Could You Use A Bunk Bed?
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
February 16, 2007 2:00am CST
I remember when I was a child at home, we had a bunk bed in the boys bed room for them to sleep in. It was a great way to have a bed in a small space.
When our children got old enough, we purchased a bunk bed for our two daughters. We lived in a small trailor and did not have the room for a full size bed. That bunk was very expensive to purchase and it wasnt made really sturdy either.
My Brother in law purchased a bunk bed for his kids. It was made of metal tubing like stuff. It broke within two years after he purchased it.
Bunk Beds are nice but to get one that is sturdy and will last can really cut into your budget. The solution is to make your own bunk bed. It can be made in about 2 hours. It is very sturdy and can be taken down for storage or to move.
All the directions and a list of needed materials can be found here:
http://www.handymanwire.com/articles/BunkBeds.html
Enjoy the benefit of a sturdy homemade bunk bed while hanging onto your money.
3 people like this
12 responses
@Poison_Girl (4150)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I had to sleep on a bunk bed 'til I was... 18? 19? 20? I'm not quite sure. Anyway, that bed lasted 20+ years. I HATED it! Yeah, it saves room and all, but I just HATED having to sleep on a bunk bed. Especially when I was just getting to sleep and my sister would jump up on her bed, shaking the whole thing and waking me up. And I would sometimes think it was earthquake and get up and run for the doorway. LOL That was a bit embarrassing! Anyway, ours was a wooden one and lasted forever. We finally got rid of it at some point. It seemed to be pretty easy to take apart, too.
1 person likes this
@braceface (23)
• Philippines
18 Feb 07
That's so funny, I have the same experience, only difference is, our bunk bed is still here, I no longer share it with my brother, so I moved to the lower bunk (convenient in case you need to pee at night), the upper bunk, I use it for storage. I don't hate it as much, but when I was younger, it bothers me when my brother would toss and turn at night when he couldn't sleep. But overall, bunk beds are great if you don't have the space and it's cheap.
1 person likes this
@Poison_Girl (4150)
• United States
18 Feb 07
I always thought the bottom bunk was convenient in the event of an earthquake. LOL
@Poison_Girl (4150)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I would suggest a loft bed. Have you heard of those? They're like bunk beds, but without the bottom bunk. And they're up kinda higher, too. You can put a desk or dresser or whatever you want underneath. It's a great way to save space in a small room.
1 person likes this
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
16 Feb 07
When my kids were young We also had a bunk bed. The kids bedroom was small so a bunk bed fit in the room just fine. My oldest son slept on top and the middle son slept on the bottom.When we moved into a larger home I took the bunk bed apart and used them as a single bed for each.
1 person likes this
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
16 Feb 07
With 4 children I grew very accustomed to bunk beds! As you describe, my husband eventually made ours! Even when bunks were no longer needed, he made a loft bed, so that the room underneath the bed could be utilized! The kids loved them. It was like the top bunk only with a bureau and/or desk below. That left the rest of the room for play area or other needs! I remember one time we left the bunk beds, the child slept on the bottom bunk and the top bunk had pretty storage boxes with toys and off-season clothing! They enjoyed decorating the storage boxes. (the cardboard kind...) They decopaghed (sp?) them with pictures and words that meant something to them! Bunk beds help in many ways!
1 person likes this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
16 Feb 07
When my two oldest were going to "big boy beds" I purchased a set of bunk beds - it was expensive for the day but it lasted until after the "boys" moved away from home. The boys actually outgrew the bunks (6' and 6'4") and the bunks were passed down to the two younger children. At that time we (my sons and I) built two beds long enough for them to be comfortable (no footboards) and they were high so there was plenty of storage place underneth.
@lullabell (436)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I found quite a few free patterns under bunk bed patterns. This spring we have alot of expanding to do here and the additions will cost enough so i figured while were building why not make that bunk bed whith the desk underneath to conserve money. Thanks for the link I had not seen this one yet. Trailor living is always a challenge when it comes to space!
1 person likes this
@kgwat70 (13387)
• United States
17 Feb 07
Me and my brother used to sleep in a bunk bed when we were children and living with my parents. My sister was the only child that did not sleep in a bunk bed. Our bunk bed was put together well and never had any problems with it. I always slept on top and my brother on the bottom. It is important to make sure you make or get one that is durable and will not fall apart on you. I had to move out of the room though because my brother snored so loud. :-) Thank you for the link in case I ever need to make one.
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
18 Feb 07
We had bunk beds. It allowed three of us to fit into one bedroom. It was fun.
My friend in college got one of those loft beds, so she could fit a chair underneath it. It was really quite convenient, as there isn't much space in dorm rooms.
@fabwisp (1327)
•
16 Feb 07
Hi. Thanks for that handy tip. I was lucky with my boys bunk beds. It has the double on the bottom and single on the top. I bought it second hand for £50 and they have had it 3 years now and it is still going strong. I think the woman previously had it for about 2 years. It's one of the metal ones with the springs rather than the slats!
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
2 May 08
well, that is great! we've been wanting bunkbeds but really it is cost prohibitive for anything decent and all the second hand stuff we've seen has been quite unsturdy and I fear purchasing them after neighbors lost their little one to a bunk bed incident a few years ago.
now to find out how much material will cost - surely still a far sight less expensive than buying at the store.
@jalucia (1431)
• United States
2 May 08
OOOh, I've been seriously considering bunk beds as a space saver. I've seen a couple that weren't priced too badly. But, price means nothing when considering the safety of your children. Maybe I'll check into this. My hubby needs something to do.
@ptygino (72)
• Panama
1 May 08
I remember that bunk bed are areally space saver. When i was bunking with my bro, we lived in a 2 bedroom apt. It really made the room comfortable becuase the space was use upward. There are really good bunk beds in the market and really affordable. If you are working with a budget come over to this store, they bunkbed for every type of budgets.
www.bunkbeds.ws
