I have a friend who bought a small condo, with the idea of putting in a Murphy Bed (folds up into a cabinet on the wall).
They had a problem installing it though, as the walls are concrete, but thin. The holes they put in the wall went straight through to the next room. Then, the head honcho came in, said it wasn’t safe enough for them because they couldn’t get the full 6" bolt in the wall, took it down and gave her a rebate.
In the mean time, she has a mattress on the floor, and a very small room.
Can anyone think of an alternative where the bed will be hidden, if not folded up, as to give it a dual function?
I am moderately handy with power tools, and building stuff isn’t out of the question (but buying something is preferred).
For reference, the walls and floors are solid concrete, and about 4-5" thick. The mattress is full size and weighs ~ 50 lbs. There is no boxspring necessary.
Alternatively, build a frame of 2X4s to which you can mount the Murphy Bed with a pair of buttresses (simple triangle with the hypotenuse making a diagonal from the floor to the upright frame) extending as “wings” alongside the bed.
I thought about the buttress option, but the Murphy Bed Co. will not install it again, for fear of lawsuits. I’m not that thrilled with my amatuer abilities in making a bed from scratch if the pro’s won’t touch it.
If the mattress is a twin, get a bunk bed, put the mattress on the top, then put cabinets below or a curtain across the front with a clothes rod inside and use as a closet.
Sorry. I’ll go to bed, now. Sleep deprivation has set in.
I’ve imagined having a bed that drops into the floor and then a sliding door (like the Star Trek doors, but in this case in the floor) shuts over it. Of course, the door would need a good gasket around the edges.
I’m a little confused by the ‘6" bolt’ comment. Almost all houses nowadays are framed with 2x4’s, so I’m not sure why they expected to be able to use a six inch bolt. If the problem was framing members to attach the bed to, it seem like you could “scab” some timbers to the concrete, attaching it at the base and to the ceiling joists. If holes on the far side of the wall are not objectionable (for example, if it was a laundry room, you could use bolts and plates to hold the hardware securely in place. (The installer’s objection may have been that they felt a six inch lag bolt was necessary to hold the hardware in concrete.)
If you wanted to get fancy, you could do an entire built-in, with wood frame, folding bed, and maybe some bookshelves along one side of the wall.
If you don’t want to get fancy, there’s always the options of cots, hammocks, inflatable beds and so on, although these are best used for a guest room rather than a main bedroom.
Concrete anchors usually rely on friction with the inner walls of the hole for their connection. Typically an expansion wedgelike action occurs when the fastener is tightened, and it (the fastener) remains in the hole by friction. If six inch fasteners are called out for the fixture in question (the bed) it’s not surprising the foreman didn’t want to anchor it in only four inches of concrete. Less length means less friction for the fastener, and increase the likelihood of the fastener pulling out of the wall. That is called tension failure. A situation like this is characterized by lower than required withdrawl resistance.
Nevertheless, it sounds to me like the fellow was unimaginative. You had holes going all the way through the wall. Bolts could be used with washers and nuts, and this means of fastening does not rely on friction. If the nuts and washers could be acceptable on the other side of the wall (if it was a closet for example) fastening the bed in this way would give each point of fastening an exceptionally high withdrawl resitance. In fact it would be far more reliable than an anchor dependent on friction alone.
Another possible solution would be the use of multiple anchors per each one called out. If for example six fasteners are required, use ten. You may have to modify the bed with cleats and such, to provide anchoring points, but it could be done. Make sure to join structural parts of the bed to sound, structural parts of the building.
Don’t fasten the bed through a section of it’s molding, or something like that!
Don’t fasten the bed to the decorative molding on the wall!
Epoxy screen tubes, a type of concrete anchor, are avilable in many sizes, and far surpass most expansion type anchors for withdrawl resistance. Consider these as an alternative.
One last cationary note; Talk to someone knowledgeable in your area, who can see this bed/wall, or give you a lengthier explanation than I can here online. I know I could do it, but there may be an important detail ommited in your description . The most important thing I wish to convey is that four inches of concrete is enough to anchor a bed.
You could get hardware from a different company. When I was a kid my I requested a Murphy Bed and my dad was able to find just the spring hardware (and the bar that swings down to hold up the foot of the bed) in the back of a woodworking magazine. Once they have your money they don’t really care what you do with it; there surely won’t be any reps coming out to check your handiwork.
I also liked the loft bed suggestion. IKEA makes them in both twin and full sizes.
Actually, I’ve looked at loft beds. I have a two bedroom house, and want to use one as a computer/reading/office room, and still have a guest room.
Loft beds are pretty cool. I’m putting a desk and bookshelves under mine, but you couls just as easily put an entertainment center or just about anything else under there. The height of the bed is generally adjustable +/- six inches or so.
A queen size costs $300-$400. Building your own would be an option, but be sure you know what you’re doing. You could probably find plans on one of the many sites devoted to do-it-yourself types.
Peace,
mangeorge