Constructing a loft bed for your son or daughter is a pretty neat project. It requires just a few simple tools, and not a lot of time. The biggest thing you need to know is the size of the room, the height of the ceiling and the size of the mattress!

The One Inch Rule

The biggest mistake you can make is to try to make the bed too tight. This means making the tolerances too close. For example, if the ceiling height in the room is exactly 8 feet, then make the 4x4 posts only 95 inches long. Make the loft platform 1 inch larger on all sides and ends so that the mattress has a little wiggle room.

Different Variations

The loft bed I described in another column is just one of many possibilities. If you want to gain some headroom beneath the loft area you can recess the mattress within the 2x6 frame. This means that you need to redesign the loft frame slightly.

All you do is make the inside dimensions of the frame larger. The size of the plywood cutout remains the same in both situations. In the deluxe recessed version, the plywood drops down inside of the frame. It is held in place by 2x2 ledger strips that are screwed to the bottom inside of the frame along the two long sides. I would space the screws at 9 inch centers as there is the possibility of a significant weight load on the loft. The plywood cutout is then dropped down onto these ledger strips. There is no need to screw the plywood to the strips as gravity and the mattress hold it in place.

This recessed frame set-up will allow you to slide the entire frame up on the 4x4 posts about 3 more inches until you reach the minimum ceiling height clearance as stated by the university.

The Ladder

The hardest thing to build is the ladder that gets you up into the loft. It requires moderate skills. You can't make the ladder until you build the loft. The reason for this lies in the fact that you must know the height of the top of the loft frame before you can cut the two side stringers of the ladder.

The ladder requires angle cuts. I have created some basic images that might help you to understand what is necessary to make the ladder fit correctly against the loft bed frame and the floor. In this image you see how the top of the ladder must look when it fits against the loft bed frame.

I recommend that you make a similar template from a piece of cardboard and make a stiff cutout that you can tape to the side of the loft frame. This allows you to take a standard steel tape measure and hold it along the outer edge of the cutout and project a line down to the floor. It helps if you have an assistant do this with you. When the end of the tape measure touches the floor, you can get a length reading at the top point of your cutout. This tells you the length of each ladder stringer.

Use this measurement and a template of this image to make a full scale cardboard cutout model of a ladder stringer. Use a razor knife to carefully cut the angles and take it over to the bed. See if it fits. If you took accurate measurements, you should have an excellent fit.

The Treads

The ladder treads only need to be 12 to 14 inches long. You use the same 1 inch thick by 3.5 inches wide lumber that you used for the ladder stringers.

The treads need to be level once the ladder is built. You achieve this by making the tread notches parallel with the bottom cut angle of the ladder stringers. If your cardboard cutout of the stringers fit against the floor well and the side of the loft frame, you can see that a line parallel with the bottom of the ladder legs would also be level.

For a really strong ladder, you need to make 1/4 inch deep notches in the sides of the ladder stringers that the treads fit into. You can do this with a circular saw that has the blade set to cut only 1/4 inch deep. Make multiple passes along the area that needs to be notched. Place the treads so that the top of each one is about 10 to 12 inches above the one below. Use two screws through each stringer to attach the treads to the stringers. Sand any sharp edges on the stringers.

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Comments: Welcome! I, Tim Carter, don't answer questions here. If you post a question here in the Comments Area, perhaps another visitor will help you. You need to go to the Ask Tim page if you want a question answered. Once there, look closely at how many weeks behind we are. Please be patient as you use this free service. If you have an emergency and need to talk to me, there is an option there for you. brian 14 Jan 2008, 09:37 how much headroom do I need between the ceiling and top of mattress, my ceiling height is 96 inches thank you Brian Holmes AsktheBuilder 14 Jan 2008, 10:50 Brian, It depends how tall you are. I would try for at least 36 inches. kelli hall 19 Jan 2008, 11:47 I need instructions on how to put a metal loft bed together with student desk under the bed . please email me the instructions. ROBIN CRAWFORD 05 Mar 2008, 22:59 I NEED TO MAKE MY CHILD'S LOFT BED TO BE HIGHER. HE WOULD LIKE TO PLACE A DESK UNDERNEATH. IS THERE ANYWAY TO ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK?IF SO. HOW?PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME? THANK-YOU ROBIN AsktheBuilder 09 Mar 2008, 10:41 Robin, Yes. Make the posts longer, but not so long as the bed is too close to the ceiling. joey 18 Mar 2008, 23:55 Hi, i am wanting to construct a bed that is risen off the ground about four or five feet, for storage under. Robin 22 Mar 2008, 16:44 I have a loft bed i bought from a store. It has approx. 4ft. of clearance under it. I need to raise it another 1-2 ft. min. any sujestions that doesnt require cutting into the origional frame work? thank-you. AsktheBuilder 22 Mar 2008, 20:08 Robin, Well, since you do not want to alter the existing, all I can think of is making some sort of stable pods at each corner for the legs to sit on. Miranda 21 Apr 2008, 19:19 Hi! I am looking for options to loft my bed for next year. However, at my college it is against the rules to "Install loft beds or place cement blocks underneath beds or bookcases in the Unit." However, bed risers that aren't cement are allowed. Thus, I am interested in making some really tall "bed risers" that can be disguised as bookshelves during inspections. I just need to know how to make two bookshelves structurally stable enough to hold up a bed and several people (let's say we're aiming for it to hold around 700 pounds?). My bed frame is a sturdy metal one with open springs and strong bars running the length of the bed below the level of the springs. Any ideas? Thanks so much! Keith 22 Apr 2008, 22:07 Hey, I used your plans last year to build a loft bed to great success. I'm moving over the summer into an apartment with 16' ceilings and am looking to bring the loft with me, which shouldn't be hard. My question is at what height the loft bed is too high and no longer safe? Is there another lumber or support I should use beyond 4x4's? Is there some foundation riser like cement deck risers that would make it more stable? Thanks for your article thus far and any help is greatly appreciated      View all comments *Name: Email: Notify me about new comments on this page Hide my email *Text: Security Image: Security Image Text:   Remember, Tim Carter doesn't answer questions here in the comments. You need to go to the Ask Tim page.