The current frame has two extra supports under the mattress supports, and I'm wondering if this will be sufficient with this type of plan. Anybody ever do anything like this?
I seriously doubt that this bedframe will support a waterbed. Water weighs about 8.3lbs per gallon, or 62.4lbs per cubic foot. Your frame needs to transfer this weight to the floor, and then of course you need to be sure the floor itself will support it.
Most waterbeds I've seen have a flat surface for the mattress to rest on, with sufficient understructure to transfer the weight to the floor. You can modify this bedframe to do that, but by that time you'll have something entirely different.
Ya might do better to search out a different plan.
LP
Actually while still heavy, these type water beds usually have a typical box spring and these type water beds are also considerably lighter wieght that the standard style water bed. This type water bed probably only holds about
70 or 80 gallons of warter.
Try looking at this another way. I had that type water bed for a few years and got rid of it because my wife and I both started having back problems for the first time. Replacing the bed with a good quality standard bed solved that problem . ANYWAY, our Soma motionless water bed sat on what appeared to be a standard box springs and a standard steel bed frame. I built the head board, foot board, and side rails around all of that. They were actually 2 separate unconnected units.
As the previous poster says, you will have a weight problem. I built two waterbeds in the late 60s-early 70s, both had 3/4 ply on edge half lapped at 12" intervals under 3/4 ply platform, which had a 2x10 DF frame resting on it. The support underneath was about 10" smaller on each side than the matress (in other words, the matress and frame overhangs the base by about 10"). I understand your style of bed requires no perimiter frame, and is somewhat less heavy than the original models. Perhaps you could incorporate support as described above into the design you linked to. Some false drawer fronts on it would disguise what it was for, as if you had storage under there. Also, you could use some good veneer plywood for the outside, say 1/2 oak or whatever would match the rest of the bed. Finish all parts the same, and it should look allright. Have fun!
It should probably be fine. Just stick some extra feet on the slats to even out the weight transfer.
The kind of bed you have is called a "softside." I see people in our showrooms sticking softsides onto frames like this (wooden rails, wooden slats, with extra feet in the middle) all the time. I can't speak of the particulars, since I just deliver the stuff.
The standard no frills frame to go under a bed like that is called a "nine leg." Guess how many legs it has? Right. Four on the corners, and five in the middle. Arranged in a big
I expect, though I haven't actually paid that much attention to what they look like assembled. (When I see them out of the box, it's because they're being returned due to missing feet or other whatnots.)
Waterbeds are HEAVY. The weight needs to be evenly supported by the floor, not only for the structural integrity of the bed (the legs on this one would snap off in a minute) but for the structural integrity of the floor.
We have a similar looking factory made bed. I made ours soft sided waterbed work with it by just not putting in any slats that go across between the frams. Instead I put a typical standard support type box under the 'box springs' and shimmed the box springs up to the right height with some 2x4. you can't tell that it's a waterbed and the frame is taking no weight. Works great. I'd think you could do the same thing with this design.
I'll second this. In addition to the frame being able to support the bed, you are putting 1/4th of the weight on the four foot positions.
If you are really wanting to go mission, you might look at doing a more conventional waterbed frame within the appearance features of the mission bed. As hot as mission furniture is now you might hit the waterbed or furniture stores. Maybe someone has figured it out how to make them look right.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.