Construct a Cozy Built-in-Bed
(Page 2 of 4)
December 2008/January 2009
By Steve Maxwell
In order to tip your walls up into position, they need to be slightly shorter than the overall height of the room. Stack a couple of 2-by-8 scraps on the floor (to simulate the thickness of the top and bottom plates of your walls), then place the back edge of your tape measure on top of the wood and extend the blade upwards until it hits the ceiling. Lower the blade half an inch, then lock it in position. The length of the extended tape measure (including the tape case body) is the exact length of wall studs you need to cut, but you need to be careful. The ideal height of a wall at one end might be quite different than what’s required at the other. And don’t assume that both walls need to be the same length. Measure in several places, because a sufficient clearance gap along the top of the walls is essential. When it comes time to install and secure walls, you’ll need to fill the top gap with wooden wedges. See “Wedged Walls,” below, for key details.
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Before you cut parts for your head- and footboards, you’ll need to do three things: Find the location of the floor and ceiling joists you’ll be anchoring your walls to; determine how wide the walls need to be; and mark exactly where each wall should be located on the floor. Tape or staple enough pieces of cardboard together to make a full-size template of your mattress, plus 2 inches of extra length and width to allow room for tucking sheets and blankets. You’ll also need to add an allowance for the beadboard or wainscoting that you’ll be applying to the wall frames. Place this template on the floor, then use a pencil to mark its location. Assemble each wall frame using four, 3 1⁄2-inch framing nails to secure the end of each 2-by-8 stud. Get someone to help tip each wall up into position, and secure the bottom plate with 4-inch screws driven into the underlying floor joists. Use three screws in every spot where your wall crosses a joist. If the walls run parallel to the floor joists, and don’t line up with them, then be sure to secure the bottom of each wall with construction adhesive, as well as screws. Have a friend push or pull the wall so it’s plumb, then anchor the top end.
Step #2: Support for the Mattress
There’s no need to use a box spring under the mattress of this bed. Instead, the illustration shows how to create a frame around the interior perimeter of the bed walls that supports either three-quarter-inch plywood or 2-by-8s to support the mattress directly. The main part of this support frame is a low, front wall that spans the distance between the head and foot walls. Build it from 2-by-4s, with studs spaced to accommodate the storage drawers that’ll slide underneath. For best appearance and function, set the front wall 7 1⁄2 inches in from the outside edges of the head and foot walls, creating an inset lip. Next, use 4-inch screws to secure the mattress support cleats around the inside perimeter of the mattress area. Your plywood or wooden slats will rest on these cleats and the front wall, holding the mattress up. If you live in a damp climate, consider using wooden support slats with three-quarter-inch spaces between them for mattress ventilation.
