If you often have guests over, then it’s time to think about purchasing a sofa that converts into a bed. The roll-out transformation mechanism is very popular. And this is not surprising, because the simplicity of its design makes it possible to use the sofa every day. In addition, it provides a comfortable sleeping place. A roll-out sofa is distinguished by its reliability and durability, so it is not afraid of frequent “transformations” into a bed. In this article you will learn how to assemble and disassemble such a product.
Saving space and comfort of use - we make a sofa bed with our own hands at home
There are sofas in every home. Some have them only in living rooms and are intended for family gatherings, while others use this furniture as an additional or main bed.
Of course, every person wants to install a huge bed with an orthopedic mattress in the bedroom. You can relax on it, relieve fatigue and get a good night's sleep. But not everyone has this opportunity. Since most city apartments are not very spacious.
If you live in a small apartment, then installing a spacious bed is out of the question. After all, having installed a bed in the common room, there is simply no room left for a sofa on which you can have a good time with friends.
Features of Transformers
So, if you decide to install a sofa in your home, you should consider the best option for folding models .
The most ideal solution would be to install a sofa bed. During the daytime, the furniture will not take up much free space, and you can spend your leisure time on it in front of the TV or with family and friends. And at night, such furniture will completely replace the bed.
Making a sofa bed is quite easy on your own. This way, you will acquire original and exclusive furniture, and will not spend your personal savings on buying a sofa.
A special feature of the sofa bed is the presence of a folding mechanism, which allows the furniture to be used both as a sofa and as a bed. This sofa can come in various shapes, designs and sizes. With your own hands you can make a small sofa for one person or a spacious piece of furniture that can comfortably accommodate two or three people.
The advantages of a sofa bed include:
Folding methods
Sofas differ from each other in different ways of folding out.
Book
The simplest and most reliable folding mechanism is considered to be an ordinary book. This sofa unfolds quite simply.
To do this, just pull the sofa seat forward a little and lower the backrest in its place.
Tango
Tango sofas are considered one of the most modern models, which differ from other products in comfort and practicality. They are made from high quality timber. Tangos are very roomy; one such sofa can accommodate 3-4 people.
Eurobook
The Eurobook is considered a reliable and simple mechanism for folding furniture. To fold such a product, you will have to pull out the front part of the sofa, lower the back and pull it slightly towards you. The result is a double sofa.
Dolphin
The furniture, which is usually installed in the corner, has a dolphin folding mechanism. To unfold it, you need to take out an additional part from under the main seat and put a large soft pillow on it.
Material: solid wood or pallets?
You can make a sofa bed from different materials. The main thing is that they are:
As for making the frame, the following are suitable:
When choosing upholstery, you should give preference to fabrics:
Also, the selected material must be breathable, hygroscopic, hypoallergenic and safe.
Most often, people prefer the following materials:
The following are used as fillers for making a sofa bed with your own hands:
Drawing
Before you start making a sofa bed, you need to decide on its:
Before manufacturing parts and assembling them, you will need to make a preliminary drawing in all projections . This will prevent errors in the work process and greatly simplify making a sofa with your own hands.
You can make a drawing of any piece of furniture in different ways:
Daily customer care service.
There were cases when the buyer thought “this is children’s furniture and it’s something like a children’s construction set,” and did not calculate his strength - the assembly dragged on for days and even weeks, and sometimes even stopped altogether. But in all cases known to us, we came to the buyer’s aid and helped assemble furniture to completion from any condition. Correct if something was not installed correctly. After all, furniture should bring benefit and joy, and not serve as a reason for sadness and frustration.
