DIY couch

An extra bed in an apartment is always a pleasure. You can relax yourself in the kitchen or on the balcony, as well as attach the unexpectedly arriving guests. But is it worth buying another sofa, if there is any doubt that it will fit in the space allotted for it? A couch with your own hands will be much cheaper, and you can make it strictly in size. You will learn about the intricacies of work from our article.

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The benefits of homemade furniture

Before you make a couch with your own hands, decide what you need. In fact, a homemade bed has three main characteristics:

• extremely simple, but strong and reliable design;
• flat surface of the necessary rigidity;
• The height of the head is adjustable.

The simpler the design, the fewer elements in it that fail. In addition, even a novice master makes a couch for himself and his loved ones, that is, he tries to ensure that his creation does not collapse at the most inopportune moment, and also perfectly matches the interior and tastes of the owners. Otherwise, there simply is no point in taking up work.

Smooth surface

The ideal option is a regular medical couch. It was done for the purpose of making it convenient for the patient to lie on it. Its most important feature is an even bed, without hollows and protrusions. It is suitable even for a person who has serious back problems.

Head height

You can, of course, make the couch flat - a kind of long trestle bed on a metal or wooden frame. But it is better if the height of the head of the head is adjusted, then you can sleep, read, and just relax in a half-sitting position on your creation.

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What to do?

Polyclinics have metal couches upholstered in leather or leatherette. This is very convenient because the metal frame can withstand heavy weight. And the leather cover is easy to care for - it is elementarily disinfected, blood stains and other dirt are well erased from it. But at home, the battle with microbes is far from being as violent as in a medical institution. Therefore, the materials you can take the ones you like.

A good replacement for the factory iron box from the emergency room is a do-it-yourself couch made of wood. This traditional material has its advantages:

• you can find breeds, products from which are no worse than steel;
• the tree is not subject to corrosion;
• it is much easier to process, besides, complex technologies like welding are not needed;

Choose a breed

For the frame, you need a beam 60x60 mm thick. He can be:

• oak;
• beech;
• pine;
• spruce;
• birch;
• from other breeds, down to boxwood and rosewood.

Important! Beech is most suitable. Oak for the first product is too heavy and too expensive. As for spruce or pine, they are easier and cheaper, but they are deformed under heavy weight. Birch is a good durable material, but rots faster than other breeds, therefore it needs more intensive processing. But in any case, you will need varnish and stain.

Bed

For the bed itself you are suitable:

• Chipboard;
• Plywood.

Important! The second option is preferable. It is best to choose a 20 mm thick eurofan. The quantity depends on the dimensions of the product. A standard sheet has dimensions of 2100x1200 mm, and this is quite enough for a regular size couch.

Upholstery material

Not only the appearance of your future masterpiece depends on this, but also how comfortable it will be on it. Foam is usually used for laying.Thickness depends on your addictions. If the bed is not particularly soft, a thickness of 2 cm is sufficient.

Important! Foam rubber has one drawback - it quickly decays. Therefore, you can be smart and pick up something else, such as penofol, remaining after the repair, or other rather soft foams.

As for the external coating, here, as they say, the following options are possible:

• leather;
• leatherette;
• flock;
• tapestry;
• microfiber;
• other dense materials, resistant to abrasion and able to keep their shape well.

Head lift mechanism

This is the most difficult moment. Two options are possible:

• step locking mechanism;
• gas lift.

The step locking mechanism has several positions. In an ordinary furniture store, you are unlikely to find anything suitable, as well as in an online store. But in big cities there are departments of furniture fittings, and you can ask there.

Important! Once such a mechanism was used on folding beds, so maybe you don’t have to buy anything - all of a sudden, somewhere in the grandfather's barn, a frame from a canvas folding bed on an aluminum frame was strewn.

Gas lift is a cushioning device. Its main drawback is that it allows you to set the headboard in only two positions. You need a micro-lift with a length of not more than 400 mm and with a force of 40 to 80 N.

Important! In the hardware store you can be offered lifting mechanisms designed for ottomans or sofas - it is better to immediately refuse this, for your purposes they definitely are not suitable.

Other fittings

Plywood parts and upholstery must be secured with something. To make a simple couch, you still need:

• confirmations 5x70 mm;
• self-tapping screws 4x16 mm;
• self-tapping screws 4x60 mm;
• metal corners 30x30 mm;
• butterfly loops;
• staples for stapler 12 mm;
• PVA glue emulsion.

