Materials:
particle board sized to your mattress
1" x 4" pine boards (for trim)
1" x 12" pine boards (for base)
straight metal straps
8 L-brackets
wood screws
wood putty
Steps:
- As always, I like to have the lumber yard cut the wood to size. If you are making a twin size platform, you can get it out of one 4' x 8' piece of particle board. Any larger, and you'll need to put two pieces together, one at the head of the bed, the other at the foot. Keep the two pieces together using metal straps on the underside of the platform.
- Sand all of your pine boards before you start your project. That way, you save some work later on, and it helps keep your fingers from getting splintered while you work!
- Create a base for your platform using 1" x 12" pine boards that measure two feet less than the length and width of the platform top. When the base box is finished, it will be placed in the center of the underside of the particle platform. Attach the base to the platform using the L-brackets.
- Now it's time to flip the bed over and add the trim around the platform. It will be very heavy now, so get some help!
- Mount the trim boards so they rise above the platform by one inch. This will create a lip that will hold the mattress in place. Attach them with wood screws, countersink, and when you're done, wood putty the holes.
- Sand the wood puttied areas, and either paint the bed with a latex semi-gloss finish paint, or stain the wood and polyurethane over that, or simply polyurethane all the wood to protect and seal it.
Note: If purchasing a new mattress for the platform bed, remember that the hard platform will give a lot more support than a box spring. Adjust your choice of mattress accordingly.
Headboard and Bed Sizing
Many people are unsure of how large to make projects, depending on the size of bed they wish to build. Headboards are generally made to extend two to four inches out from each side of a mattress (depending on personal preference and the amount of room space). If the headboard is to be attached to the wall, there is more flexibility for the width. If a headboard is to be attached to a metal bed frame, be sure that the headboard supports are placed correctly based on the width of your particular frame. For projects such as the platform bed, be sure to add at least four inches to the length of the mattress for the finished platform size.
Mattress Sizes:
Crib: 27" x 52"
Twin: 39" x 75"
Full: 54" x 75"
Queen: 60" x 80"
King: 76" x 80"
Hosts Matt Fox and Shari Hiller visit with Ron Trzcinski and Doug Stroup from The Original Mattress Factory to learn about buying the right mattress.
Guests Ron Trzcinski
President,The Original Mattress Factory
4930 State Road
Cleveland, OH 44134
Phone: 216-661-8388
Fax: 216-661-2337
URL:
www.originalmattress.com
Doug Stroup
Vice President, The Original Mattress Factory
4930 State Road
Cleveland, OH 44134
Phone: 216-661-8388
Fax: 216-661-2337
URL:
www.originalmattress.com
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