Do-it-yourself podium bed making, necessary tools
A successful choice of interior elements can solve important problems: expand the room, make it multifunctional, add charm and decorate in the right style. For a bedroom, a good solution would be to make a podium bed with your own hands, as it fits perfectly into the room. A characteristic feature of the product is its two-level design, which combines both functional advantages and the original design find. A home master who has experience working with selected materials can make a bed independently.
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Product Features
Work begins with the preparation or selection of a project, the basis of which will be a drawing indicating the exact size of the room, the shape of the bed and its basic dimensions. As an example, you can use information from thematic sites or design ideas from television programs. A creative approach will help to adapt the finished project to your own housing, to make your own adjustments to it. The combined option will look even more interesting when several of your ideas create your own version.
The main advantages of the catwalk bed:
- has an unusual design;
- the possibility of organizing additional space for storing bedding;
- zoning of space.
The main disadvantages of the product: it takes up a lot of space, the inability to move if necessary. People with sore joints are not very comfortable to use.
To accurately imagine how to make a podium bed, you need to know the features common to all types of furniture. The design consists of the following details:
- power frame;
- additional elements (stairs, storage places, etc.);
- transformation mechanism;
- elements of exterior decoration.
Two types of construction are possible. In the first case, a retractable podium bed is inside and folds out when necessary. In the second embodiment, the berth is stationary, located on the upper level. Both types have their advantages. A retractable bed allows you to effectively use the area of the room during the day, and at night, when there is no such need, it is used as a place to relax. The second option is convenient in that under the podium there is a significant space for storing things. The design can be built from one to another wall, dividing the room into two parts across the entire width. Sometimes the podium is more convenient to make a corner. You can find product drawings in the form of a structure independent of the dimensions of the premises, the so-called “island”.
Today it’s fashionable to make canopy beds. This dream can be realized to good use.Where it is planned to install a bed, they make a podium, which will be used as additional space for storing things.
Necessary materials and tools
For independent work, the use of wood as a frame will be optimal. It is easy to process, affordable. It’s more difficult to work with metal, but if you have the appropriate tool, skills, then you can make a frame out of this material. For most home masters, using a beam is much more convenient. When buying, you should pay attention to the geometry. Of the tools you will need:
- roulette;
- building level;
- square;
- hacksaw or hand circular saw;
- drill, screwdriver;
- hammer drill (for fixing fasteners to floor slabs and concrete wall panels);
- hammer;
- a set of chisels.
To work with finishing materials, you may need a stapler, glue, building mixtures. Separately, you should consider the system of fasteners. Parts of the structure can be fixed using self-tapping screws, angles, metal elements of a special shape. Ready-made podium for the bed will experience significant stress during operation. For this reason, the power frame is done very carefully. You can not save on the quality of the profile and the number of fasteners. It is recommended to use a bar 5 x 5 cm, or replace it with another, in which the sum of the two adjacent sides will be at least 10 cm, for example, 6 x 4 cm or 4.5 x 5.5 cm.
Finishing materials for making the bed are selected taking into account the basic style of the interior. It is important to determine the texture, color of the coating. To do this, it is advisable to take a sample from the previous repair to the store. Decorate the structure by the following means:
- paints and varnishes;
- wallpaper;
- decorative wall panels;
- sheets of chipboard, LMDF;
- plywood;
- floor coverings (linoleum, parquet board, laminate, carpet).
The finished look will be given to the podium by additional elements of decoration: MDF profiles, figured slats, accessories. The final version of the design depends on the imagination of the master. The style of the room will tell the shape and texture of individual parts. If for hi-tech you can use glass, metal, plastic, then ceramic details and textiles will fit perfectly into the Provence interior.
Preparatory stage
Where to start, how to make a bed with a podium with your own hands, it will become clear if you divide the work into several stages. Before installation, you need to find or execute a drawing yourself. They emphasize the conformity of the bed to the dimensions of the room. If it is necessary to adjust the sizes, then they do it in a large-scale sketch so that the proportions are visible. Mindless copying of even a very successful project that does not fit into the room can lead to an imbalance that was designed by the designer for a specific situation. Even worse, when the design does not fit in style and color.
Deciphering a finished drawing is quite simple. Often different colors are used for symbols. However, it will not be superfluous to take care of building a detail scheme. So clearly it will be possible to determine the number of parts and their specific sizes.
At the next stage, the amount of basic material and additional elements for the bed are calculated. To do this, you need to know not only the total footage and quadrature, but also the form of sale of products. For example, laminated chipboard sheets, laminate, panels have standard trading sizes. When cutting, waste will inevitably remain. Some products are more convenient to consider piecewise. A detailed sketch will be a good helper in the calculations. Depending on the form of materials sold, it may take 10-30% more than the nominal area.The extra trip for the missing item is often more expensive than it costs. When all the materials are already in place, they begin to prepare the room. The project will require all or some of the following operations:
- dismantling of old structures;
- clearing the area under the podium;
- additional installation or alteration of utilities (power cables, heating pipes, water supply, ventilation);
- repair of damaged surfaces;
- the work of marking on the floor and walls.
