How to Change a Bed Into a Platform Bed
Perhaps the box springs make your bed too high to get in and out of comfortably, or maybe you have found an old bed frame and are simply looking for an inexpensive way to make it useful again. In either case, converting your bed to a platform bed may be the answer to your problem. You can make a platform for a bed of any size. The amount of wood you need varies with the size; use the instructions to determine how much you need. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Circular saw
- Sheets of 3/4-inch plywood (1 for a twin, 2 for larger beds)
- 2-by-4 boards (6 for a twin, 7 for larger beds; length depends on bed size)
- Carpenter's glue
- Hammer
- 2-inch nails
Instructions
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1
Remove the mattress, box springs, and any support slats that may still be on the bed.
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2
Measure the inside length of your bed's side rails. Take this measurement along the ridge that held the support slats. This is the length of the plywood panels.
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3
Measure the width between both side rails. If you still have any support slats, you may simply measure one of them if it fits well between the rails. Write down this measurement; it is the width of the plywood panels, as well as the length of your supporting 2-by-4 boards.
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4
Cut your supporting 2-by-4 boards to the needed length, using the measurement you took in the previous step.
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5
Cut out the plywood that will cover the frame. If you are preparing a twin-size platform, you can cut this panel from a single sheet of 3/4-inch plywood using the length and width measurements you made in steps 2 and 3.
If your bed is larger, you need to cut two panels from two sheets of plywood, since the bed is wider than the 48-inch width of the plywood. Cut one panel 48 inches long and the width of your 2-by-4 support boards; cut the other panel 48 inches less than the bed's length (which you measured in step 2) and the width of your support boards.
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6
Lay out the 2-by-4 pieces for the platform support frame; it will resemble the slats that were originally under your mattress, only thicker. Lay these on the floor, and then place the plywood on top of them. For the twin platform, make one large panel. Place two of the 2-by-4 boards so that they will be under the ends of the panel, and space the remaining four boards evenly between them; for most twin beds, they will be about 15 to 16 inches apart, measured from the center of each 2-by-4 board.
For the larger beds, use four of the 2-by-4 boards under the 48-inch-long panel and the remaining three boards under the shorter panel. Again, these will be spaced about 15 to 16 inches apart, measured from the center of each board.
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7
Carefully lift the panel or panels off of the support boards. Run a thick bead of glue on the top faces of the 2-by-4 boards, and then replace the plywood on top of them.
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8
Nail through the plywood into the boards. Drive a nail every 4 inches across the plywood into each 2-by-4 board. The number of nails you need depends on how large your bed is.
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9
Let the glue dry, and then lay the panel or panels on the side rails of your bed with the plywood on top. Reposition your mattress on the platform.
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