Just completed building a loft for my kid.

[Westwood Bengal]

My wife and I are expecting a second child in August, so I wanted to do something nice for my (almost 8 year old son). I decided to build a loft so we can put a desk underneath to maximize the space in his room. Just finished it today and am pretty happy with it. I decided to post it here, as most of my friends wouldn't really appreciate the process, but I know there are a few here who might.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

Looks nice! :andy:

[XenoMorph]

Does look nice... not what pops into my head when I hear the word loft though

[SunsetBengal]

Nice work, well done!

[Dr. Bombay]

Good job, but I would not have had the top of the posts be higher than the top rail.

[Westwood Bengal]

(06-22-2017, 07:54 PM)Dr. Bombay Wrote: Good job, but I would not have had the top of the posts be higher than the top rail.

That's a good point. When sketching the design, I wasn't sure if one safety rail would be enough (accounting for the body, and variable mattress height. He has a relatively small mattress now, but a pillow-topper or something similar might lead to the addition of another rail (I have a stained 2x4 in the garage ready to go when that happens). As a result of that uncertainty, I did nothing with the 4x4s. There is a chance that I take something off them at some point.   

[SunsetBengal]

(06-22-2017, 08:37 PM)Westwood Bengal Wrote: That's a good point. When sketching the design, I wasn't sure if one safety rail would be enough (accounting for the body, and variable mattress height. He has a relatively small mattress now, but a pillow-topper or something similar might lead to the addition of another rail (I have a stained 2x4 in the garage ready to go when that happens). As a result of that uncertainty, I did nothing with the 4x4s. There is a chance that I take something off them at some point.   

I would just leave it like it is.  Chances are that your 8 year old will think they are cool features of the bed.

Actually, on second thought. You might add some gussets to provide some horizontal stability. I don't know how your son is, but when I was that age, I was tough on the furniture. I had bunk beds. I would climb up on the top and rock the structure back and forth, imagining that I was captain of a ship in a storm. You just never know what kids will come up with.

[*bfine32*]

Nice so far and being able to work with wood allows you to customize. Here's what you need to do next to give him a true space:

Put a piece of 3/4" plywood on the top of those long posts

Get a small TV wall mount and mount a small 19"ish flat monitor to it.

Add a shelf to the top where he can put a video console/DVD player

Connect all by running the wires above the top

Enclose the 6"ish gap between the top and the ceiling.

Win dad of the year award.

[Westwood Bengal]

(06-22-2017, 08:58 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I would just leave it like it is.  Chances are that your 8 year old will think they are cool features of the bed.

Actually, on second thought.  You might add some gussets to provide some horizontal stability.  I don't know how your son is, but when I was that age, I was tough on the furniture.  I had bunk beds.  I would climb up on the top and rock the structure back and forth, imagining that I was captain of a ship in a storm.  You just never know what kids will come up with.

I genuinely hope that the "storm" you are referring to is a euphemism for "giving yourself a low 5."      

Honestly I thought it probable that I would want to re-enforce, but after I tightened everything down, I was pleasantly surprised at how solid it was on its own. Obviously I will keep an eye on it for a few weeks as it settles a bit. 

And you are absolutely correct about not being able to predict what a kid will do. It never ceases to amaze.



 

[Westwood Bengal]

(06-22-2017, 10:23 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Nice so far and being able to work with wood allows you to customize. Here's what you need to do next to give him a true space:

Put a piece of 3/4" plywood on the top of those long posts

Get a small TV wall mount and mount a small 19"ish flat monitor to it.

Add a shelf to the top where he can put a video console/DVD player

Connect all by running the wires above the top

Enclose the 6"ish gap between the top and the ceiling.

Win dad of the year award.

That's a good plan, but I kind of want to see him around the house before he goes off to college. 

[Sabretooth]

(06-22-2017, 11:25 PM)Westwood Bengal Wrote: I genuinely hope that the "storm" you are referring to is a euphemism for "giving yourself a low 5."      

Honestly I thought it probable that I would want to re-enforce, but after I tightened everything down, I was pleasantly surprised at how solid it was on its own. Obviously I will keep an eye on it for a few weeks as it settles a bit. 

And you are absolutely correct about not being able to predict what a kid will do. It never ceases to amaze.



 

Kids do to you, the things that you did to your parents: the " ultimate payback ".
Fine work sir . :andy:

[*michaelsean*]

The only advice I can think of is to use ball bearings. Everything is ball bearings these days.

[grampahol]

What? No tenon and mortise joinery? My son would've snapped mere bolts on day one. 
I practice the art of overkill in furniture design..
If those bits of hardware begin to loosen up you can always bore through the 4x lumber and pound in hardwood dowels and it ain't going anywhere.. 
I don't trust 2x lumber by itself. I'd rip them into narrow strips and laminate them back together for real stability..
Oh wait..it's an 8 year old kid sleeping on it, not the red army.. lol