Bunk Beds & Loft Bed Guide
This Bunk Bed and Loft Bed guide is vital for buyers to make an informed decision.
What is a bunk bed? A bunk bed consists of two single beds stacked one over the other.
What are bunk beds made of? Some Bunk beds are made of wood and some are made of metal.
Wood Bunk Beds:
What type of wood is used in making wood bunk beds? Some bunk beds are made of soft woods, others are made of hardwoods and some bunk beds do use some manufactured wood in construction.
A) Soft woods: Softwood is from an evergreen or coniferous cone-bearing tree. Common varieties are pine, fir and cedar.
B) Hardwoods: Hardwood lumber comes from deciduous trees, these are the trees that shed their leaves annually. The most popular domestic species are oak, birch, walnut, cherry, ash and poplar.
What is solid wood? Solid wood is a term most commonly used to distinguish between ordinary lumber and engineered wood. The fact that a product is made from solid wood is often touted in advertisements.
Is soft wood considered as solid wood? The answer is yes.
Why use soft wood ( Pine Wood ) in bunk bed construction? Simply, it costs less and it does the job.
Why use hard wood ( Example, Birch, Oak, Cherry, ash )? Simply, its a harder wood, and it does not dent as easy as pine.
What is a bunk bed finish? It is simply the stain or the color applied to the wood.
Are these finishes safe? The answer is yes, the finishes applied are lead free and conform to all safety standards.
Bunk Beds finishes: Our bunk beds are available in the following finishes. Natural, maple, pine, honey oak finish, rosewood, toffee, cherry, walnut, cappuccino, espresso, white, navy blue, black, red, green, yellow, pink, pewter, silver, and gray.
Are all bunk beds in our store available in all finishes stated previously? The answer is no. The bunk beds featured are only available with the finishes specified.
Bunk Beds Sizes:
Mattresses Required:
What size mattress is required for a bunk bed? A standard twin mattress or standard full mattress are needed.
What is a standard Twin Mattress? A typical standard twin mattress is 39"W x 75" W x 6" to 8" thick.
What is a standard Full Mattress? A typical standard full mattress is 54"W x 75" W x 6" to 8" thick.
Extra long Twin mattress is typically 39"W x 80"L x 6 to 8" thick
What if I am not sure about the size of mattress required? If you are not sure, please contact our customer service reps for assistance
Metal Bunk Beds:
What type of metal is used in metal bunk beds? Steel, aluminum. In most instances heavy gauge large diameter tubing is used with reinforced corner brackets.
Frequently used bunk bed terminology:
1) Headboards and footboards: These are the main pieces in a bunk bed and are located at each end of the bed ( head and feet ).
2) Rails: Rails are used to connect the headboards and footboards together. Usually, the rails are the longest pieces.
3) Slats or Under Bed Slats: The slats are pieces of wood that connect between the long rails. The slats form the base for the mattress.
4) Safety rails: Safety rails are used on the upper bunk, and connect between the headboard and footboard. In some instances one of the safety rails is specifically designed short to allow for the ladder hookup.
5) Ladder: Ladders attach to the upper bed rail to allow for an easy access to the top bunk. Some ladders are designed to be vertically attached and some are inclined. ( Depends on the bunk bed).
6) Bunkieboard: Bunkieboard is bed frame that sits over the slats and forms the base for the mattress. In many instances a bunkieboard is not needed since the manufacturer provides a slat support system. In some instances manufacturers recommend the use of bunkieboards, each bunk bed listed will indicate if bunkieboards are needed.
7) A detachable / convertible bunk is a bunk bed that separates into 2 separate beds
8) Extra long bunk bed is typically 4 to 6" longer than a standard twin bunk.
How To Dispose of a bunk bed?
For some of you disposing of a used or old bunk bed is a major issue. Once you have made a decision that you no longer need to keep your used bunk bed, we suggest the following:
Inspect your bunk bed. If you feel your bunk bed is in good shape and you do not have the time to take apart and re-sell it, we suggest that you donate your unwanted bunk bed or loft bed to your local charities, some charities will be more than happy to take the bunk bed down and take it away. If you bunk bed is not safe for re-use, we suggest that is is disposed off at the appropriate recycling center.