Introduction
The bed is definitely the most important piece of furniture in any household. After working hard at your workplace, you need to sleep properly at night or in the daytime depending on your work schedules. However, if you have a broken bed frame, or if the slats are not robust, your sleep will be hindered. If your slats are sagging, then your mattress too will be wobbly. You will never be able to enjoy good sleep on such a bed.
Over the years, bed frames become weak and develop cracks or break down. Natural wear and tear are a part of the game and you need to get it fixed immediately to prevent any further damage.
If you need to buy a new bed frame, it might be an expensive affair. And then paying for the workmanship too will cost you a few hundred dollars. Instead, if you spend two of your weekends, you will be able to fix your bedframes all by yourself.
Now you must be wondering, how to fix a wooden bed frame? So, we are here to help you out. It is a good idea to learn this craft because you will need it after a couple of years again. So instead of spending money every time, it is a good idea to learn it properly.
Ingredients Needed – How to Fix a Wooden Bed Frame
You will need a face mask, gloves, clamp, drilling machine, drill bits, screws, screwdrivers, wood glue, wood filler, wood putty, woodcutter to fix your bed frame. In some situations, if you need to paint your bed slats and bed frame after fixing it, you will need sandpapers, tack cloth, wooden primer, wooden paint, brush to complete the work. You will need pliers, a nail-puller, a hammer, a hand-saw, a power-saw, wooden tapes to get the job done.
Step-by-Step Instruction- How to Fix a Wooden Bed Frame
Start with inspecting the magnitude of the damage. There are various processes to fix each of it. This step will help you to assess whether wood glue, wood filler, putty, a few screws, or nails will be enough to fix the frame. You will get to know if you need to fix it further by removing the slats or cutting the legs of the bed.
Fixing Minor Cracks, and Splits
Step 1- Dismantle the Bed
First disassemble the bed by removing the storage area, the bedpost, the horizontal bed slats from the bed frame. Remove the mattress and keep it separately. This will ensure that while you are fixing one part of the bed, it does not damage any other part of it. It will be easier for you to handle your work too.
First, start with cleaning the cracked area. Use the screwdriver and check if the crack is deeper than four inches. You will have to replace the wooden plank, or bedpost if the crack is deeper than four inches.
Wear a dust mask and gloves before you start sanding off the cracked or chipped area. Then use a vacuum cleaner to remove all the dust, fine particles, and sawdust from the cracked area in the wood. After you have finished vacuuming the surfaces of the wood, use a tack cloth to clean the wood further. This step will remove the fine dust particles which were hidden in the pores of the wooden plank.
Step 2- Fix Cracks, Chips, and Splits
Once you have cleaned the wooden bed frame properly, it is time to apply the protective sealant to cover the cracks. Coat the wood with color stain so that the old scratches or discoloration does not show up. The colored pigment will give a smooth sheen to the wooden frame.
Using a putty knife, plug any cracks on the wooden bed frame. Use a latex wood filler or epoxy which will not swell, shrink, crack, or flake. Use a wooden filler which is meant for indoor usage, unless you are using it on wooden planks which are used in poolside benches and recliners.
You can also use paintable acrylic caulk to fill any holes, for cracks deeper than 1/4 inches. Use a putty knife to scrape off the excess material before it sets in.
Step 3- Drying and Painting
Now you learned how to fix a wooden bed frame. Clamps should be fixed to hold the area in place while it dries up. You will have to allow the bedframe to dry for at least four days before you start using it. Allow it to dry up overnight and then you can remove the clamps. Sand off the glued area and it will look smooth.
You can even think of painting the frame after this.
Repeat the process of sanding the frame. Apply primer and allow the wooden bed frame to dry up completely. After the primer has dried up, apply color to give a nice sheen to the bed frame. Now it will look as good as new. You will have to reassemble the bed and place the mattress above it to start re-using it.
Fixing Bed Frame Slats
How to fix a wooden bed frame? You might be wondering that filling up the cracks was easy, but what if the slats or joints or the sides are broken. Do not worry. Just follow the step-by-step guide mentioned below and you will be all set.
The constant pressure of the person sleeping on the bed exerts pressure on the slats, and they start breaking. The breaking will be severe if the pressure is not evenly distributed, and some slats have to bear more pressure than the rest.
Step 1- Remove the Broken Slat
Use a nail puller to pull out the nails of the wooden slat which is broken. Keep it aside, and you can use the wood from this slat as reinforcement later.
https://pixabay.com/photos/architecture-boardwalk-plank-wood-315605/
Step 2- Replace the Broken Slat
Measure an existing slat and go to a hardware store to get a slat of the same length, breadth, and height. If you can’t find the exact slat, buy one which has the same thickness. You can attach two slats to increase the length or cut off the extra width if needed.
Step 3- Screw the New Slat
Use the wooden screws and a screwdriver to position the slat in the same place. You might need to use a drill machine and putty to drill new holes if you need to fit in extra slats.
Fixing Broken Joints
If the joints of the bed have loosened up, then the bed will be unstable, and might even break if kids jump on it. That will cause a lot of damage to the bedposts and you might even have to replace the entire bed. Even the legs of the bed or side posts might have broken, and you will have to repair or replace them. If the wood has shrunk or swollen over time, then these kinds of situations may arise.
Step 1- Remove the metal bracket and joints
If your bed has metal brackets (used for support), then remove the screws and keep them safe. Then use a rubber mallet and remove the joints. Using a putty knife, remove the glue which was stuck to the joints.
Step 2- Apply Glue
Use sandpaper and clean both surfaces properly. Use epoxy glue, or a good quality wood glue and re-join the joints. You might need a hammer to fix the joints properly. Use the putty knife to apply the glue properly on all four corners of the bed. Screw the metal brackets again for the support.
Step 3- Allow the Glue to Dry and Apply Paint
Allow the glue to dry up. It might take up to one day. Apply primer and paint exactly the same way as above. Check if the bed is stable again. If yes, you can start using it, else you will have to repeat the process.
Step 4- Fix Broken Legs, Side Posts
You might be using a bed that has four legs. Since the legs have to bear a lot of pressure, they might have started cracking. It is dangerous to sleep on such beds as it may give in any day causing accidents. You will need to cut the broken piece and using a hand saw or power saw cut a similar sized piece of wood. Join the new piece using strong wood glue and attach the clamps for support. Once the glue has dried up, use the same paint to have a harmonious look.
If your bed does not have four legs, and is mounted on two vertical side posts, then it will be stronger than the regular beds. It is highly unlikely that the side posts would have been broken, however, it is a good idea to check for cracks and hairline damage. Apply the wood glue or putty to cover the cracks if there are any the same way instructed above.
Step 5- Fixing the Laminates
This is a common problem which we all face with wooden furniture which is laminated with a thin sheet of veneer. The glue often dries up if not applied properly, and the laminate comes off. After sanding off both surfaces, apply a generous amount of good-quality wood glue on both surfaces. Attach the laminate in place and take the help of a friend to attach the wooden tapes to hold the laminate. You can leave the tapes as is if they do not spoil the look of the bed. Else after 48 hours, once the glue is secured properly, take off the adhesive tapes.
Conclusion
So now since you learned how to fix a wooden bed frame, pick up the DIY project. Check out some videos on YouTube to understand the steps properly, and you will be able to fix your beds at home. You will be able to use your weekends productively and save a good amount of money too.
