CollegeBedLofts.com Plans for: Loft Bed - Bunk Bed - High Rise Platform Bed High Rise Platform Bed Page 1 of 14
Thank you for ordering our Plans. If you decide at a later date to purchase some of the individual parts from us, the $10 Plans payment may be credited toward purchasing a complete loft kit. Just send us an email after you have purchased the parts or complete kit from us and we'll refund your original $10 Plans purchase. Please Note: The plans will provide you with the instructions to build all the individual pieces for your bed. Once you have made all the pieces, you can assemble the bed using the instructions at http://collegebedlofts.com/setup.html. Tools Required / General Notes Electric or cordless drill/screwdriver with 3/8 wood bit and a phillips #2 medium head bit, table saw or circular saw, jig saw, framing square. Drill pilot holes whenever using wood screws to prevent the wood from splitting. Countersink the pilot holes so the screw is just below the wood surface. Never drill into wood closer than 3/4" from the edge, otherwise it may split. Always refer back to the first picture to see how everything fits together. For ease of transportation, we have set the maximum length of any single board to purchase at 10', which should easily fit into the back of most mini-vans, SUVs and station wagons and not stick out too far. You may also purchase longer pieces and have the lumber yard cut them to size before you leave. Remember to place a red flag on any lumber sticking out the back end of your vehicle. Remember 2x4's are actually 1-1/2" x 3-1/2", 2x6's are 1-1/2" x 5 1/2". When drilling pilot holes use a 5/32" drill bit and a #6 countersink. Save the scrap pieces, they may be used for building a desktop or bookshelves later on. Before purchasing the lumber, please read through this entire set of plans to familiarize yourself with all aspects of this project. Always wear safety glasses when working around wood and sawdust. And remember, Measure Twice - Cut Once. Safety Guidelines The College Bed Loft was designed utilizing the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) Safety Guidelines for bunk beds. The loft should not be used by children under the age of 6. If modifications or alternations are made it must conform to the CPSC Document #071 requirements. Since College Bed Lofts cannot control the quality of the assembly nor modifications made to the loft, Eastbay Solutions Group, LLC (College Bed Lofts) will not be held legally liable from any accidents, injuries or property damage resulting from the use of our loft. Because of the very nature of sleeping on an elevated surface, there are obvious and inherent risks involved due to falling. This risk is enhanced when consciousness is limited or impaired due to sleep, lack of sleep, illness, consumption of alcohol, taking medications, inhalation of smoke/fumes or similar factors. The loft is an all natural wood product and will burn when fire or sufficient heat is present. Elevated beds may also create obstructions or impediments that increase the hazards encountered in a fire or other emergency by hindering evacuation or fire suppression activities. Customers who choose to use our loft shall be deemed to have assumed all risks of accidents, injury and property damage associated with their use. As a general safety precaution do not place the loft near any window, door, closet, fire / smoke alarm or ceiling fan. All college residence halls have specific requirements regarding the use and placement of lofts and students are required to follow all college requirements. The safety rail must be in use at all times. Loft Bed Sizes - Using this set of plans, you can build any of the sizes listed below: Mattress Size Twin Full Queen Regular 39 x 75 54 x 75 Extra Long 39 x 80 54 x 80 60 x 80 The High Rise Bed Platform Bed is built using the same techniques as the loft bed, only it is half the height. The loft needs to be built to fit the mattress size. For example, a regular twin mattress is 39x75, use the Twin Regular 39x75 specs to build this bed. Page 2 of 14
Please Note we do not offer plans for the following: King sizes (they are very wide beds and will need a large center support). Multi-Width Bunks (twin/full, etc.), Steps & Shelves. Side Platform. Custom desks/shelving/beds. Many of these items are too complicated for the typical casual woodworking home project. Beds taller than 84" or longer than 84" may be slightly top heavy and should either be attached to a wall or corner bracing added. Lumber Requirements All lumber should be prime or #1 grade. We use Spruce grown from the Pacific Northwest. Since it grows in a cooler climate, it has fewer knots and the boards stay nice and straight better than other wood species. Most home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Lowes will let you search and select the best pieces from the lumber pile. Be careful when un-stacking lumber as they tend to tip easily and watch out for splinters and staples in the wood. Never stand on a pile of lumber and children should not be around stacked lumber. Leg Height We have two leg heights. For ceilings up to 8 you will use the 72 legs. For ceilings greater than 8 or if you are