Thread: Loft Bed Idea

Quick question.
How is it kept up? Support of the ladder doesn't seem enough even if it's mounted to the studs in the wall.

Originally Posted by echnidna

Official oz/nz design standards require guard rails.

and...

Originally Posted by BozInOz

Quick question.
How is it kept up? Support of the ladder doesn't seem enough even if it's mounted to the studs in the wall.

With it being bolted to each stud, and the ladder being bolet to the subfloor, it is more than enough to hold up the weight of the mattress and me. Think of the king stud in the corner as a leg opposite to the ladder, and the studs that are nearest to the edge on the adjacent sides, are two other legs. Now you can visualize four legs on opposite corners.

G'day OTR. I made a very similar bed for my young bloke around 12 years ago. The main difference is that I made a timber ladder to support the outside corner. I am unsure how an angled stair such as yours would work without;
1. Being anchored into the floor at it's foot
2. Careful calculating the stair angle.

It appears, and of-course this is the whole purpose of the design, that it is supported by a 'skyhook'.

If you do not wish to screw the foot of the stair to the floor then I would support the outer corner by stainless rigging wire as used on sailing dinghies. A wire 3/16" dia will support around 2,000lbs. It will be difficult to see so the perception that the bed is floating will be retained.

I made the bed from 19mm (3/4") mdf sheet with a veneer which I coated in polyurethane. Use thin pine fillets glued and nailed to the internal corners to secure the sheets to each other. The matress is supported on 19mm mdf with many large air ventilation holes 50-70mm dia. routed in regular rows. This sheet is supported on a narrow shelf made from mdf offcuts.

Your design works but caution with the stair.

BTW: 5' and 4' works for me, but you have not allowed the 8" or so for the depth of the bed and mattress.

Firstly, it is a great use of space, well done.

Having slept in a bunk bed as wee nipper I can only say that I am glad that I sleep closer to the floor now. Are you aware of the temperature differential? Being in a cold climate, like you are, it may be okay to sleep closer to the ceiling because that is where all the heat will accumulate. But, research (don't ask me to cite the journal) shows that it is better to sleep in cooler temperatures with around 16 deg C being the ceiling of the comfort level. Anything higher and it starts to become uncomfortable.

Anyway, don't let that get in the way of your project...good luck.

Vertical or not, the ladder should be robustly attached to both the floor and the bed frame.

Joe

Yes, I fully intend to anchor the ladder to the floor.

Also, do you think that 1"x8" hardwood (oak or maple) would be fine for the sides? The ladder will be 2x8 fir, so that should be fine. I'm more worried about lateral movement with the sideboards if I do go with the 1x8. But I think with the 2x4 braces (check the last pic, I think), that lateral movement shouldn't be a problem.

Originally Posted by .:On The Rock:.

Also, do you think that 1"x8" hardwood (oak or maple) would be fine for the sides? The ladder will be 2x8 fir, so that should be fine. I'm more worried about lateral movement with the sideboards if I do go with the 1x8. But I think with the 2x4 braces (check the last pic, I think), that lateral movement shouldn't be a problem.

Side rails on floor-mounted beds are often that size. But without knowing more of your design, I'm hesitant to say yea or nay. Post a pic of your framing plan, and let some bed design and construction experts assess it, and/or offer suggestions for improvement.

Joe

Originally Posted by .:On The Rock:.

Hi there. I'm new to these forums, so I'll say a short introduction to myself as well as my main issues.

I'm a seventeen year old from Newfoundland, Canada. My father, who as an engineer, had gotten my attention at an early age of woodworking, construction and all around handywork. I've been playing drums for 10 years and I'm now persuing an undergraduate degree in music. As well, I've been developing some minor skills out in the workshop. I've built a couple of snare drums from scratch (building another as we speak), an electric drumset, a guitar and I'm even as ambitious as to think I can build a cello in the near future (we'll see about that, hah). These things seemed obvious to me as I saw fit to combine the two interests of mine.

Thanks.

I have twin daughters, and about 30 years ago (they were 30 last birthday) we bought bunk beds for them.

They were wooden, and the expected four posts for the corners. In addition, the bottom bunk had a leg in the middle of one side.

The top bunk could be put straight on top of the bottom one, or at right angles across the bottom one, with the other end supported by a desk.

There were four steel dowels to ensure the legs for the top bunk didn't slip off their supports.

There was also the alternative arrangement with both the bunks on the floor. Over the years, we had them in every configuration.

The top bunk had a rail that we had on the side away from the wall, while ever it was the top bunk one side was against a wall.

There was also a pretty regular sort of ladder, made of pine, that could get one of the twins to the top.


As to the clearance for your headroom, how much you need depends on how tall you are. Given I grew 5 cm after my 18th birthday, even though I'd not grown for two years, I suggest adding a bit. Otherwise you might need to add casters of feet in a year or two.


As for flooding, consider Brisbane I gather it's been flooding every time it rains lately.

Finally, remember that most people here are in Australia. If we mention placenames, they're likely not in North America. For example, Texas is a small town over in the Eastern States somewhere. Perth is in Western Australia, unless it's in Tasmania. If you remember that, you might no t have so many public moments.