Squeaky Bunk Bed...Arggghhh!

goodmum

Hoping some of you diy'ers can help me. I paid nearly 500e for a bunk for my son - bed on top, double futon/bed on the bottom. Initially, they were fine..but now they squeak ALL the time. You only have to touch them and it begins. It's at the point where it's waking my son and myself up - even though I'm in the next room.
They were a 'slot' together diy jobby, I'd say there's about 4 screws in total as each section, came complete - my brother did them for me. I can't for the life of me figure out where, or if, to spray some oil/wd40 or something. Has anyone any ideas???? Please...?

Outkast_IRE

did you check the screws to see if they are still fully tight , they tend to need a tighten periodically on beds.

sunnysoutheast

goodmum wrote: »

Hoping some of you diy'ers can help me. I paid nearly 500e for a bunk for my son - bed on top, double futon/bed on the bottom. Initially, they were fine..but now they squeak ALL the time. You only have to touch them and it begins. It's at the point where it's waking my son and myself up - even though I'm in the next room.
They were a 'slot' together diy jobby, I'd say there's about 4 screws in total as each section, came complete - my brother did them for me. I can't for the life of me figure out where, or if, to spray some oil/wd40 or something. Has anyone any ideas???? Please...?

Are there any screws/bolts which might have loosened at all?

If not, then you may have to glue the bed together and/or put some wood screws in!

SSE

goodmum

I haven't checked either - there are only four screws (where the frame of the base of the bed/futon, meets the actual frame of the bunks) - I'll check them in the morning. I assumed I would need oil - hopefully it's just loose screws!
Thanks

Martron

is it a metal frame? they are a nightmare. what i did have get thinck cardboard and put it between the 2 pieces that join together. its stops it for a while but it comes back

goodmum

I should have said that at the start sorry, yes, they are a metal frame!
I bought the metal frame purely to save my brother moaning at me for having to put the wooden framed one together! That came flatpacked too - but he would have had to put the 'lats' on etc...thought I was doing the right thing by getting the metal frame...hadn't thought of the squeaking! I don't think there are gaps where I could put cardboard!
I can see myself getting rid of them soon though - they are driving me mental!

Leadership

I would use rubber washers (against the metal to metal contact areas) backed with a standard washer on the joints and use locktight or nylock nuts to really secure them in place. Also a squirt of wd40 or 3 in 1 oil would help.

These would need taightning after a few weeks after they settled.

antiskeptic

goodmum wrote: »

Hoping some of you diy'ers can help me. I paid nearly 500e for a bunk for my son - bed on top, double futon/bed on the bottom. Initially, they were fine..but now they squeak ALL the time. You only have to touch them and it begins. It's at the point where it's waking my son and myself up - even though I'm in the next room.
They were a 'slot' together diy jobby, I'd say there's about 4 screws in total as each section, came complete - my brother did them for me. I can't for the life of me figure out where, or if, to spray some oil/wd40 or something. Has anyone any ideas???? Please...?

The squeak is simply metal-to-metal, metal-to-wood or wood-to-wood mini-movement. The only true fix is to glue the thing together. Then the bolts do structural holding together and the glue locks everything up so that there is no movement at all. No movement means no squeaks


See if you can get your brother to dissassemble and reassemble using "Evostick Panel Adhesive" to coat the faces of every single joint he assembles. It comes in a tube similar to the type silicone comes it so you need the injector gun as well - a few euros. You can buy both in Chadwicks. There are dozens of glues on the market but this one is pretty much ideal for this application.

looksee

But check will it still go out of the door if it is permanently assembled - you never know when you will want to move it.

goodmum

VERY good point last poster thanks! Hes almost 9 and I imagine will want a single or doubke bed in the next few years, as the novelty of the bunk wears off. I wouldn't have thought of that at all.
Brother is coming up over the weekend, so ill keep ye posted on how its fixed...or if it can't be, Im putting it on jumbletown!

tiocimarla

There has to be more than 4 screws, At minimum 8 and there are probly more than that again holding the ladder on. Maybe try a good thick rubber washer at every screw/bolt point to save you glueing them, the rubber washers will keep tension on the fixings during movement and will result in longer time between retightening. But it will need tightening thats 100% your problem. This work on my nephews bunks a treat. Oil will make it easier for the screws to loosen so keep it away

goodmum

goodmum

Sorry I couldnt put a message up with the pic.
That's the bunk (tho not his room unfortunately!).
You'll see the ladder is part of the frame at the end. The top bunk slots into the end frames.
the only screws are where the futon meets each end frame (hope Im explaining mysely properly here sorry!)
They aren't actual screws tho -Ive no idea what you call them, but I've no idea where the thing is that I got to tighten them....
Thanks so much for all your suggestions though, really appreciated.

tiocimarla

ok Heres what to do with the top part. The four male things that slot into the frame, Wrap them good with cling film(this will elliminate them althought i dont think those points are the big problem).

As you can see there is a lot of points of contact here where metal is rubbing metal.

Now If you dont want to glue or silicon the noisy points then you could try.

All the red and yellow points look like its just loose metal sitting inside the frame so you could try wraping with just enough clingfilm so they still fit in (as much as possible so they still fit in).

The two blue points I wouldnt bother with but if the make noise a rubber washer will stop them making noise.

As for the Pale pink points, its hard to see whats going on there so id try all the other points and come back to those after if the problem is still there.

Now if you are finding it hard to insert the parts wrapped in clingfilm into the holes then just rub washing up liquid on them the make it easier. As for it looking messy at the end(clingfilm sticking out everywhere) Just very carefully cut the exposed bits of with a stanley knife.

This is all I can think of without glueing although silicone would be ok as you could pull it apart in later years.

These Alluminium beds are a nightmare for noise and im sure some people are gonna think im mad with this unorthodox assembly but i believe it will give you and your son a decent nights sleep.

Also im sure ther are other things you could use instead of cling film if ye liked. paper, cardboard stickyback materials like the fluffy side of velcro stips etc. But im just trying to get the ball rolling for ye. Good luck

goodmum

Wow, the detail in that post! Thank you so much tiocimarla!! Ive printed it off and am on the way upstairs with the wd40 and the roll of clingfilm! Thanks again, much appreciated!