How to repair bed slats with your own hands and restoration rules

Some people buy expensive beds and think that in the future they won't have to spend time fixing them. However, this is not the case, and even expensive products break down over time and therefore need to be repaired. It is recommended to understand the peculiarities of repairing bed slats in advance.

What is lamella

Before starting work, it is necessary to familiarize yourself in more detail with the description of the characteristics of the lamellae. Slats are called wooden structures that have a curved shape. Their characteristics include a high level of firmness and elasticity. It is thanks to these features that it is possible to firmly fix the mattress.

The slats are made of high quality wood. Most often they use birch, maple, ash or beech. They are cut from solid wood, after which they are processed and given a curved shape.

These wooden products are laid out at a distance of 2-5 centimeters. This allows thin and overweight people to use slatted beds. The thickness of a board reaches ten millimeters, and the width does not exceed thirty. However, inexpensive beds can use boards with a thickness of 4-5 millimeters.

The main causes of breakdowns

Sometimes people are faced with the fact that the bed board is broken. There are several main reasons why a wooden board can break:

1. Allowable loads exceeded. Wooden slats have certain load limits which should not be exceeded. However, some people overload them anyway, which further leads to breakdowns. Therefore, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the allowable loads of the lamellar bed in advance.
2. Marriage. Sometimes manufacturers install inferior products made from defective wood. This often happens when using overdried wood, which decays quickly even with light loads.
3. Long term operation. The slats may break if used for more than ten years.

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How to choose the new

Sometimes old products cannot be repaired and you have to replace them with new ones. Before purchasing new boards, you will need to determine the details of the purchase.

The size

In the manufacture of sofa grilles, lamellae are used, the size of which may differ. Therefore, before buying, you should familiarize yourself with the main varieties of such products:

1. Wide. Such models are purchased if you need to replace the slats of large sofas, where spring bonnets are installed. The width of such boards does not exceed seven centimeters.
2. Narrow. They are considered a versatile material because they are suitable for any mattress. Experts advise buying narrow slats for beds with spring mattresses. This will increase the strength of the structure. The width of the narrow lamellae is 4-5 millimeters. The thickness of these strips is small and reaches only three millimeters.

Quantity

Having decided on the dimensions, you need to determine the optimal number of boards. Some people do not know how many boards to buy to strengthen the base of the bed.

Experts recommend buying a lot of slats, since the strength of the product depends on it.

To determine the number of slats required, consider the dimensions of the bed. For example, for double structures, at least thirty slats are purchased. For single beds, 15-20 pieces are enough. However, some manufacturers install more than thirty slats to make the sofa more resilient and resistant to stress.

Material

Most often, the slats of sofas are made of wood. It is used to make glued plywood, which is laid in multiple layers to create a more durable surface. Plywood products are characterized by good strength and elasticity. In addition, slats can be made from the following materials:

1. Birch. Low-cost products are made from young birch trees. Such structures are not very durable and therefore use or not recommended.
2. Beech. To make more reliable box springs, beech is often used. This wood is flexible and very durable.

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How to repair and replace slats

At the initial stage of repair, it is necessary to get rid of damaged strips. They are carefully pulled out of the groove, pushed to the side and pulled out of the structure. Some types of slats are fixed using special brackets. In this case, you will need to use pliers or a screwdriver.

Some people use a hammer, but they do not recommend using it, so as not to accidentally damage the structure.

If the slats are broken in the central part of the bed, you can exchange them with the extreme slats.This is done when one or two slats are broken. If more slats are broken, you will need to buy new ones. At the same time, it is recommended to purchase the same products as before. Purchased products are carefully fixed to the bed with clamps. After installation, it is necessary to check the reliability of the fastening and make sure that the slats do not hang down.

How to repair a lifting mechanism with your own hands

Sometimes, together with the slats, the lifting mechanism of the bed fails, which is responsible for the transformation of the structure. The following signs indicate a failure:

• spontaneous lowering of the orthopedic base;
• jamming of the mechanism when raising or lowering the structure;
• creaks and other extraneous noises that occur during operation.

If any of the listed symptoms appear, the lifting mechanism must be disassembled. To do this, the mattress is removed from the bed, after which its base is unscrewed. Then the fasteners are unscrewed, with the help of which the mechanism is screwed to the structure. It is difficult to repair such a product on your own, and therefore it is better to refer it to a master who professionally repairs furniture.

Ways to restore an old bed

If the bed is too old, you can restore it and make it look like new furniture. During the restoration process, it is necessary to carefully examine the structure and identify the parts that need to be replaced. Most often, the springs and the mattress are changed during the restoration. Sometimes people decide to replace worn out side panels. To do this, you will need to purchase new panels suitable for the restored sofa. If the side parts are not too worn, you can sand and varnish them. In this case, it is recommended to use mixtures of varnishes having a mahogany shade.

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You can also replace the worn skin. It is difficult to replace it on your own, so you need to entrust this work to a specialist.

Tips & Tricks

To properly repair broken slats, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations and tips for carrying out repair work:

• the surface on which repair work will be carried out must be covered in advance with a film to protect it from debris;
• to get to the installed slats, you will need to get rid of the armrests, backrest and side panels in advance;
• disassembling the structure, the fasteners are folded into a separate container;
• after dismantling the bed, the boards are carefully examined for damage;
• all damaged strips are carefully unscrewed with a screwdriver, it is contraindicated to remove them by hand.

Conclusion

Over time, all beds break down and need to be repaired. Most often, breakdowns are associated with the fragility of the slats on which the mattress rests. If such boards break, it is recommended to immediately replace them with new ones. Before that, you should familiarize yourself with the features of choosing new tapes and the main recommendations for their subsequent replacement.