Lofting your bed opens up possibilities for setting up a small room. This includes finally getting that chic home office you've been dreaming of or adding a swing chair for more seating.
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Think 1 Box on 4 Posts. It’s That Simple.
Let me say this now - I’m not sure anyone ever passed on to me how to use a drill (and p.s. I still suck at it sometimes!). I’ve learned it all on my own. So trust me you can easily build a loft bed for your kids to love. And remember, our kids are only small once, so it’s totally worth it.
How to Build a Loft Bed – The Size
Feel free to make the loft any size you want by adjusting your supply and cut lists. Madi’s loft is 131 inches in length, by 39 inches in width, by 49 inches high
Helpful hint: when buying your wood, remember that you need to buy untreated wood, because pressure treated wood does not paint or stain well. You shouldn’t have any problem finding untreated wood at the local lumber yard or home depot. The only pieces that will be hard to find in some places are the untreated 4×4’s. I couldn’t find any so I had to opt to allow the wood to ‘dry’ before painting it.
Materials Needed:
4 – 4 x 4 x 4
2 – 2 x 8 at 131 inches
2 – 2 x 8 at 37 inches
1 – 2 x 4 at 37 inches
2- 2 x 4 at 60 inches
2 – 3/4 inch 4 x 8 sheet of MDF
1 – ½ inch or bigger eye hooks (depends on rope size)
18 – 1 x 2 x 2
1 – 1 x 2 at 55 inches
1 box of 4 inch lag screws
1 box of 2 ½ inch wood screws
Lay It Out.
Use a circular saw to cut the lumber to size. Lay the cuts out to make the best use of the wood. Before assembly, all rough edges and the faces of each board should be sanded smooth. Start with 120 grit sandpaper then progress to 220. Be careful not to round over any of the cut ends that will be butt joined to other pieces.
Another helpful hint:
If you don’t own a saw, the great workers at your local Home Depot will do it all for you. Just take them the cut sizes.
Start Building
1. Lay out all four outside pieces (all pieces that are 2 x 8) and form a rectangle box with them. Make sure the box corners are square then use your lag screws and screw all four pieces together securing the outside of your box. Use two screws for every corner.
2. Take the 2 x 4’s, and space them evenly throughout the inside of the box, like you would bed rails. I spaced ours about 25 inches.
3. Once you’ve spaced them evenly, screw them in with lag screws at the top edge of the box. I recommend two lag screws on each side. (Total of 4 per board.) Make sure the 2 x 4’s are flush with the top edge because they will help support the deck (MDF board) of the loft.
4. Lay the MDF board on top and screw it in with the 2 ½ inch wood screws. I recommend at least 5 screws on each beam and 2 in between each beam.
You have now completed the base of the loft.
Lift It
5. Next, you need to lift the base up onto the loft posts. I would suggest finding help. I didnt have any help with Madi’s so I used all my super human strength and picked up each corner, one at a time, and lifting it onto each post. No, this was NOT easy, yes I suggest help! Don’t be like me and super impatient and not like to wait for help! It is very important that you ensure that the loft is level once up on all four corners and before you attach it to the posts.
Attach Loft Frame
6. Next, take 2 lag screws and screw into the side of the loft frame and into each post. This will be a total of 4 lag screws in each post. (Make sure to space the screws differently on each side so they don't hit each other within the wood.)
*Repeat the above step for all four 4×4 posts.
Create and Attach Ladder
7. The important aspect to focus on is the angle you will cut the top and bottom of the stair rails. The top of the ladder rails will be at a 75°angle and the bottom of the rails will be a 15°angle where the boards will rest on the carpet. Attach the rungs at approximately 8″ apart and parallel to the ground. Use 3″ Screws or 2 1/2″ Pocket Hole Screws to fasten the rungs to the rails and to fasten the rails to the front of the loft frame.
Finish
8. After attaching all of the wood pieces, fill any screw holes, sand any marks or scuffs that may have happened during assembly, and either paint or stain the left to your desired color. We painting Madi's with Sherwin Williams Pure White SW 7005
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Remember... I believe that you can turn your house into a beautiful home, no matter the budget. All you need to do is get your hands dirty, because here, we aren’t afraid of Afraid Of a Little DIY!
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