What is Your Home Worth?

Judy Lindsay Team News

How to Build a Hanging Day Bed

August 15th, 2016

How to Build a Hanging Day Bed
 
What's more relaxing than taking a nap in a large swing on your deck or porch? Maybe adding a drink in your hand. Swings, day-beds and other lawn furniture can be ridiculously expensive, so here's a great way to save money and have a project to keep your hands busy:
 

1. Measure the joists spacing where the bed will hang. 14 ½ or 16 inches on centre joists is a good number to use. Cut four pieces of 4X4 post lumber. Secure the 4X4 braces to the ceiling joist with double shear hangers and joist hanger nails. Space these 75-inches apart.
2. Drill vertical holes in each brace with a spacing of 28 – 34-inches apart. Use a 3/8-inch drill bit to drill into each of these 4X4 braces.
3. Push each 3/8 X 6-inch eye bolt through its respective hole. Place a 3/8-inch fender washer on the threaded end, and then put on its nut. Tighten the nut with a 9/16-inch wrench using a screwdriver placed through the eye to keep it from turning. The eyes should be parallel with the length of the bed frame location
4. Cut your 2X4 lumber into two 75-inch pieces and four 35-inch pieces. Two of the 35-inch boards will be on the ends of the bed, while the other two will be inside support membranes. Using joist hanger nails, attach the four corner brackets to the two 35-inch pieces. These are located on the inside of each board at each end, placed flush with the very end of each board.
5. Using joist hanger nails, attach four joist hangers to the 75-inch boards. These are located on the inside of each board 25 inches away from each end, forming the mounts for the inside frame support boards.
6. Apply adhesive to the end of one of the 35-inch support boards, place it in the hanger and nail it in. Repeat with the second support board. Apply adhesive to the other ends of these support boards, and place them into the hangers on the opposite 75-inch rail. Nail these in.
7. Apply a bead of adhesive to both ends of the one 35-inch support, and set it in place at one end of the frame. You can now nail in the corner braces to the long frame rails. Repeat with the second end.
8. Cut the ¼-inch plywood down to mattress size: 75-inch X 38-inches. Mark the plywood 25-inches from each long end and use the chalk line to make two lines. These will correspond to the inside support board locations.
9. Apply a bead of adhesive along the top of the 2X4 sub-frame, including the end and support boards.
10. Place the plywood on top of the frame and use the 1 ½-inch common nails to secure it to the boards. Space the nails about a foot apart and include three nails for each inside support along the chalk lines you drew.
11. Cut your pine 1X6 boards into two 75-inch pieces and two 39 ½ -inch pieces. These will provide a finished look to your bed, as well as hold the mattress in place.
12. Apply a bead of adhesive to one long side of your sub-frame and attach a 75-inch board to it using six to eight finishing nails. Use your nail set to punch the finishing flush with the pine board. Repeat this process with the other side and then with each end.
13. Measure and mark hole locations for the bed eye bolts. There are two of these on each end of the bed, 5-inches in from the corner and 1-inch up from the bottom edge. Using your 3/8-inch bit, drill these four holes through the pine boards and the 2X4 frame boards.
14. Remove dust and dirty and then prime and paint desired colour(s).
15. Attach the bed frame eye bolts through the holes you drilled before painting. Use the regular 3/8-inch washers and nuts and tighten the same way you attached the ceiling eyes. The eye bolts should be oriented vertically.
16. Use the S-hooks to attach each eye bolt on the bed to the end of each chain. One at a time lift the bed and hook the chain to a ceiling support. Surplus chain links should be at the ceiling end rather than hanging off the bed. Adjust if necessary.
17. Place the mattress inside the frame!