Moving to a new apartment, completing summer cottage construction, or arranging an attic is often associated with a lack of basic amenities - furniture and interior details. After completing all the work, sometimes there is not enough money for a good bed, and I do not want to buy a cheap model that quickly becomes worthless.
There is a solution to this situation - you can make a bed frame from wooden pallets, which are easy to find.
Materials and Tools
The advantages of pallets are in the simple technology of their preparation, processing and the correct geometric dimensions of the precast blocks. Pallets are suitable for assembling a berth for one or two people, as well as creating a decorative frame near the bed. The design does not need to be fixed - it is enough to lay the container tightly to each other to get a temporary stand for the mattress.
To build a long-term bed you will need:
- a larger number of pallets, for the calculation it is necessary to take into account the desired dimensions of the bed. Among the common container sizes, 800 × 1200 mm and 1000 × 1200 mm prevail. To make a single bed, you need at least three pallets that fit in one row;
- self-tapping screws, the length of which depends on the method of fixing the components together (through a metal plate or board);
- screwdriver or screwdriver. Instead of the latter, a drill with a special nozzle will do;
- coarse and fine sandpaper. The grinder will help to make the surface smoother;
- brush or roller and paint container;
- primer and paint for indoor use. Water emulsion mixtures that have sufficient stability and low toxicity are best suited;
- wood hacksaw;
- accessories (legs).
Bed design
Despite the apparent simplicity, products from pallets can be very diverse, you just have to give free rein to imagination. A bed of pallets (skeletons) has a height proportional to their thickness (145 mm). The single-row design is suitable for use in regions with mild climates or well-heated rooms. The height of two or three pallets will be enough for installation in rooms of any type.
Before assembling, you need to decide whether the bed will have to move around the room or not. The stationary structure requires a minimum of labor and materials, while the mobile structure will have to be worked out more carefully.
The sequence of preparation and assembly of the bed:
To process the material mechanically. Pallets may have previously been used to transport food, industrial or construction goods, so it is recommended that they be thoroughly cleaned. Persistent contamination and biological damage are removed using sandpaper or a grinder. Large burrs must be cut off, and the places of their localization must be cleaned.
Fix pallets of the same size between each other using metal plates or boards along the entire length of the bed. They are screwed into the bottom of the skeleton with screws, forming a supporting frame. It is better to mount metal plates from the inside of the boards to ensure aesthetics and the absence of sharp edges.
The length of the screws should be less than the length of the boards so that the sharp metal edges do not pass through and damage the mattress.
Install four adjustable legs in the lower corners of the bed. To move around the room, you can put the wheels screwed into the mounting boards along the vertical axis. A drill is needed to drill holes of the right diameter.
To clean a surface at first with large emery paper, and then fine. For this purpose, you can use a grinder.
Before using the grinder, make sure that there are no nails in the grinding points so as not to damage the tool.
Prepare the surface of the tree - cover with a stain to give a shade or a primer. To extend the life of the wood, antiseptics are recommended that are recommended for use before subsequent painting.
Finish the pallet - open it with varnish or coat it with persistent water-based paint. The use of enamels is prevented by a prolonged and unpleasant odor of the solvent. Combination painting of wood looks beautiful and unusual, in which the outer and inner surfaces of the boards are covered with paints of different colors.
What to improve?
To prevent slipping of the mattress, additional pallets can be attached to the sides of the bed. They are attached from the inside by corners held by self-tapping screws.
The height of such a sidewall is enough to make up to the middle of the height of the mattress. The sharp corners of the boards in the upper part should be treated with a planer, giving them a more rounded shape.
In the case of cold concrete floors, pallets can be extended 0.5–1 m beyond the dimensions of the berth, making the lower level (base under the bed) larger. The skeleton for the mattress is built in one or two tiers in its center.
To isolate the bed from the wall, in order to avoid drafts and cold, it will turn out with the help of a pair of pallets installed vertically at the head of the bed. Their coating is best done from stain and varnish, providing a contrast to the background of light walls.
Add interior lighting
The backlit sleeping construction looks beautiful and unusual. In addition, this arrangement increases the ergonomics of the bed. With its help, you can walk around the room at night, without touching the interior items, while the lower location of the lamp will not interfere with sound sleep.
To make the lights inside the bed with your own hands, you need to buy:
- surge protector (extension cord);
- two LED cords (duralight) 2 m long;
- two-row adapter for connecting a pair of wires;
- mount for duralight (staples and screws).
The backlight is installed in three stages:
- at first, both duralights are connected from one end to the adapter (via the built-in connector), and the other end is closed with a special cap supplied in the kit;
- the adapter is connected to the network through an extension cord to check the system’s operability;
- the working circuit is disconnected from the outlet, and the cords are attached to the inside of the pallet.
A bed of pallets is an unusual and reliable way to equip a sleeping place with your own hands or just to diversify the interior. This is a good way to save money, since the quality and comfort of prefabricated furniture is in no way inferior to expensive store counterparts, differing in price. Using pallets allows you to get a bed of any size, without adapting to the restrictions imposed by furniture manufacturers.