Bunk beds are heavy and awkward to move, which is why preparing to take apart your bunk bed properly before you move is essential. We recommend disassembling your bunk bed before the moving truck arrives. This will prevent you from being left scrambling to dismantle your bunk bed after having unsuccessfully attempted to pivot it every which way to get it through the door frame. Once the frame is apart, you will also need to think about moving heavy objects safely without straining your back or damaging your floors. Once the bed is broken down into parts, our guide to organising boxes for moving will help you load everything efficiently into the van.
Bunk Beds can be one of the most time-wasting furniture pieces to dismantle on the day of your move. The greater the preparation of simple things such as bunk beds the more likely you are to feel ready to face moving day. So here we offer Removals and Storage Experts easy guide for how to dismantle a bunk bed. For context on moving a bed safely once the frame is broken down, our dedicated guide covers every stage of the process. If you plan to transport the bed after dismantling it, our guide on packing fragile items for a move covers how to protect wooden slats, bolts, and headboards in transit. The same careful approach applies to other large pieces of furniture, as our guide to disassembling an office chair explains step by step.
For the required tools and ten simple steps that break down how to take apart a bunk bed in detail with pictures to guide you the whole way through read on! The same two-person technique used for lifting a garden shed safely applies here when manoeuvring the upper bunk frame down a staircase.
Before you begin:
Prepare enough space to work in
This is essential, as you do not want to be dismantling and find yourself cornered with pieces of the frame tumbling down on you. Take the time to clear the room the bunk bed is in as much as possible and then move the bed into the centre of the room. Once the sections are apart, our guide to wrapping furniture for moving explains how to protect each piece before it goes in the van. Dismantling a bunk bed is one of the first tasks to tackle when moving out of your parents house and clearing a shared bedroom. Once the frame is broken down, you will need to think about how to store each piece safely, and our guide on packing and organising moving boxes covers the best methods for keeping everything protected.
Ensure you have someone working with you
You should never build or dismantle anything with heavy parts without having at least someone in the the room with you, but ideally helping you. Dismantling furniture can be dangerous if something gets dropped, especially if you are not wearing proper protective gear like steel toed boots. If you are freeing up a room rather than relocating, decluttering your home can help you decide what to keep, donate, or dispose of once the bed is down. If the bunk bed will not be going to your new home, read our practical guide on downsizing your belongings before moving to decide what to keep, donate, or dispose of.
Wear protective clothing
Wear protective clothing. Accidents happen! To reduce the risk of injury wear long trousers and closed-toe shoes. Take care with your posture at every stage; our advice on lifting heavy objects properly will help you avoid strain when handling the heavier panels. Children’s rooms often contain other tricky items too, and our tips on packing a mirror without a box are useful if there is a wardrobe mirror or wall panel to protect. Any glass panels or delicate fittings removed from the bed should be wrapped carefully, following the same principles outlined in our advice on packing breakables for a move.
How to dismantle a bunk bed:
Prepare your tools
- Cordless drill
- Allen (hex) bit
- Allen (hex) keys
- slot screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
Remove the mattresses from the frame and place them aside
Now is as good a time as any to wrap your mattress in plastic. This will keep dirt and dust out of your mattresses and doing it before you take apart your bunk bed reduces the likelihood of forgetting to do it later. To create space in the room for deconstruction we recommend that you place the mattresses in another room, especially if you are working in a tight space.
Remove the screws from the ladder side of the bed using your screwdriver
As with all hardware, we suggest that you place the screws into a plastic bag and keep it in the same place in the room, like a window sill, as you dismantle your bunk bed. It is also a good idea to keep all tools in the same place to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of yourself and whomever is helping you to take the bunk bed apart. Do not forget the mattresses either; read our guide on dismantling a mattress before moving to prepare them for transport alongside the frame. If you need help on short notice, our last-minute moving and storage service can dispatch a team quickly and handle bulky furniture like bunk beds with care. After the move, you may have a pile of packaging material left over, so take a look at our tips on disposing of cardboard boxes to deal with them responsibly.
Remove the ladder from the bunk and place safely to the side
Why not wrap as you go? Keep a blanket handy to wrap the ladder in before you place aside. The best place is with the mattresses, safely out of the way and ready for transport into the moving truck.
Be mindful of supporting screws
Supporting screws may fall off the bed as or after you remove the main screws. Ensure you are paying attention to these and continue to place screws into your plastic bag for safe keeping as you go.
Remove the ladder side of the bed and ensure all screws have been removed
As you take apart your bunk bed it is important to be thorough so you risk neither losing parts nor leaving hazards on the floor. You will also be saving yourself some hassle by ensuring all screws on this side of the bed have been taken out before you try to remove this side of the frame.
Remove this whole side of the bed
We recommend always working with more than one body when deconstructing or moving any furniture. It is especially important in this case, as with two people you can support the side that is still in tact from either end of the bed as you remove this side of the bunk bed frame. Before setting the bed back up in its new location, it is worth taking stock of the room, and our guide on decluttering your workspace offers practical ideas for making the most of the available space.
Once the sides are removed, continue by dismantling safety rails
The safety rail is attached to the outer side rail of the upper bunk via screws. Unscrew these and remove the safety rail, putting aside with other parts. Again, keep all screws together and ensure there are two people working to keep remaining attached parts of the bunk bed supported.
Take the other side of the bed apart as above
Taking apart a bunk bed is a matter of careful handling and teamwork. You will want to coordinate with the other person handling the task before flipping the frame of the bunk bed over to tackle the other side. If you would rather leave the heavy lifting to experts, our professional house removals team can handle the entire process from dismantling to delivery.
Secure all parts of the bed including the screws
It is a good idea to wrap each section of the bed individually to prevent scratching or damage in the moving truck. You can use strong tape to adhere the plastic bag with screws to one part of the bed or create a box of all hardware from all furniture so that everything is in the same place. Either way, it is essential that you label the plastic bag so you know where the screws belong!
Tips for making your dismantled bunk bed easy to assemble again on the other side:
- Keep all the bolts and screws in a plastic bag and label it so it doesn’t get lost in a pile with miscellaneous nuts and bolts from your relocation.
- Wrap the bed frames in protective moving blankets before loading them on the truck to prevent scratching and scuffing.
- Wrap your mattresses in plastic to keep dust out.
While we are sure you can do it by yourself we are happy to do it for you! With all the tasks moving requires you to complete we believe our assistance will really help you take a load off. Visit our our packing services page for more info or click Get Quote on any of our webpages and someone from our expert customer relations team will assist you. We are happy to help.
If you are looking to store your bunk bed and other belongings and have yet to find a place to do so, Removals and Storage Experts has a secure climate-controlled storage facility for Londoners.
