How to Construct a Bunk Bed
A set of bunk beds uses 20 fewer square feet of floor space than two twin beds side by side, and that's not accounting for the footprint of access space. Though you can spend hundreds of dollars on a bunk-bed frame, you can build one over the course of a weekend. If your children are old enough, you can participate in the construction. This will give them a sense of ownership while introducing them to the world of doing it yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 10 wooden beams, 2 inches by 6 inches by 96 inches
- 1 sheet of plywood, 3/4 inches by 48 inches by 48 inches
- Power saw
- Sandpaper
- Pencil
- Measuring tape
- T-square
- Power drill with drill and screwdriver bits
- 40 wood screws, 3 inches long
- 48 wood screws, 1 1/2 inches long
- 32 carriage bolts, 3/8 inch diameter by 4 inches long
- 32 matching nuts (often included with the bolts)
- 32 matching washers
- 32 locking washers
- Pliers or vice grips
- 2 twin mattresses
Instructions
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Preparing the Lumber
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1
Cut four wooden beams in half using your power saw, making a total of eight 48-inch lengths.
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2
Draw two lines on one side of each of the 48-inch lengths. Draw one line 2 3/4 inches from one end, the other 12 inches from the opposite end. Use your T-square to confirm that all lines are precisely perpendicular to the length of the legs.
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3
Drill four holes through the face of each 48-inch length. Drill two holes, each 1/2 inch from one edge of the beam and 2 inches below each of your lines. Drill the other two holes 2 inches from the edge and 4 inches from your line. Use a 3/8-inch diameter drill bit, the same diameter as your carriage bolts.
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4
Cut 16 inches off the end of four wooden beams using your power saw, making a total of four 80-inch lengths. Discard the cut-off end pieces.
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5
Cut the remaining two beams into a total of four 39-inch lengths, discarding the leftover 22-inch piece from each beam.
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6
Cut the plywood sheet into four pieces, each 9 inches wide by 39 inches long. Discard any excess.
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7
Sand all faces of your lumber thoroughly.
Building the Legs
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8
Set two of the 48-inch beams in an L-shape along their long edges, the marked faces on the inside. The 2-inch wide edge of one beam should abut the 4-inch wide face of the other. Align them so the ends and edges are flush and the edges nearest your drilled holes face away from the corner of the L.
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9
Connect the two beams using a line of 10 evenly spaced wood screws. Drive each screw through the face of one beam and into the edge of the other.
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10
Repeat Steps 1 and 2 three more times, building a total of four leg posts.
Assembling End Frames
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11
Set two leg posts approximately 39 inches apart.
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12
Lay one 39-inch beam perpendicular to the leg posts, its ends laying in the crooks of the Ls. One edge of the beam should rest flush with the line drawn 2 1/2 inches from the end of the leg posts, on the side of the line away from the end.
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13
Adjust the positions of the leg posts and cross beam so that the ends of the beam are nestled flush inside the L of the leg posts. Confirm that the beam remains perfectly flush along your line.
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14
Mark the cross beam by passing your pencil through the drilled holes and drawing a circle on the beam.
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15
Remove the cross beam. Drill four holes through the beam at the points you marked with the pencil. Use a 3/8-inch drill bit.
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16
Set the cross beam back in place. Attach it to the leg posts using four carriage bolts, heads on the outside faces of the L. For each carriage bolt, put one regular washer on the head side, one locking washer on the nut side. Tighten the nuts first by hand, then with pliers or vice grips.
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17
Repeat steps one through six to attach a second cross beam at the line on the opposite end of the leg post. Set this cross beam on the side of the line nearest that end of the post.
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18
Repeat Steps 1 through 7 to build the second end piece.
Connecting the End Pieces
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19
Set one 80-inch beam in place so its end abuts and aligns with a cross beam in the corner of one end piece. Mark it by passing a pencil through the drilled holes and drawing a circle.
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20
Remove the 80-inch beam. Drill two holes where you marked it. Use a 3/8-inch drill bit.
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21
Set the beam back in position. Bolt it in place as you did the cross braces.
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22
Position the free end piece on the opposite end of the 80-inch beam, again abutting and aligned with the appropriate cross brace. Mark, drill and mount as you did the first end.
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23
Set a second 80-inch beam in place between the two connected end pieces. It should abut and align with the remaining cross-braces. Mark the beam through the open bolt holes.
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24
Remove the beam. Drill four holes where you've marked, again using the 3/8-inch drill bit.
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25
Set the beam back in position. Bolt in place as you did the other beams.
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26
Repeat steps five through seven twice, attaching the remaining 80-inch beams on the remaining open side of your frame.
Final Touches
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27
Set your frame upright, with the mattress frame 2 1/2 inches from the end on top.
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28
Lay one plywood sheet on top of the top bunk frame, its outside corners nestled squarely in the bracket formed by the end pieces.
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29
Screw the sheet in place with one 1 1/2-inch wood screw in each of the four corners. Reinforce with one screw in the middle of each short end and six evenly spaced screws along the outside edge. Drive all screws through the plywood and into the edge of the beam beneath.
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30
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 a total of three more times, mounting the other three plywood sheets to the remaining end of the top bunk and both ends of the bottom bunk.
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31
Scan all surfaces of the frame for burrs or splinters created by your assembly. Pull off splinters using your pliers and sand all burs and sharp edges.
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32
Add the mattresses, one on each bunk level.
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1
Tips & Warnings
These plans should accommodate most standard twin-size mattresses. However, you should measure your mattresses before beginning to make sure they fit in this frame. If not, adjust the length of your beams and plywood to suit your mattress size.
This frame works only with mattresses that have internal, rigid rails. A soft, floppy mattress will fall through the open hole. If you want to use floppy mattresses, cut two 3/4-inch sheets of plywood to fit the gaps between the plywood already in place. Set them in position to fully support the mattress.
