Installing a loft bed in the upper space of a walk-in closet can create a lot of extra room or simply partition off an area for extra privacy in a crowded living space. In many ways, this project is simpler than building a traditional bed frame. The walls of the closet itself provide structure and support you would otherwise need to build separately. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the width and depth of your closet. Confirm that it is at least 75 inches by 57 inches, the minimum clearance to install a standard twin mattress. Any narrower will make climbing in and out very difficult, even hazardous.
2. Clear out the closet, including any shelves or other fixtures that can be removed.
3. Cut two beams to a length equal to the shortest inside dimension of your closet. Cut the other two beams to a length equal to the longer dimension, minus three inches. For example, if your closet is 80 inches by 60 inches, you would cut two beams to 77 inches and two beams to 60 inches
4. Cut the plywood sheet. One side of the sheet should equal the length of the longer set of cut beams. The other should equal the length of the shorter beams, minus 18 inches. For the 80 x 60 closet above, you would cut the plywood to 80 inches by 42 inches.
5. Set one long beam and one short beam in an L-shape, with the end of the long beam abutting the face of the short beam. Screw them together with two wood screws, driven through the face of the short beam and into the end of the long beam.
6. Add the second short beam to the opposite end of the long beam, turning the L-shape into a C-shape. Again, the end of the long beam should abut the face of the short beam. Screw together with two wood screws.
7. Slide the second long beam inside the C, parallel to the first long beam and touching both short beams. The outside edge of this beam should be as far away from the outside edge of the first beam as your plywood is wide. For our example, the outside edge of this beam would be 42 inches from the outside edge of the first beam. Screw in place as you have the rest of the frame.
8. Set the plywood on top of the frame. Screw in place with one screw per corner, driven through the plywood and into the beam beneath.
9. Hoist the frame into position-you may want some assistants for this part. Screw in place with one screw for each stud in the wall. You can use a stud finder for this, or just check at intervals of 16 inches from the corners of the closet.
Tags: long beam, short beam, outside edge, beam Screw, face short, face short beam, inches inches