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Finishing
The finishing treatment of the sofa bed is:
Options for decorating the result can be seen in the following photos:
DIY sofa bed: assembly instructions
It is impossible to imagine a modern apartment or house without comfortable furniture. The sofa becomes the center of everyone's attention; owners and guests of all ages love it. They relax, have fun, read, and watch television programs on it. If there is a coffee table next to the sofa, you can use it for eating, board games and other elements of home leisure. Multifunctional furniture is especially valued, which includes one of the varieties of sofas that folds out into a full-fledged sleeping place. Assembling a sofa bed with your own hands is not difficult if you follow the instructions presented in our article.
DIY sofa bed
Design advantages
Furniture that has several functions will help out if you need to place a fairly large number of sleeping places in a house or apartment, but at the same time there is a desire to preserve free space. In general, this model is popular among owners of compact living spaces. Small-sized apartments and studio apartments are vivid examples of how using a sofa bed you can increase the usable area and make it attractive using bright upholstery colors and eye-catching decorative elements.
Sofa beds are relevant for almost every family member, with the exception of those who should sleep exclusively on orthopedic mattresses.
When folded, the sofa bed is compact
Useful tips
You should assemble the sofa accordion yourself, armed with some useful tips.
- If you cannot unfold or fold the sofa, this will mean that it was assembled incorrectly - you will have to “work on the mistakes.”
- It is better to assemble such furniture with an assistant. This way the work will go faster and easier.
- Don’t try to assemble furniture with an “accordion” mechanism yourself if you don’t understand anything about it - call a specialist so as not to accidentally damage the sofa.
- For assembly, use only high-quality and reliable tools that will not fail at a crucial moment.
- If you make furniture yourself from wood, do not forget to coat it with antiseptic compounds before starting all work.
Video instructions for assembling the sofa are given below.
Source
What is required during the assembly process
To assemble the load-bearing part of the frame, bars and boards are used. Wood materials - pine, spruce, birch, alder. It doesn’t matter if there is no ready-made board of the required width made of natural wood on sale - it can be replaced with plywood. Instead of slats, wooden slats are used.
From these materials, a full-fledged interior element is obtained, which, when unfolded, turns into a sleeping area.
The panels and frame parts of the product frame are constructed from plywood sheets, chipboard and fiberboard sheets. Its soft part includes natural latex, formed with the inclusion of cotton and thermal fiber. The upholstery of the sofa bed is made of velor (cotton, wool), flock, you can also use tapestry, pieces of genuine leather.
A sofa bed is a complete and functional sleeping place
Natural tapestry fabric can be easily cleaned from dirt of various origins. This material is preferable if there are animals and small children in the house.
The frame of the sofa can be assembled to any size - the craftsman can choose the desired shape and size. To work you need a screwdriver. The joints are glued, further strengthening the structure using self-tapping screws. The inside of the backrest remains free. The top and outer part are covered with foam rubber.
At the next stage, the structure is covered with fabric. To do this, you need pre-prepared patterns of elements. It is advisable to supplement the casing with a removable protective coating in the form of covers. Additional support legs allow you to evenly distribute the load.
In general, three days of individual work is enough to assemble the final product.
There are different upholstery materials on sale.
Required Tools
The structural parts of any sofa are connected using bolts, nuts, and fasteners. To disassemble most models, a simple open-end wrench with a diameter of Ø10, 12, 14 is sufficient. Some models are assembled using fasteners, which can only be disassembled with a special tool. In this case, it is better to entrust the disassembly to a specialist, otherwise using a tool unsuitable for this purpose can damage the frame or upholstery.
It is not recommended to disassemble the complex mechanisms of the sofa yourself, so as not to disrupt the system.
The presence and design of sidewalls depends on the model.
Corner sofas vary in design.
The seats and backs of the sofa can act as solid blocks or individual pillows.
Often the fasteners are hidden under the upholstery, so you will need pliers or a flathead screwdriver to pry the staples or pull out the nails. But attaching the upholstery back will be problematic if you don’t have a construction stapler.
Sofa bed made of pallets
The next version of a country sofa bed is assembled from raw materials that are very easy to find in the public domain. We are talking about pallets. A similar technology can be used with equal success for the manufacture of any furniture in a house or apartment. The result is a designer product - environmentally friendly, strong and durable.
