Width for bed slats?

[RobOfYork]

I am going with either a 6in or 8in memory foam mattress. Because of the price of wood I want to go with wood slats to rest the mattress on.

Any suggestions on what width and thickness of slats to use? Also how wide the gaps can be and not have a problem if you are walking across the be on your knees?

 

[user 423]

Mine is 32" wide and on plywood. Sits behind the driver's seat so I needed to keep width down. Cot size sheets available.

1x4's are 3/4" x 3-5/8" wide and would be plenty strong. You get three 32" slats from an 8-footer.

You could experiment with spacing before you nail them down to see what would work.

 

[RobOfYork]

What I am asking about is the slats that lay on top of the frame that replace the plywood. That the mattress lays on.

Maybe I worded my first post wrong.

 

[bullfrog]

What I did was use a damaged interior door then glued a thin sheet of plywood on top as that was the cheapest most sturdy solution. I bought a damaged door for less than $20 at the big box store that was 30" x 80" then had them cut a piece of 3/8" plywood I glued on top. At over 200 lbs I can jump on it without it breaking. Should you ever manage to do any damage to it you can drill a hole on the back side and push the piece back in place, fill it through the hole with spray foam, plug the hole with a wooden dowel and cut it flush after everything dries. I used 4-1 1/2" square legs on one side and a rail along the wall to support it so I could slide storage bins on the floor underneath it. No heavy framing or thick plywood. If you filled it with foam you could probably get away with 1/4" plywood on top or maybe even a sheet of luan.

 

[MGfromBC]

When I've made cots or beds I've always used 1x4 or 1x6 and left spaces between them of a similar size.  If you are going to be moving around on top of it you could cover the slats with pegboard to allow weight distribution between the slats as well as allowing air to get under the mattress.
MG

 

[user 423]

What I am asking about is the slats that lay on top of the frame that replace the plywood. That the mattress lays on.

Sorry, I only mentioned plywood because that's what I'm using now. 

On a different van I used 1x4's. 1x3's would probably work also.

If you will have a twin size bed you might consider using Ikea slats.

With the price of lumber being so high these days, they might be as cheap as buying 1x4's.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/luroey-slatted-bed-base-60160217/

 

[MrNoodly]

How much, um, load will the slats need to bear?

 

[RobOfYork]

How much, um, load will the slats need to bear?

Two adults that both way less that 150 pounds each.

 

[user 423]

Two adults that both way less that 150 pounds each.

How wide will your mattress be? The width makes a difference on what size lumber to use and/or the spacing.

If it will be full size (54") you would need 10' long 1x4's (2 slats out of each 10-footer). You would probably need to space them fairly close together; say about 2-1/2" gap.

So if the bed is 78" long you would need about 14 slats. That would be (7) 10-foot long 1x4's. Probably pretty expensive.

 

[MrNoodly]

...You would probably need to space them fairly close together...

I think with a bed wider than a single there should be a longitudinal center beam, with its own leg in the center.

 

[user 423]

^
Yes, that would be a better way to go. Fewer slats needed but then more lumber to buy for the beam.

I think if I had room for a full-size bed I would just use a regular bed frame.

 

[RobOfYork]

How wide will your mattress be? The width makes a difference on what size lumber to use and/or the spacing.

If it will be full size (54") you would need 10' long 1x4's (2 slats out of each 10-footer). You would probably need to space them fairly close together; say about 2-1/2" gap.

So if the bed is 78" long you would need about 14 slats. That would be (7) 10-foot long 1x4's. Probably pretty expensive.

Will most likely be queen size in width. And I will be using a center beam support.

 

[user 423]

Will most likely be queen size in width. And I will be using a center beam support.

So 2 slats per 10-footer means no waste. You could space them out more since they will only span 30".

I think MGfromBC has a great idea with using pegboard to distribute the weight and provide air circulation.

 

[RobOfYork]

So far this is what is sounding pretty good from the comments.

Queen size memory foam mattress with a center brace.

1x4 slats spaced 4" apart. Then put down 3/16 pegboard over them.

Would the small holes in the pegboard be enough ventilation though?

 

[bullfrog]

I would waterproof the pegboard as it doesn't stay together too well should it get wet.

 

[RobOfYork]

I would waterproof the pegboard as it doesn't stay together too well should it get wet.

Any suggestions on what to waterproof it with?

 

[bullfrog]

I always have some exterior water based acrylic enamel semi gloss house paint around because when I go to the big box store I ask in the paint department when they keep their reduced price "oops" paint. It is usually 1/2 price or less but most people use several coats of thinned polyurethane as it soaks into the surface better. If you look on tnttt.com and search for "the mix" it details the process.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah peg board is not water resistant at all. Just a note the water based clears are not water proof not even the exterior versions. You would need to use a true polyurethane or an epoxy. another note either one of those is going to off gas for awhile. If it was me I wouldn't use peg board. Highdesertranger