Most timber bed frames go together easily and give you years of quiet nights. Every so often one starts squeaking for no obvious reason. We've been making beds in Greymouth since 1997, and nearly every squeak we hear about comes down to one of a few things.
How to stop a squeaky bed: the quick answer
1. Tighten every screw going through the brackets into the legs.
2. Check the side rails and centre rail are the right way up.
3. On a king or larger, make sure the centre leg is touching the floor.
4. Put felt pads under the legs if the bed sits on a wooden floor.
5. Rub a little soap or candle wax on the ends of the side rails.
6. If it still squeaks, screw some slats to the side and centre rails.
Here's each fix in a bit more detail, starting with the quickest.
1. Check the side rails are the right way up. Upside-down rails don't sit snugly in the brackets and will move every time you roll over.
2. Check the centre rail is the right way up. Same idea as the side rails.
3. Check the locking screws sit in the centre of the brackets. Off-centre screws leave room for movement.
4. Tighten the bracket screws. They have multidrive heads, so a slotted, Pozidriv or square bit screwdriver will all work.
5. Re-seat any loose screws. Take the side rails off and check the screws holding the brackets. If one spins without tightening, take it right out, put a little superglue in the hole and screw the bracket back on.
6. Support the centre rail on bigger beds. On a king size or larger, the centre rail needs a centre leg under it, adjusted so it touches the floor. If your Coastwood bed doesn't have one, contact us and we'll supply one.
7. Check the floor. On a wooden floor, the noise can come from the legs rubbing on the boards. Glue a small piece of felt under each leg, or use the stick-on felt pads from most hardware stores.
8. Wax the rail ends. A little soap or candle wax on the ends of the side rails often works wonders.
9. Screw the slats down. If nothing else has worked, screwing some of the slats to the side rails and centre rail will almost certainly stop it. Pre-drill the slat ends first so the timber doesn't split.
Still squeaking?
If your bed is one of ours and none of these fixes has worked, get in touch. We make our beds in Greymouth from solid NZ timber. Our NZ-made furniture is backed by our 25-year quality guarantee (conditions apply), so we'd rather sort it out with you than have you lose sleep.
If you're shopping for a new frame, every bed we make can be made to your size, timber and finish. Browse by size: Single, King Single, Double, Queen, King, Super King.