Pallets are wooden stands that remain after purchasing various goods. The process of assembling a sofa from them is not difficult for a home craftsman, but it requires some woodworking skills and the availability of all the necessary elements.
Pallets can be given any shade
Advantages of a sofa bed made from pallets:
Before assembly, the raw materials themselves must be properly processed. It is difficult to work with pallets that are not prepared. A special grinding machine is used to process wood. But if it is impossible to find one on the farm, take coarse sandpaper. All boards are thoroughly wiped with it.
Prices for popular models of eccentric sanders
Grinding of parts ends with obtaining raw materials without traumatic splinters, uneven areas and chipped areas. Next, the surface is covered with varnish, and subsequently with paint. Coatings additionally protect the product from humidity and other negative environmental influences. You can get by with just varnish if the owner likes furniture in natural colors.
For a beginner, it is advisable to choose a simple sofa bed frame model. Corner requires advanced skills in working with tools and materials. Before assembling a folding sofa, you need to purchase a special mechanism, thanks to which it can be transformed from a compact space for relaxation into a sleeping place. In addition, the master will need fixing legs.
An important tip is to use, in addition to fastenings, mounting foam, which fills voids and promotes cleanliness of the product during operation. Dust and other dirt will not get into the holes between the structural elements. An additional advantage of this assembly is the strength and stability of the sofa bed structure at the exit.
Frame assembly:
Part of the pallet will be used to form the back of the frame
Notches are made in the board to insert the backrest.
Prices for popular models of jigsaws
Using a chisel you need to chop off a piece of wood according to the level of the cut
The transformable back is attached to the base
The frame base is ready for laying out
Final polishing of the structure
After combining the pallets into a frame, select the dimensions of the soft seats and cut out the foam rubber of the appropriate dimensions - the thickness of the foam rubber should not be less than 20 cm. The choice of the degree of softness of the seats, backrests and armrests depends on the designer’s idea. It's better not to make them too voluminous. Otherwise it will be difficult to sew them together. The soft parts of the sofa bed made from pallets are secured with decorative ropes.
You should pay attention to the quality and thickness of the foam rubber
We use foam rubber for pillows
Possible problems
Many people who decide to independently assemble upholstered furniture with an accordion mechanism encounter certain problems during the work. Moreover, this applies to both factory-made and home-made furniture structures. A home master, especially if he does not have sufficient experience, may encounter some shortcomings.
- It may seem that the furniture structure is not assembled well . This problem most often occurs in cases where the user neglected to study the instructions for assembling a factory product. The accompanying documentation and manual may contain many nuances and features of this process, without knowing which it will not be possible to assemble the sofa properly. That is why it is imperative to study the instructions with all the diagrams that come with the purchased furniture.
- Often people who make such structures on their own try to make more spacious drawers for storing linen. You shouldn’t do this, because usually, due to the nature of the “accordion” mechanism, the storage compartments are made very small.
- One of the main mistakes a home craftsman makes when assembling such furniture is haste . The accordion sofa must be assembled calmly and without rushing. It is not recommended to make too sudden movements. It is important to be careful so that no part of the furniture structure is damaged.
- In rare cases, furniture fittings suffer during assembly. In such a situation, there is nothing left to do but go to the store and buy new suitable items.
Standard Wooden Sofa Bed Model
Table 1. Materials and tools for the sofa bed
Wooden frame sofa bed
Standard model unfolded
Stage 1. Preparing raw materials for work
The first step is to work on the wood. If you use a wide board, you need to cut it with a miter saw. This is due to the fact that when making furniture, the parts must be even. At the end, the master receives the required number of parts for the base and its reinforcements in the form of slats for the sofa and a folding part. In order for them to get a marketable appearance, they need to be sanded with a grit of at least 220 - a special tape is used for this. This is especially true for those parts of the structure that will be covered with oil. Before applying stain, the surface must be in perfect condition.