planning on adding more safety rails you will use the 84 legs. To calculate the leg height you can use our Loft Height Calculator at: CollegeBedLofts.com/loft_height.html. This will tell you the actual leg height needed. Please note that the standard safety rail will be installed 5 above the top of the mattress. If you decide to add extra safety rails to go 10 above the top of the mattress you need to increase the leg height by 5. If you want the safety rails to go 15 above the top of the mattress you need to increase the leg height by 10. Loft Bed Material List Ladder Legs Loft or Bunk (4) 2x6x8' or (2) 2x6x8' for the high rise bed. Ladder Rungs Size Using 72 Legs Using 84 Legs High Rise Bed Twin (4) 2x4x8' (5) 2x4x8 (2) 2x4x8 Full (4) 2x4x10' (5) 2x4x10 (2) 2x4x10 Queen (4) 2x4x12' (5) 2x4x12 (2) 2x4x12 Rails Rail Ledge (2) 2x6x8' (2) 2x2x8' Mattress Foundation Bed Slats Twin Full Queen (5) 2x4x10' (7) 2x4x10' (7) 2x4x10' Bolts, Screws & Misc. Items (4) Carriage Bolts 3/8 x 5 (4) Each 3/8 Washers, Lock Washers, Hex Nuts 2 lbs. 2½ Screws #7 or #8 size (the larger number size is better) ½ lb. 2 Screws #6 or #7 or #8 size 1 lb. 1-5/8 Screws #6 or #7 or #8 size ½ lb. 1¼ 3d Nails 1 lb. Yellow Wood Carpenter's Glue Page 3 of 14
Cut the Ladder Rungs Cut (8) for 72" Legs (10) for 84" Legs (4) for High Rise Bed Twin: Using the 2x4x8' cut rungs @ 44" Full: Using the 2x4x10' cut rungs @ 59" Queen: Using the 2x4x12' cut rungs @ 65" Drill (2) pilot holes as per diagram at each end. Cut the Mattress Foundation Bed Slats Twin: Using the 2x4x10' cut fourteen (14) slats @ 38" Full: Using 2x4x10' cut fourteen (14) slats @ 53 Queen: Using 2x4x10' cut fourteen (14) slats @ 59" Drill (1) pilot hole as per diagram at each end. Cutting & Building the Rails Cut (2) Rails: 2x6 Rail & 2x2 Ledge Lengths: Regular 75 XL 80 Glue and screw the 2x2 ledge to the 2x6 rail as shown in the diagram. Drill pilot holes before driving screws. The screws should go from the 2x2 into the 2x6. Use #7 2-1/2" screws spacing them 6" apart. Drill a 3/8" hole through the ledge and front rail 2" from each end as shown in the diagram. Drill (4) pilot holes as shown in the diagram at each end. Page 4 of 14
Cutting End Ladder Legs and Rung Notches Cut (4) 2x6 Legs at 72" regular height; 84" extra tall; 39" High Rise Bed. The spacing between the rungs is 11". From the bottom you start with an 11" gap, then a 3-1/2" rung, then 11" gap, then 3-1/2" rung, and so on to the desired height. Leg Height Number of Notches 39" 2 72" 4 84" 5 Notches need to be cut into legs to fit a 2x4 (1-1/2" x 3-1/2") rung. This can be accomplished in a few ways: Doing one leg at a time, use a table saw and a dado blade, slide the board over the blade to cut the notches, this is for experienced woodworkers only. Clamp all four legs together, using a circular saw, cut a series of slits 1-7/16" deep and about 1/16" apart. Then use a chisel to clean out the notched area. Doing one leg at a time, using a 3/8" drill bit, drill a hole at the base of each notch. Then using a jig saw cut the complete notch out from the leg. Please Note: If you are also building a Double Bookshelf Headboard and using the 72" legs, you may want to make (2) legs 91" tall with 4 notches. The top 18" will be used for the Double Bookshelf sides. You can also do this with the High Rise Legs and make (2) legs 69 tall with 2 notches. The rungs will protrude about 1/8 from the edge of the legs (see diagram). They will not be flush with the legs. Drilling the Carriage Bolt Holes Use our Loft Height Calculator at: CollegeBedLofts.com/loft_height.html. This will give you how much space you will get underneath. Drill a 3/8 hole into the legs 2 from the inside ledge at the height specified on our Loft Height Calculator. For example, if you have a 96 ceiling and 6 mattress and want 30 space above you will get 58 underneath. Drill the hole 58 up from the floor. For bunk beds, drill the bottom hole 8 from the floor. Page 5 of 14
Bunk Bed Plans The Bunk Bed requires a second set of rails, bed slats and additional hardware. Cut them exactly as the upper bunk pieces were cut. Hardware (4) Carriage Bolts 3/8 x 5 (4) Each 3/8 Washers, Lock Washers, Hex Nuts Material List Rails: (2) 2x6x8' Rail Ledge: (2) 2x2x8' Bed Slats Twin: (5) 2x4x10' Full: (7) 2x4x10' Queen: (7) 2x4x12' Drill the bottom hole 8 from the floor. Front Ladder Plans The vertical front ladder is built using the same procedures as the loft end ladders, except they are 2x4 legs. Material List Legs: (2) 2x4x8' Rungs: (2) 2x4x8' Cut (2) ladder legs using the same notching instructions as the loft legs. Cut the rungs at 18". The length of the angled ladder is the height of where you will be mounting it plus 4. The bottom of the legs are rounded. The rungs are 15 long and are glued and screwed to the legs. The spacing between the rungs is 10-1/2. The rungs are placed at a 14 degree angle to the legs. At the top of the legs cut the back edge 14 degrees and mount a 2x4 which will be used to attach to the front rail or top rung on the end. To support the safety rails on the front make a support using a 2x6 and have it go from the bottom of the front rail to the top of the legs. Page 6 of 14
