Assembling Your Child’s Bunk Bed

Assembling a bunk bed isn’t necessarily as simple as screwing a few parts together, as anyone who has ever put together furniture for their children can attest. If you have some experience with assembling products that came in the mail, you’ll probably do all right. However, it’s safe to assume that assembling a bunk bed isn’t like putting together a bicycle, so it helps to follow some basic tips for accomplishing the task.

First, you want to decide exactly where you want to put the bed and assemble it in that area. Once it is fully assembled, it can be difficult to move to its proper place without help and it’s especially difficult to move it from the living room to your child’s bedroom. Choosing its location from the start saves you the hassle of moving it.

Next, be sure to read the directions completely through before you start to make sure you understand them. Say what you want about IKEA, but their picture-based directions are pretty easy to follow. Directions from other companies might not be so easy to understand, partly due to the fact that they might be written by people who don’t speak English very well. If you find the directions unclear, look for instruction videos on Youtube or the manufacturer’s website, or call the manufacturer’s customer service.

Make sure you have all the pieces that were supposed to arrive in the box, as well as any tools you might need. Organize them neatly to make sure none become lost. If a part is missing or damaged, coordinating with customer service for a replacement part is a good test of how easy the manufacturer is to work with when you need them. Keep the pieces in a place where you can reach them easily when you need them.

Follow the directions carefully while assembling the bunk bed. Get help from a friend or family member if you need it and follow any safety tips in the instructions. Make sure all parts are solidly connected together and all screws are tightly secured to reduce the risk of the bunk bed from collapsing under your child. If any part of the bed wiggles or the whole thing can rock from side to side, check to make sure nothing is loose or damaged. If your child complains about an uncomfortable bed, inspect for anything that might be causing it, including the mattress and framework or a bed that is too small.

It helps to periodically check that nothing has become loose or damaged over time once your child has used the bunk bed for a while. Those of us who are parents know that children can grow up pretty fast, so be sure you’re ready when he eventually outgrows his bunk bed, even if it means saving money by giving this bed to a younger sibling or relative. However, we hope that your bed lasts a long time and it will last much longer if it is properly assembled.