Do-it-yourself lamellas: process features, modern technologies

For beds, slats can be made exclusively from wood. The most commonly used are birch and poplar. This material was chosen for its flexibility and resilience. Wood also contributes to excellent ventilation of the mattress.

A double bed with slats is an ideal orthopedic sleeping option.

Experts believe that 30 slats are enough for a double bed, and several times less for a single bed. Manufacturers do not adhere to this opinion and place 20-22 pieces. But if you decide to make slats and a bed with your own hands, you can independently calculate their number.

Double bed option with a standard set of slats.

The benefits of making furniture yourself

Among the advantages of making your own bed and slats, the following factors are noted.

Environmentally friendly. Natural material, that is, wood, cannot adversely affect human health.
Durability. A product made with your own hands will last for many years. The bed can withstand heavy loads, which confirms its strength.
Custom size and design. The bed will be made with your own hands according to your drawings. You can adjust its size and shape to the desired parameters. You don't have to look for a place to place a large bed.
Saving. This applies not only to indoor space, but also to funds. You independently calculate the amount of material needed and purchase them. This will cost several times less than buying a ready-made product in a store.

Option for self-installation of lamellas

Bed design and construction

The designs of single or double beds made of wood are quite similar and quite simple. Both types of furniture consist of the following parts.

Durable lamellas with metal fastenings, installed by yourself.

The mattress on which a person will sleep is located on a flat base or slats. For the first option, use a thick sheet of plywood. The lamellas are transverse strips. This design is preferable. The mattress will not deform on it; the slats themselves are quite elastic. This design is more comfortable for sleeping.
Planks or plywood are placed on a frame made of high strength beams.
Side panels or legs can be used as a support to which the frame is attached.

Slats are a durable orthopedic base for beds.

When choosing the size of your future bed, it is recommended to rely on the parameters of the mattress. It is also worth considering the location and location of the product. The standard size of a single bed is 200-210 cm long and 90-100 cm wide. For a double bed, the length remains the same, but the width is 180-200 cm, that is, it doubles.

Standard slats for bed bases.

The height of the product is a rather subjective parameter. It all depends on your preferences.

Main causes of breakdowns

Sometimes people find that the board in their bed is broken. There are several main reasons why a wooden plank can break:

Exceeding permissible loads. Wooden slats have certain load limits that should not be exceeded. However, some people still overload them, which later leads to breakdowns. Therefore, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the permissible loads of the slatted bed in advance.
Marriage. Sometimes manufacturers install low-quality products made from defective wood. This often happens when using overdried wood, which quickly breaks even under light loads.
Long-term operation. Slats may break if used for more than ten years.

Purpose of the cross bar

It has already been noted that instead of a crossbar, a thick sheet of plywood can be used. It is worth noting the advantages and purposes of the lattice in order to understand that it is preferable.

Selecting the type of fastening for the slats at the base of the bed.

Reducing the load on the sleeping place. Thanks to this, the quality of the product is enhanced and the service life is increased.
Has spring quality. The bar is elastic and therefore all the load that acts on it is distributed evenly.
During sleep, your spine will take the correct position.
The grille is attached using special holders. This makes the structure reliable and subsequently avoids squeaks and noise.
The bar is positioned in such a way that natural ventilation of the sleeping area can be carried out from all sides.

The process of creating a bed base and frame from slats

If the bed is for children: how to decide on the choice

For such cases, a number of individual features apply. After all, for the correct formation of a child’s spine, he needs healthy sleep, and only an orthopedic surface can provide him with this, no matter what position the child is in.

For example, a slatted base in combination with an orthopedic mattress must be chosen correctly; the distances between the slats and the thickness of each of them must be observed. Also pay attention to the following nuances:

The location of the lamellas on the frame should have an average distance of +- 80 mm. If it is wider, then some of the design features of the mattress will simply fall inward and the structure will gradually collapse. If the distance between the slats turns out to be too narrow, then the orthopedic properties of the structure will not manifest themselves correctly.
The optimal width of the lamellas is 63 mm. If they are laid over the entire area of the bed frame, then these parameters are sufficient for the base to serve as a reliable support for a long time.
The edges and shape of the elements must be perfectly even and smooth. After all, when using the mattress, it will inevitably create friction with the lattice, and uneven ends will lead to damage to the fabric that contains the mattress. You can put on a mattress cover; this will only delay the process of damage to the fabric shell of the mattress, but not for long.

