I haven’t had a “real” bed for years. Went from a water bed to air bed (both a pain). Picked up a queen mattress and box springs but no bed frame. Was thinking about using six concrete blocks underneath the box springs. Wondering if that will screw up the bed springs.
A box spring is a rigid box, so I don’t think it will make a difference if you prop it up on blocks. But the bed frames I’ve had have wheels, which make it easy to move the bed to vacuum or whatever. And they’re not expensive, so I recommend you get one.
I never moved my waterbed and never had an issue. I’m still looking for a bed frame but my local thrift store wasn’t any help.
My experience is that bed frames are rare at thrift stores. They have so little value that the thrift stores don’t want them. You can often find them being thrown out. Check around the dumpsters of large apartment complexes near the end of the summer months (when people move). Look for a free-cycle site in your area. Or, post on Craig’s List or similar that you are in need of one. You could also go the store and buy one, but they’d cost more than 6 concrete blocks (but, probably not much more).
I just bought a basic adjustable bed frame. I can’t find the receipt, but I know it was under $30.
Box springs may be rigid, but are they able to span across a few point supports? Bed frames are small steel beams/angles that support the box spring continuously on all four sides plus across the center usually. I could see a box spring breaking if it was just supported at the corners on blocks. Six is definitely better than four, but nine would be better than six if this is a queen or king bed.
Googling, a new basic bed frame can about fifty bucks from Amazon or Mattress Firm (large nationwide mattress retailer). Honestly it would have been best for the OP to negotiate the inclusion of the bed frame in the purchase of the bedding set. I’ll bet they would have thrown it in for free.
You are used to the waterbed height, right. Just set the thing on the floor.
Dennis
My water bed was higher than 16". Anyway, I found a bed frame. All is good. Thanks all.
Seriously even bed frames can be vectors for bed bug eggs. Do not get any bedding at thrift stores or worse dumpsters. I know most of the ones, I deal with will not even accept anything to do with bedding for this reason.
Box springs aren’t anything more than a solid flat surface to support the mattress. They support the mattress, but they don’t provide support to you as all the springs and padding are in the mattress itself. Frankly, when I was selling mattresses, the trend was away from boxes and to platform or adjustable beds.
The concrete blocks might be a good temporary idea but I would only do that if you have a solid metal box. Many cheap boxes are all wood and those are easy to break. Quality boxes will be made out of metal. You can easily tell the difference by feeling along the material. If the edges are square, the interior is wood. If round, it uses metal.
The best reason to have the mattress supported would be to give it some circulation to keep it cool. Otherwise, just put the boxes on the floor and the mattress on top. No blocks needed.