Best & Easy Methods For Building The Loft Bed
If you want to build a loft bed at your homes yourself, you can do so easily, simply go through the different methods mentioned below:
Method 1: Upper Structure
- Height: Firstly the user needs to measure the desired height. This involves deciding what clearance the user wants under the bed. Simply measure with the help of measuring tape. Besides that its also very important to take into account any furniture that may be going under the bed.
- Headboard: Secure the headboard to the wall in order to locate the studs in the wall using a stud finder, and mark down the locations with the help of painter's tape. Now after the marking is done then drill the pilot holes but should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the lag bolts that are going to be used into the wall studs as well as the headboard. Use the four 4 inch lag bolts with the washers to attach headboard to the wall. Secure the lag bolts using a ratchet or wrench.
- Sideboard: For the sideboard again drill the pilot holes into the wall studs as well as in the sideboard piece and then secure the sideboard to the wall with the help of eight 4 inch lag bolts using washers. Then again secure using a ratchet or wrench.
- Attach The Foot Board: After the above steps are done then its time for the footboard for which again drill pilot holes at the end of the sideboard and also at the face of the footboard. Affix the footboard to the sideboard with the help of two 4 inch lag bolts with the washers.
Method 2: Lower Structure
- Support Post: For the support the user needs to cut it to the height of clearance plus add 4 inches as well as attach both face to face using the 2 ½" screws. Alternate the screws on both sides.
- Level The Post: For this step place a level on top of the footboard after that place the support post in exact position against the footboard, adjust the footboard until it is fully level. Clampdown the footboard and then post them together.
- Attach The Support Post: In order to attach the support post simply drill out the pilot holes on the face of the footboard as well as a support post. Secure the footboard to the support post with the help of 2 4 inch lag bolts having washers.
- Outer Board: For preparing the outer board simply clamp down the outer board with the support post but at the proper height. Here a level can be very beneficial.
- Attach The Outer Board: In order to attach the outer board carefully drill the pilot holes through the face of outer board as well as into the ends of the footboard, headboard, and in the support post as well. Secure the outer board on the support post, headboard and at footboard as well using the six 4 inch lag bolts with the washers, use the two lag bolts on each headboard, footboard, and on support post.
Method 3: Creating The Slats
- First Slat Support: For the first slat support simply position and attach. In order to make sure that the top of slat support is even with the top of the support post simply position the slat support on the inside of the outer board. It is important to check the level and then secure the slat support in exact place using the seven 2 ½" screws.
- Second Slat Support: After the first slat support is done then position and attach the second slat. Position it on the inside of the sideboard, this will help the top to be even with the top of the support post. Again it is important to check for level and then secure the second slat support using seven 2 ½" screws.
- First End Support: Now for the first end support position it on the inside of the headboard so that both of the tops end support and side slat supports are even. Fix it in place with the help of four 2 ½" screws.
- Second End Support: In case of the second end support position the end support into the inside of the footboard so that the top of the end support, slat support, and the support post are even. Secure it in right place with four 2 ½" screws.
- Adding The Slats: For the fourteen slats simply measure and mark the location create even spacing along with all the slat support. For each end of the slats drill a pilot hole at each of the ends into the side slat supports and attach them using two 1 ½" screws.
Method 4: Building The Ladder
- Ladder Boards: Cut the main ladder board into 2x6s for both ladder risers, but about 6 inch longer to the total height of the bed.
- Angle The Risers: Using the miter or a radial arm saw cut down one of the ends of one riser to about 15-degree angle. Learn this piece, to about 15-degree cut, on the flat ground opposite the outer board in the final position and then make out a mark that should be even with the top of the outer board, cut this out at 15 degrees.
- Joining Notches: Place the risers back on the outer board and make a mark of 1 ½" deep notch on the riser. With a rotary saw cut the notch as far as possible. Now the user needs to use this riser as a template for the other riser and make them exact match.
- Adding The Ladder Steps: For the ladder steps make sure each step is evenly placed at proper level. In each step drill the countersink pilot holes into the face of the risers and in each step. Secure each of the steps with four 2 ½" screws.
- Main Ladder: Now its time to attach the main ladder start from the inside of the outer board, drill the pilot holes through the outer board and into each of the riser of the finished ladder. Fix it in place with the help of four 2 ½" lag bolts with washers.
- Riser Supports: Attach 2 riser supports to the ladder. It is important to make sure that the top of the riser supports should line up with the top of the side rail. To attach the riser support drill the countersunk pilot holes through the riser supports and using four 2 ½" screws.
- Lower Riser Supports: Again attach 2 raisers supports but this time to the bottom of the ladder using the same holes and screws as above.
- Secure The Ladder: Atlast place the ladder by drilling the pilot holes through risers into the outer board. Place the entire ladder assembly on the outer board with the help of two 4" lag bolts and washers.