Important! For a children's bed, mattresses of a springless type or those consisting of natural latex can be chosen. These cannot be laid on a lamella base; therefore, you will have to limit yourself to a flat one.

Necessary materials

Before you buy everything you need and make the bed with your own hands, as well as slats, you should complete a detailed drawing. For a standard double bed you will need the following materials.

The process of distributing slats along the base of a single bed.

3 boards with dimensions 200x30x3 cm. They will become the walls and headboard of the product.
2 boards measuring 250x30x2 cm. They will become the sides of the bed.
5 bars, each length 200 cm, section 4x4. Needed for the manufacture of supporting structures, supports and legs.
The rail measures 150x4x2 cm. It will become a crossbar at the base of the bed. The rail is needed to secure the headboard boards.
Stain.
Wood glue.
Varnish;
Self-tapping screws.

The lamellas can be attached either using fasteners or using self-tapping screws.

It is worth clarifying once again that the amount of material is indicated for a standard double bed. You should select everything in accordance with the parameters of the future product and drawings.

How to correctly insert slats into the mount.

Repairing bed slats

If the bed slat (slat) is broken and cannot be sealed, you will need to purchase a new piece. Bed slats can be found in furniture stores or ordered online. Sheets are made in a single copy in carpentry workshops. Measure the element and contact the specialist. In just a few minutes, a new slat for your bed will be made for you. In workshops and stores you can order and buy not only foil, but also holders for cans. Although these elements are made of durable plastic, they can also break under constant stress.

Required Tools

To assemble the bed yourself and make the crossbar, you will need a drill, cutter, and sandpaper. Also prepare a hacksaw and pencil. For measurement and accuracy, rulers, tape measures, and a square are useful. Among the tools needed to make a bed yourself should be a plane, a screwdriver and a jigsaw.

Installation of slats in the base of the bed can be done independently; this does not require any expensive equipment.

What is better to install under an orthopedic mattress - bed slats or a sheet of plywood

When looking for a quality bed and orthopedic mattress, we often choose these products separately. Whereas, only with the right combination of the base under the mattress and the mattress itself can you achieve increased sleep efficiency. Judge for yourself, we spend more than 7 hours a day sleeping. And over the course of a lifetime, these numbers add up to whole years.

Manufacturing process

After purchasing the required materials and preparing the tools, you should begin marking and further cutting them. It is recommended to adhere to the following rules in this process.

The ideal method for attaching slats is with metal fasteners.

Make a detailed drawing of the future bed, indicating all the exact parameters.
Write a list of all the parts needed for the product. Indicate how much material is needed for each of them.
It is recommended to make markings in places for future cuts using a cutter or pencil and always a ruler.
When making parts with identical parameters in several copies, you should make one and leave it as a template. This will make the process easier and faster.
The cut areas must be cleaned with sandpaper.

Ortho frame for baby crib

After making the marks, you can begin building the frame.

It is recommended to begin assembly by measuring the parameters of the mattress that will be used on this bed. It fits freely into the frame frame.

Slats are increasingly being used to provide an ideal and durable base for beds.

Using the taken parameters, saw off 2 end and long boards, which will become the sidewalls.

Reinforced block of slats for a high-quality bed base with a high degree of load.

Gather the resulting pieces into a rectangle. To fasten them together, you can use wooden spikes or eyes. Cut holes with a jigsaw. Can be hollowed out with a chisel.

Orthopedic base with adjustable positions

The resulting eyes are lubricated with glue and connected. Align everything at a 90 degree angle and, using clamps, secure until completely dry.

Choose the type of lamella fastening that will be the most durable and reliable.