Loft & Bunk Double Bookshelf Headboard Double Bookshelf Headboard Front View Double Bookshelf Headboard Back View Short Bookshelf Page 7 of 14
Long Shelf & Desk Shelf Cut the shelf material the length needed based on the width of your bed. If you have short shelves at the ends then cut the shelf at the edge of the short shelf, otherwise cut the shelf at the end of the bed. Cut the 2x4 support the length of the bed between the inside of the rungs. Cut the shelf supports based on the width of the shelf. Page 8 of 14
Safety Rails The Safety Rails go the full length on three sides and half way across on one ladder side. The number of Safety Rail Sets required is based on the thickness of the mattress. If your mattress is up to 8" thick, 2 sets of safety rails are required. For up to 16" thick 3 sets are needed and 4 sets for mattresses greater then 16. If a Front Ladder is used then the Safety Rail Brace and Short Safety Rails are not used. The Consumer Products Safety Commission Guidelines are there must not be a gap of more than 3-1/2" anywhere above the bed slats. Below the bed slats the gap must be either not greater than 3-1/2" or if it is greater than 3-1/2", then it must be at least a 9" gap. After placing the bed together you must measure the gaps all around the bed and add additional safety rails if the above limits are exceeded. Material List Safety Rails: 1x4x8' (8) for 2 sets of safety rails (12) for 3 sets (16) for 4 sets Safety Rail Brace: (1) 2x4x8' Safety Rail Brace The safety rail brace is made from a 2x4 33" when using 72" Legs and 30-1/2" for 84" legs. It needs to be cut as per the picture at left. It is used when you have the opening at the end of the bed. It is not required when using a front ladder. This brace is designed for the safety rail to go 5 above the top of the mattress. If you want the safety rail to be 10 above the top of the mattress you need to extend the top section by 5. If you want the top of the safety rail to be 15 above the top of the mattress you need to extend the top section by 10 Cut safety rails for the front at 75" (Regular), 80" (Extra Long) or 84" (Dorm XXL). Drill four (4) pilot holes into each end of the front and back safety rails as shown in the above picture ¾ from the edge. Drill the second set of holes 2 from the first. Cut safety rails for the ends at 44" (Twin), 59" (Full) or 65" (queen). Drill two pilot holes into each end of the side safety rails ¾ from the edge. Page 9 of 14
Short Desktop Desktop Plans Long Desktop The Short Desktop goes the width of the loft and is 20" deep and 30" from the floor. It is attached to the second rung with two angled side supports. The Long Desktop goes the full length of the loft and is attached to the second rung and does not require the angled side supports. Materials List Desktop: The desktop can be made from any material such as solid pine, MDF, Melamine or plywood. Frame: The frame is made from (3) 2x2x8' Angle Brace: 2x4x19", 2 required for short desktop, not required for long desktop. Screws: (20) 2" & (15) 2-1/2" Screws. Desktop & Frame Cut the desktop material 20" wide and to a length as shown on the left diagram. Place desktop face down to attach the frame which will support the desktop from underneath. Cut the 2x2 pieces for the frame using the measurements shown at the left. The frame is glued and screwed 1-1/2" from each end of the desktop. Place screws every 8". Angle Braces The Angle Brace is cut from a 2x4x19". The ends are cut to 45 degrees as shown on the picture on the left. Two braces are required for the short desktop, none are required for the long desktop. Drill pilot holes 3/4" from the ends as shown in the picture. Page 10 of 14
High Rise Platform Bed Bookshelf The High Rise Platform Bed Bookshelf may built separately first and then attached to the top of the legs, or you may make the legs tall enough for the shelves. You may make the height at anything you need, typically they are 30" above the top of the legs. Materials List (2) Shelves 3/4 x 7 x 41 (twin), 56" (full) or 62" (queen) pine or MDF (2) Shelf Sides 2x6x30 (2) Shelf Side Supports 2x2x11 (4) Shelf Supports 2x2x5½ (2) Backboard 1/8 x 6-1/2 x 44 (twin), 59" (full) or 65" (queen) Hardboard (16) 1-1/4 Nails (8) 1-5/8 Screws (16) 2-1/2 Screws Page 11 of 14
Low Platform Bed The low Platform Bed is the same size as your mattress and is 10 high (where the mattress starts). Materials List (4) 2x6x8 for the rails and headers (4) 2x2x8 for the ledge Mattress Foundation (Bed Slats) (5) 2x4x10' Twin; (7) 2x4x10' Full; (7) 2x4x10' Queen Cut (2) Long Rails to the proper length to fit your mattress size. Install the 2x2 ledge and legs as per the above diagram. Cut the short rails at 36 Twin; 51 Full; 57 Queen. Install as shown below. Page 12 of 14
L-Shaped Bed The L-Shaped Bed connects two beds together to form a single unit bed with two sleeping surfaces on top. By joining the two beds together this eliminates the center post (leg) between the beds giving you a larger open area underneath. The L-Shaped side can either be on the left or right side. This requires advanced carpentry skills to build due to the special cuts and joints needed. Page 13 of 14
Page 14 of 14 An example of an L-Shaped bed is shown below.