Basic Bed Frame Information

A bed is an important piece of furniture that is used for a variety of purposes, both personal and commercial. Most commonly, a bed is used as an element of furniture that is used to rest, relax, and sleep. Bedrooms feature many different types of beds including canopy beds, platform beds with or without headboards, four poster beds, platform beds with or without storage, trundle beds, crib beds, and futons. As you can see, there are many options when choosing a bed.

When choosing a bed, there are several factors that should be taken into consideration. The first factor to consider is whether the bed will be used as a sleeping area, or simply a sleeping surface, like a couch or futon. Beds are generally categorized based on whether they offer a comfortable and/or supportive sleep surface, or if they provide a relaxing and aesthetically pleasing sleep surface, which can include a headboard or some type of footboard.

Headboards and footboards come in many different styles and sizes. Some popular headboard options include wooden, metal, or even fabric. All these options have different attributes, but most offer support and comfort. King size beds tend to offer the most support, so if your bed will be used for sleeping, or only used as a sleeping surface, a king size bed will probably be the best choice. However, if you are looking for a bed that you can also use as a comfortable couch during the day, like on a patio or in a recreational room, you may want to look at a queen size bed or higher.

The next thing to consider is the actual headboard, or the “top bed” as it is referred to on some bed descriptions. There are many different types of headboards, including wood, metal, and sometimes even faux wood finishes. Typically, a headboard will be attached to the side of the bed frame with either screws, nails, or other fasteners. The headboard itself may be framed using some type of frame, or it may not be attached at all. If you are purchasing a bed already constructed with a headboard attached, you may need to purchase additional hardware to attach it to the frame.

The next part of the bed frame is the footboard, or sometimes known simply as the “bottom bed”. This is where you place the mattress when you are purchasing a new bed. Most people prefer the traditional style of footboard, consisting of two pieces – a horizontal bar running from side to side along the bed’s entire length, and a vertical bar across the top of the footboard. The horizontal bar and vertical bar can either be made of wood or metal.

The “acked” part of the bed is the frame just below the footboard. It consists of either one or two pieces of wood slats, nailed or screwed together at each corner. This part of the bed generally does not have a headboard. If your bed has no footboard, the antedeled piece of wood that runs along the bottom of the bed frame is called the “solid board”. A bed with a headboard can have an “acked” footboard or it can have two solid boards attached.