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- A loft bed is elevated from the floor and stands on the four vertical poles. This type of furniture is usually manufactured using high-quality and sturdy materials to ensure its unshakable sturdiness and safety of people sleeping.
- If you’re a lucky owner of a loft bed, you know that it’s a fantastic alternative for smaller apartments. Loft beds save space like no other. In addition, most loft beds fit perfectly in minimal and modern houses in style. Yet, we shouldn’t forget what the bed’s primary goal is—to provide us with sweet and relaxing sleep.
- Sometimes, with years passing or intensive usage, we may end up with a wobbly loft bed, which can become a serious hazard for our well-being! This article explains how to secure a loft bed to the wall to prevent accident from happening.
What is a loft bed?
Loft beds are raised platform beds with sturdy legs.
Like a bunk bed, a loft bed is ideal for both children and adults living in smaller apartments.
There’s no other piece of furniture that saves space so perfectly!
If it wasn’t enough, it also makes interiors look modern and stylish.
Not to mention the fact that kids simply love these beds for their adventurous feel!
Most of the loft beds are built safely and sturdy, and it prevents them from getting wobbly—after all, these beds are meant to hold a significant amount of weight throughout their lifespan.
How much weight a loft bed can hold?
Typically, a loft bed holds 200-260 lbs of weight if it is designed for a twin mattress (the same for a twin-size bunk bed).
Loft beds designed for higher weight limits can hold up to 600 lbs.
Important: These weights include the sleeper, the mattress, and the bedding.
However, there are exceptions. For example, sometimes loft beds from the beginning aren’t as sturdy and stable as we would expect.
In other cases, after heavy use, too much weight, or a rambunctious child jumping on it, your bed can naturally start to wobble.
What to do then?
If you are looking for a simple and easy way to secure a loft bed, keep reading! We have a few options for you.
Securing loft bed
The most effective way to make your loft bed more stable is to secure it to the wall.
However, there are several simpler alternatives. Check these easy methods to make your loft bed (or bunk bed) sturdier:
1. Place your loft bed in the room corner
If your loft bed (or bunk bed) stands in the middle of the room or against one wall, introduce one essential home improvement—place it in the corner of the room.
This way, your bed will be supported by two walls instead of one of them.
It will quickly minimize the feeling of wobbling and increase the pleasurable feeling of stability.
2. Install bracing
Install bracing either in the middle or the bottom of your vertical poles.
2. Install bed rails
A bed rail should be built-in by default.
Not only do guard rails above the top bed provide stability, but they also prevent a person from falling out of the bed. This refers not only to vibrant kids but also young adults and elders.
Tip: We suggest installing bed rails around the top bed part. They can be wooden or metal—the choice is yours.
3. Install feet
You can also anchor a loft bed by installing feet on the bottom of your loft bed poles.
The rule is simple physics—if you increase the surface area between the floors and the bed poles, the weight will distribute.
This, in turn, will make your loft bed standing on the floor much more stable and not as inherently dangerous as before.
This method will be helpful both with wooden and metal bunk beds and loft beds. After all, there’s nothing that gives us the feeling of safety more than thick bed posts.
Securing loft bed to the wall studs
One of the best ways to prevent accident is securing the loft bed to the wall studs behind the drywall.
Before wall studs find, ensure you have the following tools:
- drill/power drill,
- stud finder,
- lag screws in 3 1/4-inch,
- 1/4-inch spade drill bit,
- washers for the lag screws,
- ratchet set with hex head sockets;
Most loft beds are constructed on a 2-by-6 inch lumber frame.
You can drill through the frame section that abuts the wall and secure the bed to the wall studs with special lag screws.
Here’s how to make it happen:
- Find the wall stud
Take a stud finder and slide it across the wall to which you will secure the loft bed. When you hear the signal, it means that the stud is located. Mark each stud on the wall with a pencil.
- Drill the hole
Take the power drill and drill
- two holes on the long part of the loft bed, and
- two holes on the short one;
Start drilling from the underside of the bed frame and go straight through the wall into the wall where the stud has been located.
- Insert screws into the wall stud
Take a lag screw and put a washer on it. Then, insert the screw into one of the holes. Next, take a 1/2 inch hex head socket and connect it with the ratchet.
- Tighten the screws
Take a socket and put it on the screw’s head. Use a ratchet to attach each of the screws into the wall stud. Pump the ratchet to make sure that the screws are tight.
Securing loft bed with brackets
Another way to secure a loft bed into the wall is to use brackets.
The only things you need are special brackets that you can find in a specialized store.
These brackets are screwed into the bed frame and secured to the wall.
That’s it!
Keep it sturdy
There are several ways to secure your loft bed. Yet, you might want to avoid ending up with a wobbly loft bed using our tips.
How to keep your bed sturdy over the years?
- Pay attention to the humidity of your room
While it may sound weird, one way to keep your wood untouched is by remembering to reduce humidity in the room.
If the weather is too humid, the wood might start to expand.
Otherwise, if the weather is too dry—the wood might shrink.
No wonder this process may have a significant impact on the stability of your bed. Also, you may start noticing loose bolts.
Tip: Use an air humidifier if the weather is too dry and a dehumidifier if the air is too humid.
- Disassemble your bed before moving it
If you move your bed around the room, the bolts might loosen up.
Loose bolts will later cause wobbling and can even crack the wood.
Tip: Before relocating your bed to a different place, be sure to disassemble it.
- Regular checkup
Do monthly checkups of your bed to ensure that all of the screws and bolts are tightened securely.
Also, check if the wooden or metal parts of your loft bed are in place.
- Teach your children safety instructions
Before letting your children use the loft bed, let them know these safety instructions:
- a bed is for sleeping, not jumping,
- one bed is for one kid (not a kid and their friends sleeping over),
- no climbing up by the loft bed frame—use the special ladder,
- no sitting on the bed frames (guard rails),
- tell your parents if you have noticed any wobbling;
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