When I had to shift from my house for the first time in my life, I felt completely at a loss. There were so many things to take apart or pack, and I had to do those all on my own. At that time, I had no clue how to go through that procedure in a systematic stress-free procedure; no one had taught me before these basic skills of life. One of those daunting things was how to take apart a bed frame.
However, you don’t have to worry if you don’t know how to do any of those things either! I have changed places several times since then and mastered the art of packing and moving. In this article, I will explain an easy-to-follow guide on how to disassemble a bed frame in the best methodical way so that you don’t have to be afraid of this easy task anymore.
To take apart a bed frame using our steps and tips you won’t be needing anything too complicated and all the tools used are very basic. In each step, we will help you to take the bed frame apart one piece at a time.
Table of Contents
Should you be taking apart and moving your bed frame?
So you learned how to take apart a bed frame, which is good for you, but did you have to and can you transport the bed frame to your new home? These are just a few questions that you need to ask yourself before you go about taking apart your bed frame. Here are some pointers for you to consider when thinking about taking apart a bed frame:
- Distance: If you are moving a few blocks or a few streets away, then you should take your bed frame apart and move it. However, when you are moving to another state or country, it doesn’t make sense to haul your bed frame that far.
- Size: Those sleeping in single or twin bed frames don’t generally have to break their bed frame down since they are so small, but those sleeping on king or California king bed frames must take it apart for easier transport.
- Condition: Bed frames are meant to last but not forever, so those that are pushing 10 years old should be resold or donated instead of taken apart.
Tools needed
Usually, you get the necessary tools along with the bed frame when you purchase your bed. It’s great if you still have them. But don’t worry if you’ve lost of them.
Fortunately, you will only need to get a few tools. Although the tools required for taking apart a bed frame might vary slightly depending on the bed frame, you will be able to disassemble most bed frames if you have the small assortment of the following tools nearby:
- Screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench
- Hex key
- Pliers
- Small hammer
Furthermore, you will need appropriate packaging material to store the parts of your bed.
Taking Apart the Bed Frame
Now, moving on to our main task without further ado, taking apart a regular bed frame usually includes the following steps:
Using our 7 step process to take apart a bed frame with minimal cost and fuss. Each of your steps has been carefully planned to help you out as much as possible. Also, these steps are guaranteed to work with any type of bed.
Step 1: Strip the Bed
Obviously, you will need to completely remove all the bedding and pillows from your bed before you start taking your bed frame apart.
First, strip away all the bed linen, pillows, blankets, and whatever other type of bedding you might have on your bed. You will want all your bedding clean and fresh when you move to your new house. So wash everything you just stripped from your bed and dry them properly afterward.
The next step is folding them and packaging them neatly in tough moving boxes. I’ll advise you not to wrap your bedding in plastic material. Moisture tends to build up in plastic bags, which may in turn ruin your linens. On the other hand, there are sturdy plastic tubs that are suitable for storing bedding.
Step 2: Remove the Mattress and Box Spring
For the next step, remove the mattress. After you remove the mattress from the bed, store the mattress properly in a mattress bag. It is important to protect your mattress from damage while you are moving your stuff.
Nowadays, most beds also come with a bed base or box spring. Essentially, box springs are bases that support mattresses. Most likely, your bed has one too. If your bed has a box-spring, remove it and wrap it in a protective cover.
By the way, you need to lift them with extra care. Mattresses and box springs are quite heavy. Therefore, be careful not to injure yourself when you remove the mattress and box spring. Get someone to help you if you can.
Step 3: Remove the Bed Slats From the Rails
Instead of a box spring, some beds have slats to support the mattress. If your bed has slats instead of a bed base, now is the time to remove the slats from the bed frame.
It will be easier to pick the slats in one go if the slats are all joined together. If they are not, you have to remove each slat individually. The slats can be screwed to the bed frame. In that case, unscrew them carefully.
Also, mark the screws and their corresponding holes so that you can identify the correct screws when you assemble the bed again. This will avoid unnecessary confusion. You can mark them with colored tape or number them with a marker.
After removing the slats, stack them together and tape them so they don’t get damaged.
In addition, you should put the nuts and washers back on the screws. It is easier to organize and store them that way, and there’s less chance of losing a nut or washer.
This step will be important when you build your memory foam mattress foundation later.
Step 4: Detach the Headboard and Footboard From the Main Bed Frame
The next step is removing the headboard and footboard. With a screwdriver, slowly unscrew all the screws that are connecting the footboard with the side rails or any other part of the bed frame.
