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A twin loft bed in three heights from one design — low, mid, or standard — engineered to disassemble into flat panels when it's time to move it.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long rails Cut these first. Standard height uses 4. | 3 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 75" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| End rails From the 10-footers' offcuts. Standard height uses 6. | 4 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 41" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Top end rail Approximate — measure and cut to fit your assembled bed. | 1 | 1 1/2" × 5 1/2" × 55" | 2x6 | ☐ |
| Legs and ladder sides 31-3/4" (not the diagram's 32") so all seven fit the shopping list. Mid loft: 45". Standard: 70-1/2". | 7 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 31 3/4" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Ladder rungs Standard height uses 4. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 18" | 2x4 | ☐ |
| Slat cleats | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 75" | 2x2 | ☐ |
| Bed slats | 10 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 38" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 2x4, 8 ft Legs and ladder. Mid height needs 4; standard height needs 7. | 3 each | ☐ |
| 2x6, 10 ft Rails — cut the 75" pieces first so the offcuts yield the 41" ends. Standard height needs 6. | 4 each | ☐ |
| 2x2, 8 ft Slat cleats. | 2 each | ☐ |
| 1x4, 8 ft Bed slats. | 5 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive Main construction; up to 3" is fine. Standard height wants ~100. | 70 each | ☐ |
| Self-tapping screws, #7 x 1-5/8", star drive Slats only. | 40 each | ☐ |
| Stain or paint Applied to the boards BEFORE cutting — the plan's tip, and the only sane order for a loft. | 1 quart | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, 2x6, 10 ft, Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
Attach the legs to the 41" 2x6 end rails, leaving a 3-1/2" space between the two horizontal boards. Build two identical ends.
Drive these screws with disassembly in mind — they're the ones that come out if the bed ever moves house, so no glue, and don't strip the heads.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x6, 10 ft, Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
Attach the 75" 2x6s to the leg sets with screws driven from the inside at a slight angle into the legs, keeping a 3-1/2" gap between rails.
The lower rails carry the mattress: give them three screws per end. The upper rail is a guard, not a beam — two is enough. Add reinforcing screws from the outside at final assembly, once the bed is in its room.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
Screw the 18" rungs between two ladder sides with the longer screws. Set rung spacing for the kid who'll climb it — evenly spaced, and think about bare feet: ease the rung edges with the sander now.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
Decide which side of the bed the ladder lives on. Then screw the remaining 2x4 leg to the back of the ladder on the side that will NOT be attached to a bed leg.
This doubled leg is deliberate over-building: the ladder is the most-stressed part of any loft bed, and the free side needs the extra section the bed leg would otherwise provide.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
Screw the ladder to the bed from the back side. Climb it yourself before any kid does — an adult's weight is the test a kid's never should be.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: 2x6, 10 ft, Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
Measure the remaining top-end opening — it should be about 55", but cut to YOUR bed — and screw the last 2x6 in from the inside.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x2, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
Screw the 2x2 cleats to the inside of the long rails, flush with the bottom edge of the lower 2x6s. These carry the mattress; screw them like you mean it.
Tools: Drill / Driver
The low loft usually fits through a door assembled. The taller versions won't. To break the bed down, remove ONLY the long 2x6 rails — the bed separates into two flat end panels and a stack of rails, which is the entire point of the screw-only construction.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 1x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #7 x 1-5/8", star drive
In the bedroom, lay the ten 1x4 slats across the cleats and screw each end down with the 1-5/8" screws, two per end. Even spacing, roughly 2–3" gaps.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: 2x4, 8 ft, Self-tapping screws, #8 x 2-1/2", star drive
The 70-1/2"-leg version needs the additional bottom-of-leg supports shown in the plan's final diagram — the shopping and cut lists already include the material. A six-foot lever needs a wider foot; don't skip this on the tall build.
Whatever the height: add a guardrail before a child sleeps up top.