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Bunk Beds and Loft Beds - Building Your Own vs. Buying Ready Made

There are a number of good reasons why you might decide to build a bunk bed or left bed rather then buying one. The most usual reason, of course, is cost. While there are plenty of very good bunk beds available on the market today, they tend to be extremely expensive. However, you can get a good sturdy bunk bed for under $150 is you buy second hand. I would really advise you not to buy one new for that price though, as you get what you pay for and the very cheap bunk beds are cheap because they are low quality. Second hand beds, on the other hand, can be an excellent investment.

If it is the price putting you off, then you should seriously consider building your own. It's not nearly as difficult as you might expect to construct a bed, and bunk bed kits are surprisingly easy to get hold of. You can eve, if you wish, simply purchase the plans for the bed and supply the tools and materials yourself. Well, you'd have to supply the basic tools yourself anyway, but full kits include everything that goes into the final product. Now, lets think about why you might want to do this.

First of all, as I've said, kits are not difficult to put together. Not completely without effort, of course, but you really don't need any woodworking experience, or even particular skill with tools. If you've bought a kit complete with materials, then you can just start putting it together, otherwise you'll need to go about and get some wood as well. Still, that shouldn't cause you any difficulty, as you can just use off the shelf lumber. Plus, the plans are always simple to follow.

And of course, constructing it yourself is the best way to ensure it meets your requirements. With something you buy, especially something wooden, you can never be entirely sure of the quality. However if you construct it yourself, you can test each part as you assemble it.

The second most popular reason, after the lower price, for building your own bed is that it's something fun for the whole family. A construction project, such as putting together a bunk bed, is an excellent activity to which both adults and children can contribute to. Of course, if you think your kids might not be interested, or you just don't want them involved, you can always build it yourself. Perhaps give it to them as a surprise gift. I know they'll be proud to be able to say to their friends, when asked where the bed came from, that "my dad built it for me". Or even more so, "I built it- with my dads help"!

The other reason for building, rather then buying, which has already been touched on slightly, is that only when you build it yourself can you be sure of getting what you want. Whatever you are looking for in a bed, when you put it together yourself you can make it how you want it to be. Obviously don't stray too far from the plans, unless you are very good, as you don't want to risk your children's safety. However, even within this limit there is a lot of room for imagination. For example, adding paints or stencils. This can be a significant factor if you need it to be a specific color, for example to match an existing piece of furniture (or just your walls) and is something to consider.

The number of plans available, as well, is extremely large, so you can easily find something that closely matches what you want and then adapt it to your specific designs. You can not only choose different shapes for the bed itself, but also find whatever extra features you want. For example, you might want a bunk bed with storage lockers or drawers underneath it. Or a loft bed with something larger, perhaps a desk, or closet, under it. any of these (and more) are available.

In conclusion, you may want to buy a low cost bunk bed in some situations, particularly if you just need it for a short time, or you need it very quickly. If you're not comfortable using basic tools, then building a bed is not for you, although I'm still not sure I would advise buying one.

As you've seen, building a bunk bed has a number of advantages that go beyond mere cost efficiency. Putting together a bed can be a fun activity for the whole family, and serve to forge a deeper connection between parents and children. You can change the design of the bed as much as you wish, altering the color and design, and select for a huge variety of kits and plans available to start with.

Article Source: http://www.inpop.net

Author Patrick Oakley is a professional carpenter who specializes in creating furniture that makes efficient use of space. He has recently begun providing bunk beds and loft beds over the internet.

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