Bed slats

The most important parts of a comfortable and high-quality bed are the frame and base. Today, consumers most often choose models in which the base has wooden lamellas of a straight or curved shape. Furniture with such details provides for the installation of an orthopedic mattress useful for the spine.

In another way, lamellas are called slats or lats. They are a set of slightly curved planks. This design forms an elastic grid with a springy effect, on which the mattress is subsequently laid. These parts have different fixings. The most common are strap slats or rigid attachments.

More recently, only simple beds with a solid flat and rigid base were present on the furniture market. Such designs are durable and easy to install. However, sleeping on them is not as comfortable as on rack and pinion specimens. The solid bottom has no holes and lacks the breathable properties necessary for the hygiene and durability of the mattress.

As a rule, such bases are made from cheap materials. It can be a structure made of toxic chipboard, fiberboard or plywood. It is believed that such elements have long outlived their usefulness. They are not very comfortable and tough. Another disadvantage of a full day is that without additional supports, it can bend under the influence of a heavy mattress.

Rack bases are in many ways superior to similar cheap designs. Firstly, they are most often made from high quality and durable materials. For example, it can be natural wood or durable metal. Secondly, in addition to a long service life, such structures are distinguished by their wear resistance. They are quite difficult to break or damage.

Sleeping and resting on slatted bases is more comfortable, as they are anatomical and enhance the orthopedic effect of the mattresses. Lying on such sleeping places, the spine assumes the correct and comfortable position, which brings only benefits to the body. Beds with such elements are ideal for people suffering from certain diseases associated with the spine. In addition, the louvred orthopedic bases have excellent ventilation characteristics. These beneficial properties allow you to extend the life of the mattress and maintain its hygiene.

High-quality and comfortable bases with slats can have different modifications in accordance with the shape and configuration of the bed.

• The simplest are the foundations with straight timber battens... Such structures are most often equipped with stationary beds without folding or sliding mechanisms and an electric drive.
• Ideal for comfortable rest and sleep lamellas-transformers... Their surface can change depending on the position of the body. Thanks to these functions, the bed can take absolutely any, the most comfortable form for complete relaxation. Such designs are very popular today. They can be controlled both manually and using a special electrical transformation mechanism.
• There are also slats regulating the rigidity of the berth... They are equipped with special attachments in those areas that are subject to maximum stress. These small details allow you to change the level of stiffness of the latoflexes. Such slats are ideal for people with problems associated with the lumbar spine, as well as those with a lot of weight.

Also, the lamellas vary in width. Bed bases are fitted with narrow or wide slats.

Budget beds are beds with wider details. They are quite comfortable and inexpensive. Such structures can easily perform their main function. The width of such slats starts from the mark of 60 mm.

The distance between wide slats in the finished base structure rarely exceeds a width equal to one lamella. Structures with more impressive distance between the planks can be unreliable and prone to breakage.

A type of mattress such as a "bonnel" or a version with independent springs is also suitable (the density should not exceed 300 springs per sq. M.).

Bases with narrow lamellas are more comfortable and perfect. Bedroom furniture with such elements is characterized by unsurpassed comfort characteristics. Most often, narrow strips with a width of 38 mm are used. The distance between them is usually slightly less than their width.

This effect is also achieved through the use of durable rubber lat holders. Such details provide an optimal flexible and elastic connection of the slats to the bed frame.

However, it should be borne in mind that furniture with a similar base will cost more. It is recommended to combine bed models with these bases with high-quality orthopedic mattresses with independent springs of the "micro-package" or "multi-package" type.

Typically, the battens are attached to a sturdy metal frame. Most often, a square pipe is used for such structures. The lamellas themselves are made of wood. This material is distinguished by its environmental friendliness and durability. The most inexpensive are the bases in which the slats are made of birch or pine. Expensive specimens are equipped with armor made of more noble wood species. For example, it can be solid oak or beech.

Such structures are capable of withstanding heavy loads. Also, they are not subject to deformation and breakage. But do not forget that natural wood requires special care. To extend the life of wooden lamellas, it is necessary to treat them with special protective impregnations that protect the material from moisture, as well as paint and varnish coatings. The latter are needed so that the tree does not dry out and does not lose its strength over time.

Antiseptic treatment will be very helpful. Such compositions are able to protect natural material from the appearance of parasites. High-quality and reliable wood lamellas are distinguished by their elasticity, since the wood fibers have one direction. This distinctive characteristic emphasizes the superiority of such elements in comparison with chipboard and plywood, which do not lend themselves to bending.

As a rule, the slats are attached to the bed frame using special holders (tips). These parts are made of plastic, rubber or polypropylene. The tips are attached to the frame with special rivets or furniture staples. There is another way to attach the slats to the bed, in which each individual piece is placed in a special metal frame stand.

Such designs initially have prepared holes designed for the installation of tips. Such reliable furniture does not require rivets or furniture staples.

Lamellas can be 38, 50, 53, 63, 80, 83 mm wide. The thickness of these parts depends on their width and can be 8 or 12 mm.

Lamellas can be of different lengths. This indicator ranges from 450 to 1500 mm.

If you want your bed to be as comfortable and reliable as possible, then you should pay special attention to the number of slats on the iron frame. The thicker the lattice base, the stronger and more reliable it is. Bases with sparse lamellas can bend and deform over time. It will be uncomfortable to sleep on such beds.

In addition, when choosing a high-quality and comfortable orthopedic frame, be sure to take into account the material it consists of. This characteristic directly affects the durability and strength of the structure. The strongest and most solid are considered to be oak and beech slats. Birch and pine parts are less durable. Bases made from such materials should only be used by lightweight users.

The choice of a suitable orthopedic base with dimensions 140x200, 180x200 and 160x200 cm with lamellas depends largely on the mattress. So, for a model with an independent spring block, it is better to choose a structure equipped with narrower rails. The selection of such a design is especially relevant if the weight of a person sleeping on it exceeds 90 kg. This is due to the fact that independent springs are not fastened to each other and do not have a single frame, from which they take the load not on the entire block at once, but only on some of its sections.

It is worth noting the fact that orthopedic mattresses today are often equipped with a large number of springs per 1 sq. m, which directly affects their small radius. Therefore, when using a base with wide battens, such springs can slip into large gaps between the lamellas and lose their orthopedic qualities.

When choosing an orthopedic base for a bed, you need to pay attention to such design parameters as:

• frame height from floor level;
• reliability of fastening the rails to the frame;
• the absence of unnecessary sounds and squeaks when you click on the structure.

Installing the slats is very simple. This requires:

1. Put the tip (holder) on a separate bar.
2. Next, it must be inserted into a small hole made in the frame. At this point, the lamellas bend slightly. Do not be afraid of this, as they are most often made from flexible materials.

The lamellas can be attached to the frame using various lath holders.

• Overhead the options resemble a small box with two pins. These details are put on the rail from both sides and, as it were, "snapped" into the furniture frame. However, these mounting options are only suitable for beds with metal frames.

• In targeting mountsIn addition to the box, there are holder corners. The installation of such parts is as follows: the fasteners are put on the lamella from both sides with the holder down. After that, the parts are fixed to the frame with a stapler. This type of support is only suitable for wooden beds.
• There are also mortise plate holders... These elements include a mounting box and a retainer rim. The listed parts are necessary for the installation of lamellas to metal frames. The use of such lat holders is recommended for people with certain knowledge and skills.

You will learn how to install the slats in the bed with your own hands from the following video.