My wife has been asking for a bunk bed for the kids for some time. The room is a little short because it is in a basement and I knew I would need to modify the plans so I procrastinated.
I ended up shortening the height of the bed to 62" total. I also sank the top mattress down because it is a pillow top and the rails were not tall enough. Those were the easy parts. I then had to modify the ladder, I needed to shorten it and wanted a little more angle to it so some high school trig and I was on my way. It turned out pretty good I think.
To save money I used furring strips for everything but the 1x8s. It is very rough and the finishing is not easy on furring strips, but it saves some money.
I had some extra blue from a previous project but wanted it a little darker. I used a flat black water based paint for the base coat then brushed on an incomplete layer of the blue to give it the look I wanted. Sealed it with a clear coat.
Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
~$90
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate
Comments
Guest (not verified)
Mon, 12/26/2011 - 15:55
This came out really nice!
This came out really nice! Love the paint job on it!
In reply to This came out really nice! by Guest (not verified)
jont
Mon, 12/26/2011 - 16:59
batman paint
Thanks! The boys call it their superhero batman bed!
Guest (not verified)
Fri, 03/30/2012 - 17:38
Just Wondering
Hi...I'm planning on making this bed for my own room, and I was wondering if the furring strips affected the stabilty or if they are just as sturdy as if you had used pine boards. I'm 16 and around 140 pounds, if i make it with furrying strips do you think it would support me?
In reply to Just Wondering by Guest (not verified)
jont
Sat, 03/31/2012 - 08:31
Furring strips
Furring strips are of lower quality - more knots and splitting. Technically this could effect the strength of the strips, but for the loft bed the main supports are made by attaching 3 1x3s together (increasing the strength synergistically) so I think it would be safe to say there will be no problems with load fatigue. Just be sure to use glue on every piece when attaching together. Good luck!