The coating remaining under the podium can be removed. If his condition is satisfactory, then it is advisable to use it for finishing a new design.
The construction of the podium begins only after all the preparatory work has been completed. To conduct then a wire for an outlet, for example, will be a problem.
Manufacturer's instructions depending on the type of construction
If the diagrams and drawings for the manufacture of a bed with a podium are copied from another project, then you should check the size of the berth. It is better if the mattress is standard. It is easier to find, and it will cost less than custom-made. An important criterion for successful work will be stylistic compliance. Errors in proportions, the choice of accessories and finishing materials can greatly distort the result. Some thematic sites provide users with a convenient service for designing furniture - a graphical application with a set of ready-made modules. Many of them are free, easy to use, but perfectly visualize the intended interior.
With a berth on the podium
With this configuration, the emphasis is on creating a convenient storage space to use. In fact, this is a catwalk bed with drawers that are large in volume. The step-by-step process is as follows:
- Make markings using the building level and tape measure on the walls and floor.
- Bars are 4.7 x 2.7 cm in size and horizontally attached to glue or screws so that a bed frame is formed.
- They put supporting bars: 2 - on the edges of the future bed, 1 - exactly in the middle, 3 - in the head and back, 2 - on the sides, closer to the center.
- Mount the cross bar on the side where the drawers will be placed, screw the T-shaped supports.
- Set pull-out mechanisms for drawers. Observe the recommended dimensions and tolerances indicated in the installation instructions.
- Fasten all structural elements.
- They make decorative covering of the structure with finishing materials.
- Assemble the frame of the berth in accordance with the drawing. It can be made of chipboard, furniture plywood or natural wood. The frame is primed and varnished.
Often the master does not have enough skills to completely make a bed-podium with his own hands. Furniture manufacturing is a complex process. But building an elevation for a berth is much easier. You can install on the upper level a bed purchased in a store that matches the style of decoration.
With a podium bed
Fundamentally, the assembly of such a design does not differ from the previous view. The power frame is done the same way. The sliding section for the bed is assembled from a bar 50 x 50 mm, then they put either a finished base or a sheet of plywood. Limiters are fixed along the edges, a decorative panel is made in front. It is wise to put additional metal fasteners. Retractable gear options:
- home-made - wooden guides in the podium for rolling out the bed on rollers;
- folding - they take up little space when folded and are brought to the desired state after extension;
- special for such designs (there are not so many varieties, and they are quite expensive);
- custom made according to drawings in specialized companies.
As a sliding mechanism, you can use the device for sliding gates. Compact models cost not much different from professional counterparts for furniture. By strength and reliability, in many cases they are preferable.
After installing the retractable mechanism, it must be adjusted in accordance with the instructions. This will ensure further its uninterrupted operation. When all the draft work is completed, proceed to the finishing of the bed. As a covering for the podium frame, you can use a wide variety of finishing materials, for example, chipboard, wood, plastic and so on. Here, everything is limited only by the imagination of the master and stylistic compliance with the rest of the interior. If you plan to use the podium in the nursery, you should lay a carpet on the surface of the product.
When planning a podium with a pull-out bed, it should be borne in mind that regular operation can be inconvenient in practice. The mechanism wears out and if it fails, replacing it will become a serious problem. For this reason, a catwalk bed is often made as a guest option. If necessary it is used as a reserve place for sleeping. If, nevertheless, a decision has been made to apply it regularly, then consulting a specialist and acquiring professional mechanisms for construction will not hurt.
Common mistakes
Experienced craftsmen, who have done such designs more than once, are well aware that even before the start of work, it is worth considering all possible operating options. An ignorant person who makes a catwalk bed in an apartment with his own hands can skip some important stages in the wake of enthusiasm. To avoid common mistakes, consider the following points:
- It is necessary to begin with laying engineering communications in order to prevent violation of the convection mode. If the design blocks the ventilation outlet or the heating device, then you need to adjust the drawings and dimensions of the bed with a podium, and make an additional hole in the housing. Be sure to consider the optimal location and number of terminals of the power supply system.
- It is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations when installing bed transformation systems. Errors are fraught with loss of functionality, partial or complete failure. The drawing of the mechanism indicates the tolerances and technological clearances necessary for the correct operation of the device.
- In work it is better to use only the recommended materials. The cross-section of the beam can not be reduced. The distance between them also does not do anymore. It is unacceptable to save on bed fasteners. Particular attention should be paid to sealing side sections.
- Safety must be taken into account. If there are small children at home, they do not put a bed near the window, or make fences on them.
- Be sure to consider the dimensions of the mattress, if the design of the bed is extendable. The standard option will be the most acceptable. You can order it by size if the ordinary model for some reason does not fit.
The electrical cable is connected to the structure in an armored hose, since the frame is wooden and there is a risk of fire in case of violation of the integrity of the wiring or high load during operation.
Each material has an optimal use technology. If all the requirements have been strictly observed, then the bed-podium will delight residents of the housing for many years. She will also be the subject of pride of the owner, who made it with his own hands.
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