Stage 2. Assembly work to form the base
For assembly, dowels and a grooveless joint-to-joint method are used. A special jig is used for the holes. The drill is taken based on the requirements for the diameter of the dowels. The fit into the groove should be tight. The criterion for a correct connection is that you have to use a hammer to adjust the hole.
First, the back and flat side are connected and glued together using clamps. Next, they assemble the volumetric shelving and shelves into one whole. The upper part of the first is attached to the frame and dowels are used for this.
Precision required when working
You need to join the parts on a flat surface using dowels and glue. To proceed to the next assembly step, you need to wait until the surface is completely dry.
Wooden dowels and glue are used for assembly.
Attaching the side bar
Assembling the second side panel
Stage 3. Puttying and oil treatment
The holes are puttied and a spatula is used to ensure that the composition lies evenly. The mass dries and then is sanded.
In order to improve the structure of the wood, it is treated with oil. You can use Danish Watso brand oil, which dries quickly enough and gives the structure protection from moisture. The composition itself is colorless and emphasizes the natural structure and shade. It is possible to use tinting oils. The oil is applied in 1-2 layers and each layer is allowed to dry. It is advisable to use a dry, lint-free cloth to remove excess oil without compromising the appearance of the sofa. To process wood efficiently, you will need a wide brush, a cloth or a kitchen sponge (not the smallest size).
Processing is carried out with special compounds
Stage 4. Arranging the base of the sofa bed
The base for the lamellas is made by alternately connecting the parts and the frame joint to joint. The corners must be fixed during drying, using support from the remains of the board. Such temporary support will prevent the frame from moving in the wrong direction.
Screw the strips to install the base
Next, the slats are attached to the base. The distance between them is adjusted naturally - between the two slats, one is placed flat and two on the edge. Glue is used for fixation.
Next, the slats are attached to the first half of the bed
The glue provides additional fixation of the lamellas
Stage 5. Operation of the sliding system
In order for the sofa to be used as a sleeping place, the main part is first attached - a wide front board. Create 2-3 stops on the floor and lower the frame onto them so that the board is pressed tightly and does not move.
Next, lay the remaining lamellas with a gap. It is imperative to check the operation of the entire system. If the sofa does not turn in the desired direction without problems, the retractable part can be equipped with wheels. At the same time, the façade becomes narrower.
It is necessary to check the distance between the parts of the base of the sofa bed
The assembly is completed by testing the layout mechanism
The assembly of the sofa bed has come to an end. All that remains is to sew sofa cushions or lay two narrow mattresses on the base so that you can sit comfortably on it.
Unassembled sofa
Assembled sofa
Box and small parts
The box frame is assembled from 4 boards; the boards are connected to each other using vertical bars, which are installed in the inner corners. The diagonals of the box are measured - they must be the same. A stiffening rib is attached in the middle. The fiberboard bottom is secured with short self-tapping screws. The front and rear rollers are screwed into the corners. Holes for the transformation mechanism are marked on the sides. The front panel is covered with fabric and attached from the inside to the front wall of the drawer.
The 2 guide boards along which the rollers will ride are connected to each other by two transverse boards, the ends of which, after assembly, should reach the middle of the bottom of the armrest. The parallelism of the guides is checked by measuring the diagonals. The rear stiffener is covered with fabric.
Sofa bed with futon mattress
The original design of the folding sofa bed involves the use of a special futon mattress. This is a thin mat with non-standard filling, which is not only comfortable, but also creates a special flavor in the interior.
In Asian countries, people have been sleeping on a futon mattress filled with dry kelp and other algae for 20 centuries. Representatives of other nations use such a mattress on a folding sofa.
Currently, futons are filled with modern materials. Latex, cotton, coconut, and thermal fiber are used for this.
