Beginner wood project: loft bed for adult

894 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by jdonhowe, Apr 22, 2022

moira8348

Discussion Starter · Apr 10, 2022 (Edited)

{Edit and update}
Hello, I'm a beginner at wood projects. I'm back with a design update.

Question: About the plywood panels. Is the 1/4 " thickness enough to use for loft bed stability or do I need to get a 1" thickness? Also i notice homedepot has these
48 in. H x 24 in. W White Pegboard
will they work similarly as plywood panels?
what type of paint or coating will provide protection for the wood?

loft bed to carry 200 lbs, and be easy to assemble. The loft bed is designed to fit in a super tiny room. It's smaller than a twin bed size. H75 xW29xL72 inches.
Material:
2x2 >> inner rail (support slats)
2x4 >> legs
2x6 >> bed frame
2x3 >> bed rail
1x4 >> slats
1/4" x 4'x 8'>> ply panels (PureBond Birch Plywood ) cut down to >> 2 panels 2' x 5' and 1 panel 4' x 65 1/2 "
metal bed rail brackets (8 sets)
screws,hex bolts, and wood glue
fabric strip screws down and space out each slat. That way when I need to clean everything up I can roll up the slats and place them away.

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Half Fast Eddie

· #2 · Apr 10, 2022

Home depot and such generally sell 2 kinds of construction lumber: spf and syp. Spf is lighter color, lighter weight, sometimes a little cheaper. Most houses are built of it. Stands for spruce-pine-fir, a mixed species. Usually limited to 2x4 and 2x6 sizes. Used as a bed leg, it will work fine.

Syp is a little darker, a little heavier, and stronger. Stands for southern yellow pine. It is always used for joists and such 2x6 and larger. Like deck framing boards. I would use the syp for bed framing.

Your design needs a little work. The bed platform looks ok, the legs look tall and spindly, and it will be wobbly without angle bracing.

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moira8348

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 10, 2022

Half Fast Eddie said:
Home depot and such generally sell 2 kinds of construction lumber: spf and syp. Spf is lighter color, lighter weight, sometimes a little cheaper. Most houses are built of it. Stands for spruce-pine-fir, a mixed species. Usually limited to 2x4 and 2x6 sizes. Used as a bed leg, it will work fine.

Syp is a little darker, a little heavier, and stronger. Stands for southern yellow pine. It is always used for joists and such 2x6 and larger. Like deck framing boards. I would use the syp for bed framing.

Your design needs a little work. The bed platform looks ok, the legs look tall and spindly, and it will be wobbly without angle bracing.

Thank you for the information. Alright, I will switch out the legs for 2x4 and 2x6 spf. Also, add some metal triangle bracings for the corners or use whatever leftover woodcuts for it.

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woodnthings

· #4 · Apr 10, 2022

I had a loft bed in my 8 ft X 10 ft bedroom when I was a teen in high school. It was a rented apartment in an old house with 10 ft high ceilings, so there was lots of room, about 36" above the loft. The loft was 6 ft off the floor so I could walk underneath. It was"dirt simple" and I used four 4 X 4 posts for the legs, two in the corners and two 30" out, the width of the mattress. The cross pieces were also 4 X 4's and plenty strong and since they were a force fit against the back corners, they were real stable.
None of this may apply to you in your case, I donno?
But, overkill on a loft bed is far better than crashing to the floor in the dark of night.

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jdonhowe

· #5 · Apr 11, 2022

I think you're asking a lot from your design- "minimalist" and portability, both of which fight rigidity and stability. Years ago, I built a loft for my 10 year old son. Despite 2x6 legs, bracing and carriage bolt fasteners, it was wobbly until I ran some lag screws through the back side into wall studs- then rock solid.

At a minimum, I recommend 2x4 legs and fasten plywood panels (2ft wide or more) on the sides and back to help brace. Forget the steel rods- they're doing nothing to help stability. Go with carriage bolts or lag screws rather than inserts- why the emphasis on disassembly/reassembly- this is rough lumber we're talking about. I do urge you to consider anchoring to the wall as well. If/when you move the bed, it's not a big project to spackle and paint the holes in the wall.

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moira8348

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 12, 2022

jdonhowe said:
I think you're asking a lot from your design- "minimalist" and portability, both of which fight rigidity and stability. Years ago, I built a loft for my 10 year old son. Despite 2x6 legs, bracing and carriage bolt fasteners, it was wobbly until I ran some lag screws through the back side into wall studs- then rock solid.

At a minimum, I recommend 2x4 legs and fasten plywood panels (2ft wide or more) on the sides and back to help brace. Forget the steel rods- they're doing nothing to help stability. Go with carriage bolts or lag screws rather than inserts- why the emphasis on disassembly/reassembly- this is rough lumber we're talking about. I do urge you to consider anchoring to the wall as well. If/when you move the bed, it's not a big project to spackle and paint the holes in the wall.

thank you for your reply. yeah, I went to check out the wood and reconsider the minimalistic appearance of my loft bed. safety and stability first. can't avoid using bulky wood. As you said rough lumber so bolts and nuts are required. For the plywood panels that sounds like a better idea than having to add so many triangles bracing for each side.

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Rider351

· #7 · Apr 14, 2022

moira8348 said:
thank you for your reply. yeah, I went to check out the wood and reconsider the minimalistic appearance of my loft bed. safety and stability first. can't avoid using bulky wood. As you said rough lumber so bolts and nuts are required. For the plywood panels that sounds like a better idea than having to add so many triangles bracing for each side.

Plywood panels or 1x8 pine are the best..Place to hang things and provides lots of support to the legs.

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moira8348

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 21, 2022

Rider351 said:
Plywood panels or 1x8 pine are the best..Place to hang things and provides lots of support to the legs.

for plywood panels does the thickness matter?

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jdonhowe

· #9 · Apr 22, 2022

moira8348 said:
for plywood panels does the thickness matter?

Even thin plywood panels will provide a lot of rigidity. That said, I think 1/4" is a bit thin; 3/8", or better 1/2" thick should be plenty sturdy. 3/4" is overkill.

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Beginner wood project: loft bed for adult

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