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Loft Beds Save Space in Small Bedrooms
by Timothy Rea
You don’t need to be a master builder to construct a loft bed. With a few supplies and these instructions, you can give your child more room in that tiny bedroom.
If you have an old house, your bedrooms are probably pretty small. OR, maybe your teenager is going off to college and his dormitory room is really tiny. Don’t despair. You can easily elevate his bed and put other furniture or storage underneath to save floor space in his bedroom, or in any small child’s bedroom.
A loft bed purchased from a furniture store is an option, but these tend to be pretty expensive. You can build a loft bed that will accommodate a standard or long twin mattress, if you have the right tools and equipment. And it won’t cost you much!
Here is all you will need to build your loft bed:
Set of 3" screws
Set of 1 5/8" screws
Set of 4" bolts
Sheet of plywood 4’ x 8’ (3/4" thick)
Four 4’ x 4’ by 8’ posts
Six 2’ x 6’ pieces of wood (for platform rectangle) and ladder
8-10 pieces of 1" thick wood (depending on height of ladder)
Circular Saw
Set of Socket Wrenches
Hammer
Electric Drill
The bedroom or dorm room in which you construct your loft bed must have ceilings that are at least 8 feet high. You’ll need around forty five inches in width from the wall to the center of the room, and about 75-85" of length to fit the length of the mattress and the platform. Allow at least three feet above the top of the mattress to sleeping and sitting space.
Before you start to build a dorm loft bed, be sure you check with the Residence Life office on campus to make sure you are allowed to build this structure. Also, check the length of the school mattress before you draw out your plans. Many schools use long twin mattresses instead of standard twin bed mattresses.
In addition to the platform and support posts, you will have to buy the supplies to build a ladder so your child can use it to climb up into the bed. Don’t leave the ladder loose on the railing or bed platform. You should fasten it to the bed with screws so it does not slide and cause an accidental fall.
Use one inch thick wood for the ladder and space the ladder rungs 10-12" apart. An angle of 60 degrees will keep the ladder tight to the bed and ensure that it doesn’t extend too far into the bedroom and take up too much floor space.
The loft bed rectangle or platform is made from 2’ x 6’ pieces of wood, fastened together to make a rectangle that measures 40" x 78". A 2’ x 8’ piece of plywood measuring ¾" in thickness will form the base of that platform.
Assuming you have a standard sized twin mattress, you’ll need to cut your 2’ x 6’ wood into 78" and 37" lengths for the four sides of the platform.
Use 4’ x 4’ by 8’ posts for the bed platform support posts. Fasten posts to platform and all other separate pieces using bolts or screws (a set of 3" screws for the sides of the bed and a set of 1 5/8" screws for the plywood base and platform rectangle fasteners, and a set of 4" bolts for the attachment between the platform and the support posts).
That’s it. That is all you need to build a loft bed for your child or teenager and create a larger and more livable space in your child’s bedroom.
To View Other Quality Articles By Timothy Rea go to: Articles By Timothy Rea
Writen By Timothy Rea Copyright 2006
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