Our bed groans louder than we ever could
January 28, 2014 12:41 PM Subscribe
We have a magically wonderful queen-sized pillow top mattress and box springs which we love. But the basic metal frame underneath is relentlessly noisy, making every shift of weight, every instance of us getting up or lying down into a series of creaks and squeaks that can be heard all through the house. Worst of all, it's not even possible to have sexytime without the whole house hearing the bed.
We need a quieter bed and could use some advice.
We're disinclined to buy a complete bed because we already have a nice wall-mounted headboard of which we're pretty fond. We're not opposed to it, but since we already have something nice that we're in no hurry to discard, it seems like a waste.
Other factors:
-We greatly enjoy the height we get from having the mattress/box spring combo on a frame and are loathe to move closer to the floor.
-I am a super-sized person (close to 300 lbs.) and my partner weighs 200-ish. We recognize that our combined weight may be taxing to a cheap metal frame and could be causing the issue.
-If we did buy a complete bed, it would have to be without a footboard, as we hate the damned things.
So what options should we consider if we want a bed frame that will: keep the mattress elevated; accommodate 500 lbs. worth of sleeping people; possibly pair with a pre-existing headboard; and critically, not transmit our every movement in creak/squeak form to everyone in the house?
What should our budget be? Can we keep it low? Any specific recommendations? Where should we be looking?
We're disinclined to buy a complete bed because we already have a nice wall-mounted headboard of which we're pretty fond. We're not opposed to it, but since we already have something nice that we're in no hurry to discard, it seems like a waste.
Other factors:
-We greatly enjoy the height we get from having the mattress/box spring combo on a frame and are loathe to move closer to the floor.
-I am a super-sized person (close to 300 lbs.) and my partner weighs 200-ish. We recognize that our combined weight may be taxing to a cheap metal frame and could be causing the issue.
-If we did buy a complete bed, it would have to be without a footboard, as we hate the damned things.
So what options should we consider if we want a bed frame that will: keep the mattress elevated; accommodate 500 lbs. worth of sleeping people; possibly pair with a pre-existing headboard; and critically, not transmit our every movement in creak/squeak form to everyone in the house?
What should our budget be? Can we keep it low? Any specific recommendations? Where should we be looking?
I have a Nyvoll bed from Ikea, which has a headboard so you're not interested in that probably. But it's remarkably solid (especially considering I put it together myself) and I've been surprised at how non-melodic it is when I move around. Especially compared to a plain metal frame which is what I had before.
This one is in about the same price class (so I would imagine it's similarly solid), higher off the ground than most Ikea frames, and headboardless. It might be worth taking a trip to the store to give it a bounce test.
posted by phunniemee at 12:48 PM on January 28, 2014
This one is in about the same price class (so I would imagine it's similarly solid), higher off the ground than most Ikea frames, and headboardless. It might be worth taking a trip to the store to give it a bounce test.
posted by phunniemee at 12:48 PM on January 28, 2014
Probably just a new frame from Sears/JCPenney. Penney's has an "extreme" Queen frame for $200. Amazon seems to have similar for less than $100, but I can't tell if they are extreme. Or what that might even mean.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:51 PM on January 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Lyn Never at 12:51 PM on January 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
When I was married, we had a frame with slats and simply turning over in bed would make them squeak. I used to wake myself frustrated and angry and almost in tears over this. So when I got divorced, my biggest priority was a SILENT bedframe.
I found a vintage double (they didn't make queen/king until recently) frame with a beautiful headboard & footboard of cherry & burl wood, with a heavy metal underframe. The place I bought it built out the metal frame to hold a queen mattress and when I told them my issues with noise, created a thick plywood platform sized to the built-out frame. That was 18 years ago. About 3 years ago, I had a handyman come in and shore up the platform with cross braces underneath.
Now, nothing will move that frame and it's dead silent. And because the platform was built out to be queen size on what was originally a double frame, it actually sits a bit higher than normal. With a pillow top mattress and no springs, I have to climb slightly to get into bed. (I.e., when I sit on the edge of the mattress, my feet don't reach the floor).
I fucking love this bed.
posted by janey47 at 12:51 PM on January 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
I found a vintage double (they didn't make queen/king until recently) frame with a beautiful headboard & footboard of cherry & burl wood, with a heavy metal underframe. The place I bought it built out the metal frame to hold a queen mattress and when I told them my issues with noise, created a thick plywood platform sized to the built-out frame. That was 18 years ago. About 3 years ago, I had a handyman come in and shore up the platform with cross braces underneath.
Now, nothing will move that frame and it's dead silent. And because the platform was built out to be queen size on what was originally a double frame, it actually sits a bit higher than normal. With a pillow top mattress and no springs, I have to climb slightly to get into bed. (I.e., when I sit on the edge of the mattress, my feet don't reach the floor).
I fucking love this bed.
posted by janey47 at 12:51 PM on January 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
I have one of these, and it never makes any noise at all, whatsoever.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 12:52 PM on January 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 12:52 PM on January 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Agree with tylerkaraszewski on the platform bed. Ours is quiet as a mouse, even when we are not!
posted by futureisunwritten at 2:39 PM on January 28, 2014
posted by futureisunwritten at 2:39 PM on January 28, 2014
Cabinet style storage beds, once bolted together, are noise free. You can use a piece of sheet material instead of the centre slats. Your current head board can be bolted to the cabinet.
These style of beds are very strong, even when constructed out of cheap MDF (it's how water bed pedestals were made back in the day). So your budget is more limited by aesthetics and durability of the materials. And as you can see they lend themselves to DIY if you are so inclined.
Their only drawback is ease of moving. What with the three big boxes, your head board and box spring and mattress a bed ends up being a pickup load all by itself.
lollusc: "Not slats. Ours creak all the time too. "
If you have a problem with slats squeeking rubbing the mating surfaces with paraffin or bees wax will likely abate the problem.
posted by Mitheral at 12:25 AM on January 29, 2014
These style of beds are very strong, even when constructed out of cheap MDF (it's how water bed pedestals were made back in the day). So your budget is more limited by aesthetics and durability of the materials. And as you can see they lend themselves to DIY if you are so inclined.
Their only drawback is ease of moving. What with the three big boxes, your head board and box spring and mattress a bed ends up being a pickup load all by itself.
lollusc: "Not slats. Ours creak all the time too. "
If you have a problem with slats squeeking rubbing the mating surfaces with paraffin or bees wax will likely abate the problem.
posted by Mitheral at 12:25 AM on January 29, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lollusc at 12:43 PM on January 28, 2014