Materials: Vikare children's bed
Description: After the twins grew out of their baby beds I swapped the beds for two Vikare beds. It was not a comfortable solution as the room is very small. So I decided to build a bunk of the two beds.
I took away the shanks and replaced them for four wooden beams. Then simply drilled a few holes in the beams and put larger bolts and nuts in. For steps, I placed a Trofast cabinet/steps next to the bed, which is not in the picture..
It is a charming little bunk, because it is not 2 meters long as a usual bunk is. And as the kids grow taller, the beds are still convertible into longer beds!
Unfortunately the Vikare beds are not for sale anymore (in the Netherlands).
~ Barbara Kramer, the Netherlands
My concern... being extensible beds, is it stable enough?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sir Andrew -- stability will be a significant issue with this hack. Kids are kids, and this unit simply does not have any lateral bracing to speak of. The lack of lateral bracing makes eventual collapse a certainty.
ReplyDeleteTwo diagonal braces on the back, against the wall, and two on each end should fix the problem and increase the stability to acceptable levels.
As it is now, I would never let anyone sleep in either bunk.
Those lucky kids have a beautiful room, considering that it is sturdy enough, which i bet you have made sure of....
ReplyDeletexx
It looks just as stable as the Stora loft beds - that is to say, somewhat. (I guess it really depends how old and how rowdy the kids are.)
ReplyDeleteI would mainly be concerned about the strength of the top set of bolts. Because the supports are grained wood and so close to the end, a twisting force would cause it to split quite easily.
Suggestion: Some reinforcement - either with a metal endcap, or a piece of wood with the grain at 90 degrees, and even if they do manage to break it, it'll just be each trying to blame the other and not one squashed kid.
That really is a superb idea! An extendable bunk bed! In terms of stability, this should be no worse than the original beds since it's held up in pretty much the same way. Provided the bolts are sturdy enough to make sure that the top bunk doesn't wobble then it should be fine.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like a good idea- but are you sure it's safe? Most bunk beds have their main supports in between the top and bottom bunk and not just on the side of it. It just kind of makes me nervous for your kids.
ReplyDeleteHow do they get in the top bunk?
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteSame idea from France
http://thilde.verhille.fr/?p=231
This scares me a little. Or, a lot.
ReplyDeletethat is really great ... thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a scene from Step Brothers.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27R79_Mi5Hk
Great idea! Look up DIY college loft beds for some ideas on how to add a ladder and some more bracing for when the kids get bigger. Most college dorms also have regulation to keep students from harming themselves, so there are a lot of safety discussions out there.
ReplyDelete@ everyone who is concerned about the safety of my kids: Thanks for the concern but the bed is very stable. The beams are very thick and so are the bolts. There are 4 bolts in each beam so the bed won't wobble.
ReplyDeleteIt's exactly the same structure as ikea designed it, and a single bed won't collapse either.
It's in use for over a year by two 5-year-olds and nothing bad has happened (yet).
Even when I sometimes climb on top of the bed, it's very stable (otherwise I wouldn't climb it :) )
I have to admit I haven't extended it yet so I don't know what will happen to the stability then. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.
I loved watching the scene from step brothers :D
terrible! but that is not what's going to happen to my kids.
One of them gets in the top bunk by using an ikea trofast kabinet/stairs.
And it's awesome that someone in France had the same idea!
Hi Barbara!
ReplyDeleteHave you tried to make the beds bigger yet? Did you says you had 2 5-year olds in it? How tall did you make the posts and what size planks did you use? I love this idea and I just found two beds on Craigslist! Yay!
great job.
ReplyDeletei love the wall art too. did you paint it yourself or do you know where to purchase stencils? thanks!
ballardsahm@ gmail.com