Reinforcing Your Bed Length
Nothing is worse than an unbalanced, noisy bed frame that squeaks and shakes with every rapid movement you make. Rather than forking out several hundred bucks or more to get a new bed frame, you can buy yourself some time by strengthening your existing bed frame.
This basically means you are making it more inviting, sturdy, and much quieter. Below are many ways that you can get your bed frame – almost – as good as new.
Based on your issue and the sort of bed frame you have, there are a couple of different ways you can approach the problem.
Suggested Materials – A drill, 1-inch screws, and a second-hand mattress frame
Tighten Bed Frame Screws – Firstly, you need to double-check all your bed's individual braces (if there are any) and screws to be sure nothing is loose – even the legs.
Loose bolts and screws are common causes behind a wobbly and squeaky bed. But the great news is that it is a really easy repair – just tighten them up using a wrench or a screwdriver!
Reconnect Joints – If you are resting on a wooden bed frame, re-join any parts that may have changed over time. Separated bed frame joints may destabilize a bed frame, which makes it sway and wobble.
Lay the cloth on each side of the joint to prevent potential damage and ask a friend or relative to assist you in holding the frame. With a mallet, smoothly hit the joint unitedly and repeat for others that will require to be reconnected.
If you have a bed frame that has been earlier glued, lay cloth around all sides of the joint and apply the wood glue again to the inner side.
Afterward, you will want to gently hammer the joint collectively and use something such as a clamp to securely hold it together till it dries. Repeat for any other detached joints you see.
Add Bed Slats – If you've got a basic run-of-the-mill bed frame that has just a perimeter and a supporting center beam including slats will beef it up, it is sturdier and more supportive. This will help fight mattress sagging and will allow your mattress frame to withstand more weight.
- Measure the bed frame's inner diameter to work out how long you want your new slats to be.
- Use a pencil to indicate the length on a 1×4 wooden plank and use a hand saw to cut off the excess wood.
- Repeat steps one and two to come up with a different timber slat, or, in case you are not the best handyman, take your measures to your nearest hardware store like Home Depot, where they will cut the wood for you.
- Put a plank on the right of the middle beam and another, on the other hand, about 2 or 2 1/2 feet away from the framework's central bar.
- Use a power drill to ensure the new wooden planks into the bed frame's interior lip.
Replace the Supportive Center Beam — If you suspect the middle beam is the only problematic bit of your bed frame, you can eliminate it altogether and replace it with something which'll offer somewhat more support.
- Unscrew the middle beam in your bed frame.
- Assess the bed frame's inner width from side to side and find your new center beam's distance.
- Measure the distance from the ground to the middle beam base to determine how long your new service leg should be.
- Use a pencil to mark your new center column dimension on a 1×4 wooden plank and use a saw to cut it yourself, or take your size measurements to a hardware shop to have an expert cut a piece of wood for you.
- Repeat step four to your new support leg with a 4×4 block of wood.
- Put your cut woodblock under the new center beam directly in the middle, and drill two wood screws to the block through the surface of the plywood center beam to fasten them together.
- With a power drill, fasten each end of your center beam into your bed frame.
How to Repair a Broken Bed Frame
If you were a little late getting to the “reinforcement” part of the post and are now dealing with a busted bed frame since it was not supportive enough, do not give up yet! There might still be hope.
This is a frequent problem and usually happens along the grain lines or on the ends of the framework. If that is the case, lead your inner specialist and follow these eight steps:
- Once you eliminate your mattress from the bed frame, leave all of the slats in place as you pry open the split from the core of the frame with a screwdriver. Once it is split, remove the extra wood chips and splinters.
- Apply wood glue down the length of the split, and then spread it around the crack with a flat head knife such as a putty knife.
- Use a bar clamp to force both ends of the split back together and tighten it until you see paste coming out of the crack. Keep them on the framework overnight to dry.
- To reinforce the framework and ensure that the joints are sturdy, on the next day when everything is dry, then gauge the amount of the split from the inside of the frame and add 6 more inches to it.
- Measure the width of your bed frame.
- With a table or saw, cut a strip of 1/2″ scrap wood like plywood to match the dimensions you just took.
- Drill holes in your scrap piece of wood 2″ apart with a 3/16″ bit and drill, but be sure that the holes are staggered and NOT in a straight line.
- Apply wood glue to one side of the scrap wood, and put it inside over the split. Drill 1″ screws in your pilot holes, and allow the framework to dry overnight again until you put your bed back onto it.
Buying a New Bed Frame
If it seems so, though, that strengthening your bed frame isn't possible and it's beyond repair, it might be time to think about purchasing a new one. There are many different kinds of mattress frames, and they are offered at a wide range of prices.
The typical cost of a bed frame is about $250, but the dimensions and materials greatly influence the expense of the framework – few bed frames (such as adjustable frames) can cost more than $1,500.
Just make sure to consider your budget, needs, size, and space requirements before starting the mattress frame hunt.
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