How Does the Slat Kit Work in Bunk Beds?

Bunk Assembly

• Assemble the bottom bunk bed first. This involves attaching the bunk bed rails to the head and foot boards. These will be much taller than a standard single bed to provide the needed space between the two bunks. The top bed uses the smaller head and foot boards. After assembling the frame for the bottom bunk, assemble the top frame. The top frame sits on the bottom frame on pins placed atop the bottom frame's four posts. The top head and foot boards have holes in the bottom of the posts to accept this pin. These pins hold the top bed in place. Tools required usually include a screwdriver and a wrench or pliers.

Slat Kits and Bunkie Boards

• Slat kits usually come with the bunk bed on purchase, but double-check with the retailer before taking the bunk bed home. Some bunk beds use a smaller bottom support frame called a bunkie board that has the slats built inside it or a mattress with the bunkie board already attached. This item measures the width and length of the bed mattress, but it is only a couple of inches tall. This simple frame supports the mattress instead of a box spring or a slat kit.

How Slats Work

• Slats are merely boards placed equidistant on the bunk bed frame rails, with some kits containing up to 13 slats. The L-shaped frame rails are attached to both the head and foot boards with a slotted piece inside the bunk bed for hooking the frame rails to the head and foot boards. The frame rails can also bolt directly to the head and foot boards. The L-shaped frame faces the interior of the bunk bed on either side, supplying a small lip approximately 1 to 2 inches wide on which the slats sit. Most slats are 1-by-6-inch boards, but they may differ in dimensions depending on the kit. Slat kits with 13 slats usually don't require a bunkie board atop the slats.

Arranging the Slats

• Verify that the slat arrangement supports the mattress equally by placing slats apart from each other in equal distances. For instance, if the kit comes with three slats, place one in the middle, one near the top and one near the bottom. Set the frame on the slats that will support the bunk bed. For kits with 13 slats, place them on the frame. Slat kits usually support up to 400 pounds, so make sure that 10 kids don't try to get on the bed at once, as this could cause the slats to fail.