Loft Bed Building Plans - How to Build a Loft Bed

Loft beds or bunk beds are a type of home furniture that are built in order to save space. These beds also enhance the look of a room. Bunk beds are commonly used in rooms for children. Since loft beds ensure maximum utilization of floor space, such furniture is also used in army garrisons and ships.

What is a Loft Bed?
It is a type of bedroom furniture which consists of two frames of beds stacked one above the other. These beds can be placed in small spaces and are thus, used in prisons, ships, garrisons, etc. The framework of these beds is supported by four pillars and it generally has 2-3 'floors'. The topmost bed also has a railing to avoid a fall. The two types of loft beds are the 'standard bunk bed' and the 'twin over full'. The former one has two beds one above the other, while the latter is somewhat similar, except for the full size bottom bed and twin size upper bed.

Loft Bed Building Plans
Loft beds can be built using different plans i.e. by making use of various design patterns and materials. Most loft beds are made from wood, while metals can also be used. A typical loft bed building plan would create a place for two persons, which is comfortable to sleep and study. The following piece of information would help in carrying out any of your plans to build a loft bed.

How to Build a Loft Bed?
Let us have a look at the procedure of constructing a loft bed that covers a floor space of 48 by 78 inches. In order to construct a loft bed, the minimum height of the ceiling should be 8 feet. If it is more than 8 feet, the headroom would be a comfortable one. The mattresses to be used for these loft beds should be 38 inches in width and 76 inches in length. The information about materials needed for the construction of these beds is provided in the following list.

• One sheet of 3/4 inch thick plywood with 4 by 8 feet as the dimensions.
• Four pieces of construction-grade that are 8 feet in length.
• Three pieces of 1" by 3.5" lumber boards that are eight feet in length.
• Drywall screws & lag bolts.
• Three pieces of regular lumbar with the dimensions of 2 by 6 by 8 inches.

To begin with the process of building loft beds, one should cut the first two pieces of 2 by 6s to a length of 78 inches and the remaining two pieces to the length of 37 inches. These four pieces should be joined together to form a box which measures 40" by 78" in size. Drywall screws must be used to secure these pieces together. After the box is prepared, a plywood should be cut and fit properly to match the size of the box. The 4 by 4s should be cut at a length of 44 inches. Two of the 4 by 4s should be positioned or placed in such a manner that they are 78 inches apart and their outer edges are parallel to each other. The platform should be tilted on to the posts in a manner that the plywood top touches the lines on the posts. The posts should then be connected to the platform with the help of lag bolts. The next step in the process is to lift the frame and position it properly.

A ladder helps in entering the loft bed easily. The 2 by 6s can be used to make steps for the ladder by placing them between posts. One can decorate or embellish the loft bed in many different ways.

Loft beds help utilize space in an efficient manner. One can make use of the above mentioned loft bed building plans to make a nice bed for their children at home.