How to Make Wooden Bed Slats

Older beds often require bed slats to support the mattress and box spring.

Although new bed headboards and foot boards connect easily to a metal bed frame with a crosspiece to support the mattress, older beds often require their own specific side rails, and the bed owner needs to provide his own bed slats to keep the mattress and box spring from falling to the floor. With minimal tools, you can make a set of wooden bed slats in one afternoon that will support you and your mattress for years.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• 1/2-inch-by-4-inch wood
• Pencil or pen
• Saw
• Sandpaper

Instructions

1. Measure the bed. Assemble your bed with side rails in place. Measure across the bed from the inside lip of one side rail to the inside lip of the other side rail. This will tell you how long your bed slats need to be.

2. Buy good lumber. You will need at least four bed slats for a full size bed, and at least five bed slats for a queen bed. Purchase enough 1/2 inch by 4-inch lumber to cut enough bed slats. Be sure to choose lumber that is straight, not bowed or warped, and crack-free.

3. Cut the bed slats. Measure the lumber. Mark the length needed with a pencil and cut with a saw.

4. Finish the slats. Hardly anyone will see your bed slats, so you do not need to stain or paint them. You will need to sand the ends to prevent splinters while handling -- and so splinters don't work their way into your box spring cover and tear it.

Resources

• Woodsmith Tips