How to Replace a Wood Bed Slat With Metal

Preparation

• 1

  Measure the dimensions of the slat you want to replace -- length, width and thickness.

• 2

  Get a metal piece the same length and width as the slat. If you're not 100 percent comfortable cutting metal, you should leave the sizing to a trained professional. Most places that sell metal pieces will custom-cut metal for you.

• 3

  Set the cut piece of metal in place on your bed frame. Note where it crosses the support beams in the bed frame. Use your chalk or grease pen to mark the metal at the center point of each place it crosses.

Sizing for Thickness (Optional)

• 4

  Use this section if the thickness of your metal piece differs from the thickness of your wooden bed slat. You can also skip this section if the difference in thickness makes no structural difference, such as when replacing a slat in your headboard.

• 5

  Measure the thickness of both your wooden bed slat and your metal part. Note the difference between each. if your wood part is 1/4-inch thick and your metal is 1/8-inch thick, the result of this step is 1/8 inch (1/4 minus 1/8).

• 6

  Find a piece of scrap wood of a thickness equal to the result from Step 2. If you have none, find one slightly larger than what you need and use your planer to cut it down to size.

• 7

  Find the points where your replacement slat crosses support beams in the bed frame. Measure the width of each.

• 8

  Cut the scrap lumber into one piece for each support beam the slat crosses. Each piece should be as long as your metal part is wide, and as wide as your support beams.

• 9

  Set each scrap lumber piece in position where the metal part will cross the support beams. Screw in place with wood screws. If the pieces are very small, use wood glue and finishing nails instead to avoid splitting the wood.

Installation

• 10

  Put on your safety goggles and work gloves. Drilling metal can throw sharp slivers that make for nasty injuries to your finger and eyes. Long sleeves and pants legs are also a good idea.

• 11

  Drill a hole the same diameter as the shafts of your metal screws at each grease pen or chalk mark you made on your metal part.

• 12

  Set the metal part in place on your bed frame.

• 13

  Screw the part in place using your metal screws. Use metal screws instead of wood screws because the underside of the screw head is flat. Wood screws have tapering undersides that dig into the wood -- and won't work on metal pieces.

• 14

  Vacuum the area around your bed with a shop vac. This will pick up metal splinters that can make for an unpleasant surprise later on.