DIY: Building Bunk Beds
Bunk beds, even bunk bed patterns, can cost a parent hundreds of dollars for a bed a child will almost certainly outgrow before he wears it out. On the other hand, you can build a wooden bunk bed cheaply over the course of a weekend or even a long afternoon. If your children are old enough, you can even involve them in the process. This will give them a greater sense of responsibility for the bed while helping them build basic carpentry skills. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 4 beams, 2 inches by 4 inches by 36 inches
- 4 beams, 2 inches by 4 inches by 75 inches
- 2 plywood sheets, 3/4 inches by 39 inches by 75 inches
- 2 dowels, 1 inch diameter by 75 inches long
- 4 posts, 8 inches by 9 inches by 72 inches
- Wood screws, 3 inches long
- Nails, 1-1/2 inches long
- Bolts, 10 inches long with matching nuts and washers
- Power saw
- Power drill with screwdriver bits
- 1-inch auger bit
- Power sander
- Pliers or wrench
- Paint or wood stain
- Paint brush
Instructions
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Prepare Lumber
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1
Drill four holes in each of your posts using a drill bit the same diameter as your bolts. Place two holes one foot from each end of the post, 2 and 6 inches from one edge of the post. For any individual post, space all four holes from the same edge.
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2
Drill one hole through each post running perpendicular to the line of the other four holes. Use the 1-inch auger bit, drilling this hole on center and 6 inches from one end of the post.
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3
Drill two holes at each end of all four 75-inch beams. Drill through the face of the beam, on the midline. Place the holes 2 and 6 inches from the end.
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4
Sand all faces of the lumber.
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5
Apply one coat of paint to all faces of lumber. Allow to dry.
Mattress Frames
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6
Set two 75-inch beams and two 36-inch beams in a rectangle with the shorter beams inside the longer beams. Attach them using two wood screws per corner, driven through the face of the longer beam and into the end of the shorter beam.
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7
Lay one plywood sheet on top of the rectangle with its edges aligned with those of the frame. Nail it in place with one nail in each corner, four evenly spaced nails along each long side and two evenly spaced nails along each short side. Drive the nails approximately 7/8 inch from the edge to place them on center in the beams below.
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8
Repeat steps one and two to build the second mattress frame.
Assembly and Finishing Touches
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9
Set up the four posts so the large auger holes are on top and all running in the same direction. This direction will correspond with the long side of the bunk bed.
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10
Line up one mattress frame with the lower set of holes in the posts. Connect it using eight bolts, slid through the predrilled holes and fastened with nuts and washers.
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11
Hoist the second mattress frame into position, lined up with the upper set of bolt holes. Connect it using eight bolts, just as you did the first.
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12
Tighten down all nuts using your pliers or wrench.
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13
Apply a second coat of paint to all surfaces of your lumber.
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14
Slide the dowels through the auger holes to form safety rails for the upper bunk.
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