Important! It is possible to cover the bed without a stapler, manually - then you need a hammer and wallpaper nails. It will take much more time.

Instruments

To work, you will need a set of carpentry tools:

• jigsaw;
• wood files;
• screwdriver;
• drills and bits;
• stapler;
• roulette;
• pencil;
• square;
• sandpaper;
• varnish and paint;
• brushes for varnish and paint.

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We make blanks

If the couch is designed for a person who is not all right with his back, it is better to make it above a standard sofa. First you need to make blanks:

• legs;
• bed;
• headboard;
• frame elements.

Legs

If you want your product to be high enough, cut the beam into pieces of 50 cm. But, of course, the legs can be longer and shorter. The main thing is that they are absolutely identical in length. Otherwise, the height will have to be adjusted already at the finished product, and this is extremely inconvenient.

Bed

A sheet of plywood for the head and for the bed is better to mark immediately. For the bed you need a rectangle of 170x70 cm, for the headboard - 38x70 cm.

Important! The sizes may be different - if, for example, you have a very tall person in your family, he might not have enough sleeping space a little over two meters. But make sure that the width of the bed and the head of the bed are the same.

Tsargi

Tsargi are the most important elements of any furniture. In this case, there are six of them:

• 2 long;
• 4 short.

Both are made from the same plywood. Long ones have dimensions 200x17 cm, short ones 56x17 cm.

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We are preparing the details

In order to make the couch in the hallway do-it-yourself in its place, much remains to be done. First you need to process all the details:

1. All wooden parts, except those on which the upholstery will be, clean and sand with sandpaper.
2. Saturate them with stain to give a beautiful color.
3. Coat the parts with furniture varnish.

Important! It is necessary to varnish every detail twice - let the first layer dry, go over again with a sandpaper, and then apply a second layer.

Cut foam

Foam rubber is often sold in large sheets - this is exactly what you need. Cut 2 details - for the bed and for the head.

Important! Do not forget to leave allowances sufficient to bend the gasket under the bottom of the bed and headrest. If you do not, the upholstery will constantly come into contact with the wooden parts and quickly wipe.

Upholstered couch

Cut out 2 rectangles - allowances should be such that you can bend the fabric on the back of the product and bend.

Important! Do not be afraid to leave too much, the excess can then be cut off, although this is not necessary.

We carry out the work:

1. Nail the long edge of the upholstery to the long side of the couch without pulling.
2. Pull the fabric to the middle of the opposite long side.
3. Nail it in the middle.
4. Gradually pull and pin in the direction of the corners.
5. In the same order, attach the trim to the short sides.
6. Cut off excess in corners.
7. Upholst the headrest in the same way.

Assembly

When all the parts have been processed, you can proceed with the assembly:

1. In the short dies, drill holes for the 5mm confirmative screws at the ends.
2. In long plinths, drill the same holes in the planes, diameter - 8 mm.
3. Install a short drawer at a distance of 40 cm from the mounting of the headrest.
4. Assemble the frame.
5. Drill holes in the drawers for self-tapping screws, which will attach the legs - diameter 5 mm.
6. Drill holes with a diameter of 2.5 mm in the legs.
7. Fasten the legs.
8. Screw the corners around the perimeter of the frame - this does not need to be done where the head restraint will be.
9. Screw the couch to the corners.
10. Put butterfly loops at the junction of the bed and the head.
11. Set the head height adjuster.

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Other couch options

Knowing the general principle of manufacturing such furniture, you can easily cope with other models. It can be:

• daybed with lifting seats:
• a bed with a box for linen;
• couches with shelves and drawers;

The methods of processing materials will be the same as for the simplest couch. But here the assembly order can be very different, as are the fasteners. For example:

• The couch bed with rising seats consists of 2-3 elements that are attached to the sides with furniture hinges. The seats are screwed in last.
• For a couch with shelves you will need twice as much plywood than for ordinary. The shelves are fixed between the legs, the frame is more rigid and durable.

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Stock footage

In a word, there are a lot of models of homemade couches - and nothing prevents you from coming up with your own. And you will enjoy the result of your work during a comfortable stay.