The frame is ready. It is quite reliable and strong. To make assembling the base of a wooden bed an easy process, you should connect the parts using self-tapping screws that have additional fastenings and metal corners.

Orthopedic double bed frame made of slats.

After the frame, they begin to install the legs. Cut several bars of identical length. They are mounted in the corners of the product. They can be inserted into the frame or secured from the outside, from the inside.

Lifting bed base

To insert the legs directly into the base, use tenons to secure them. This is the most reliable option. If the width of the bed exceeds 220 cm, the 5th leg should be installed in the middle of the product. To do this, a longitudinal board is mounted, to which it is attached.

Bed base mounted on five legs

What types of holders are there?

All armor can be divided into 2 types depending on their width:

Wide slats (50-70 mm) are suitable for latex springless mattresses or products with spring blocks. They are installed at a distance of 4-6 cm from each other. It is convenient to use wide slats on a tape, then they can be brought closer or removed when changing the length of the base frame;
Narrow crossbars (30-40 mm) are used for mattresses with independent springs, the density of which is high. A lattice with frequent narrow slats can be used for cribs, cots or transformable beds. The distance between narrow planks from each other should not exceed their width.

Modern orthopedic bases are rarely equipped with rigid body armor fastenings. Preference is given to special fittings – lath holders. Special tips are placed on each rail. Then the strips are inserted into special slots on the frame. The flexibility of the slats allows them to be slightly bent when fixed.

Such fasteners for lamellas are made from the following materials:

Polypropylene - the material has high strength, elasticity, and lasts a long time;
Plastic is the cheapest product, having a short service life and low strength;
Rubber – it is recommended to use holders made of this material when a wooden bed creaks. Rubber elements prevent the appearance of unpleasant sounds when elements rub against each other. They have a high price.

Special lathe holders allow you to adjust the rigidity of the base. This is achieved by moving the cursors along the bar. If a person has serious problems with the spine, then blocks with double or triple armor are used. Such bases improve the orthopedic properties of mattresses and increase rigidity in the lumbar or cervical area.

The holders are fixed to the armor with furniture staples, wood screws, rivets, or using built-in plugs that are installed directly on the frame. With the emergence of a wide range of orthopedic bases, the offer of lathe holders has expanded, which differ in the type of fastening:

Invoices;
For fixing on round holders;
Targeting;
For lateral fixation 53B or 63B;
Internal;
Thrust 53UP or 63UP;
Double rubber LPDA-2-38 or LK-38.

Fasteners can be purchased for a complete set of lamellas or individually. If you need to repair beds, then broken armor and holders are easily replaced with new ones. Installation of new elements is simple and quick; changing does not require skills or expensive equipment. If you previously used a bed without slats, you can replace the solid base with an orthopedic slatted one.

Narrow

Wide

Final stage

Now you can proceed to assembling the slatted base. These are cross bars that support the mattress and prevent it from deforming.

Slats at the base of the sofa

Tap the fastening locking strip along the base, side and end parts.
Mark at a height of at least 100 mm of the edge from above.
The rail is attached around the entire perimeter using a solid line and a dotted line. You can use a metal corner instead.
You will need a block with a section of 30x30. Use it to make a frame for the crossbar. They fasten it according to the internal parameters of the base.
Then a rail measuring 150x4x2 cm is placed on the frame. Fasten it across the length. The distance is at least 5 cm.

The lamellas must be attached to the metal frame using metal fasteners.

If you carry out all the steps strictly following the drawings, you will not have any problems with installation. At the final stage, the base should be treated with sandpaper and coated with varnish.

The chalk holder can be completely invisible, but at the same time as durable as possible.

You should carefully consider the choice of covering for the finished bed. After all, it must completely fit into the interior of the room. Before coating the product with varnish, it is recommended to first tone it. Stain is suitable for this.

Reinforced metal fastening for wooden slats

It should be applied evenly using a brush. The surface should be varnished only after the stain has dried. It is necessary to make 2 layers of varnish.