Bed Slats

[Jim Summers]

Hello All,

I did several forum searches and still haven't found an answer to a question I have regarding, bed slats for a bed to be built.

I am building a basic bed, twin size. The length of the side boards is 76". If I remember correctly, the width of the frame is 42". My question is how many slats and how wide is recommended? I have seen many different configurations.

From five to six slats with a piece of 1/4" thrown on top of them all the way to a dozen or more slats of different widths and spacings.

Ideas or suggestions?

TIA,
jim

[Steve Rozmiarek]

With a box spring or not?

[Jim Summers]

With a box spring or not?

No box spring is planned.

Thanks

[Lee Schierer]

With no box spring, you are going to need more support than you would with a box spring. If you place a sheet of plywood over the slats you'll also need fewer slats. I don't believe there is a rule of thumb for this. A plain mattress with no plywood would need slats every 6-8" to keep it from sagging I would think. A mattress with a piece of 1/4" ply wood could probably be supported with a slat every 12" or so. With 1/2" ply you could problably go every 14-16" between slats. WIth a rigid box spring you might need only four or five slats total.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I think Lee is right, but you can adjust for the weight of the user too. Thinner slats also give a little, so if you want that, use more thinner slats. One of my daughters beds actually has 1/2" slats 6" apart. Seems pretty flimsy to me, but kids being kids, it has been tested pretty well, and no failure yet.

As far as I know, there is no set rule for this.

[Joe Scharle]

Got a hundred+ y/o full size with 3" pine slats (SYP) 1" apart, if that helps.

[Jim Summers]

Excellent.

Thanks for all of the responses. They will give me good guidance on the slats. Not sure at this point which way I will go. I have never had any trouble with the 1/4 plywood method on any of my kids beds, but for some reason I have always liked the idea of using a bunch of slats. Probably will come down to budget being the deciding factor.

Thanks again.

[Paul Ryan]

I don't know if my method is any better or not but it is less work. Why not put cleats around the edges and just use a piece of 1/2 plywood?

[Adam Grills]

The last queen bed I did the mattress was supported by poplar slats 7/8 thick by 4 1/2" wide with 1/2" spacing and dowles to keep them in place. The bed uses no box spring and hold weight very well.
Adam

[Ken Pywell]

I second the ply...

[Robert Reece]

I bought some bunk beds for my kids that had melamine ply to hold the mattress (no box spring). In the dead of winter, when the house was somewhat cold at night, the kids mattresses started molding. I determined the melamine was not allowing it to breath. So I suggest you do not finish the ply if you are going to use it.

Personally, I replaced the ply with slats. 1x4 pine from Lowe's, spaced with about 1.5" between them and that has worked out fine.