corner of the bed frame. These boards will be the legs of the loft so make them perpendicular to the frame. Make four pilot holes for every 2-inch-by-6-inch board in a zigzag fashion. Use one screw and washer per hole.

9. Turn the loft over and stand it on its legs.

10. Measure the distance between the outer edges of the 2-inch-by-6-inch boards that make up the legs of the loft frame. Cut eight pieces of 2-inch-by-2-inch boards to that measurement.

11. Use the 2-inch-by-2-inch boards as extra bracing. Place four of them on each end of the loft between the 2-inch-by-6-inch legs. Equally space them from top to bottom on the legs. Drill two pilot holes per side of the 2-inch-by-2-inch boards. Use one screw and washer for each. These braces can be used as the ladder for the loft.

Tips & Warnings

• Customize the loft any way you like. For example, add a laundry bar between the 2-inch-by-2-inch supports for hanging laundry. Create a system you can use to disassemble and reassemble the loft for easy transportation.

• Use all safety measures required when operating power tools.

References

• Instructables.com: Loft bed
• Dorm Delicious: How To Construct A Loft Bed
• Ask The Builder: Build a Loft Bed; Tim Carter; 1993-2009