Sometimes, the rails are connected with the headboard and footboard with brackets that hook into the headboard or footboard. In that case, you may need to jostle the brackets loose or use slight force of the hammer for that purpose.
Don’t forget to mark the screws to their corresponding hole. And screw back the washers and nuts back on the screws as I told you to in the previous steps. Once the screws are disconnected, slowly pull away the footboard from the side rails.
After that, repeat the same process to detach the decorative headboard.
In addition, make sure to wrap the headboard and footboard in protective wrapping in accordance with the material they are made of to protect them from damage.
Step 5: Detach the Side Rails
By now, your bed is most probably completely disassembled. However, if the side rails still have some detachable parts, just unscrew them as you did for the rest of the bed.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to tape the side rails together.
Well, hopefully, you have successfully taken apart your bed frame. Now it’s time to store the different parts of your bed frame securely and safely.
Step 6: Wrap and Pack the Parts of Your Bed Frame
Storage is the other side of dismantling. After you are done dismantling your bed, you need to wrap all the parts of your bed properly for extra protection before packing. As I have already mentioned, the material you should wrap the parts with is somewhat dependent on the material your bed frame is made of.
If your bed has a metal bed frame, make sure to wrap all the metal parts of your bed frame in bubble wrap. Bubble wrap will protect the parts of a metal bed frame from scratches and dents.
On the other hand, your bed frame is made of wood, use moving blankets to wrap the parts of your bed. Don’t use a plastic bag here. To your surprise and dismay, a plastic bag can damage wood surfaces. However, you can use bubble wrap for extra protection after you have wrapped the wooden parts in moving blankets.
Step 7: Keep All the Screws, Nuts, Bolts, and Washers In One Place
When you move to your new home and try to set up the bed frame again, you don’t wanna be on a raging search for all the small screws and nuts all over your packed belongings. Therefore, it’s very important to keep track of all pieces of hardware that you come across while dismantling your bed.
In order to avoid losing your hardware, you should place the nuts, screws, bolts, and washers in one container bag. A zip lock bag would be an ideal container to hold these items. As an extra precaution, secure the zip lock bag by sealing it with a piece of tape. Keep the zip lock bag along with the other parts of your bed frame so that you don’t have to go on a search to find them during reassembly.
Can I take apart a bed frame on my own?
Yes, you read it right. Despite how daunting moving a bed seems, It is actually very easy to take apart bed frames as you will see for yourself in the instructions below.
Anyone with the right tools can disassemble a bed frame on their own whether it’s a metal bed frame or a wooden bed frame. Although you might need some help in carrying the heavy parts of a bulky bed frame, you can do the basic parts of disassembling on your own.
The basics of how to take apart a bed frame are pulling each of the parts one by one. You will need to start from the outside in as I like to call it. Firstly you will need to take out everything on top or outside of your bed frame. Then you will need to take out everything that is keeping your bed frame’s shape. While you are doing this you will need to organize all the parts so that you can put them back together.
After reading this step-by-step guide, you will know how to move a bed frame by yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Can I use other screws to build my bed frame?
You might be able to take apart a bed frame and use different screws to put it together but you shouldn’t. Instead when you take apart a bed frame place all the screws in a bag to use to put it back together.
Do you need a bed frame with a head or footboard?
Not really but there are some with a headboard or footboard. When you take apart a bed frame you need to be careful detaching these boards. Also, after you take apart a bed frame the boards need to be stored properly.
How to store slats after you take apart a bed frame?
As you take apart a bed frame you will need to remove the bed slats which need to be stored properly. This is because the bed slats tend to move around a lot. So when you are storing them stack all of them on top of each other and tape the whole thing tightly.
How to reassemble a bed frame?
Once you take apart a bed frame you will need to put it back together. The best way to put a bed frame together is to work backward from when you take apart a bed frame.
Final Words
This concludes my guide on taking apart a bed frame. The process of moving to a new place or just taking apart a bed frame to assemble it again in another room can be very stressful. So don’t over-exert yourself.
Make plans and stay prepared. Make a mental or physical note for all the steps involved. Fortunately, you have this guide to help you with that.
Last but not the least, stay extremely careful to avoid injuries while you are disassembling your bed. Contrary to what one might think, injuries are very common in such tasks. Use the help of another person if you need to lift heavy parts. Good luck!
