What Size Plywood Do You Need for a California King Bed?

Best Fitting Mattress

• Mattresses have come a long way since the days of a straw-filled sack laying on a hard board. People today expect to have a good night's sleep on something that provides comfort and support without worrying about sagging spots, poking wires and falling off the edge. A six-foot person is 72 inches tall, so when stretched out on a standard 80-inch king mattress, there is not much room to left before the person's feet begin to dangle over the end.

Limited Budget

• For some, it makes better sense on a limited budget to buy the best mattress and springs they can afford and to have an inexpensive, or even do-it-yourself frame. At 72 inches wide and 84 inches long the California king is four inches narrower and four inches longer than a standard king. Two standard 96-X-48 inch plywood boards are needed to create a base for the California king.

Even Sized

• When a base for a mattress is made from two pieces of wood, it is best to have the split between the wood run down the middle of the bed from top to bottom instead of side to side. This allows the slats to evenly support the entire length of the split. The boards must be cut into two equal sized boards that are 36 inches wide and 84 inches long.

Fitting the Boards

• After the boards are sanded, and painted if desired, they are laid side by side going from the top to the bottom of the frame. There should be no gap between the boards. An inexpensive framing plywood piece may have splinters that come out after time so covering it with a piece of burlap or other sturdy material before laying down the springs and mattress might give them extra protection.