Tips On How To Disassemble Wooden Bunk Beds

About Me
Packing Tips For Home Removals

Hello, my name is Pippa. Welcome to my blog. Earlier this year, we decided to move to a bigger home. Our house was bursting at the seams with three kids and a handful of pets so we decided to move to a bigger property further out of town. To be honest, I didn’t think that the moving process would take much effort on our part, but I forgot just how much stuff we have. I also wanted to make unpacking as smooth as possible so we knew exactly where everything was and weren’t living out of boxes for weeks. While we got some useful packing advice and help from our removalists, my husband and I also put together a packing plan that suited us and the kids. I started this website to jot down some of our ideas and tips — hope it helps you pack effectively for your move!

Tips On How To Disassemble Wooden Bunk Beds

26 July 2016
 Categories: , Blog


When moving home, it helps if you can be well-prepared.  This will save both you and your removalists time and hassle on the day of your move.  One way in which you can help to smooth the process is by dismantling bulky items of furniture such as wooden bunk beds.  Here's a quick guide on how to do it.

How to disassemble wooden bunk beds

The only tools that you need for this job are a hammer or mallet and a screwdriver.  You'll also need some packing tape, removable sticky labels, and a marker pen.

With the exception of the mattress support slats, you'll need to label each item as you disassemble it.  This will make sure that you don't struggle to reassemble the bunks when you reach your destination.

  1. First of all, strip the mattresses of sheets and other linens and remove them from the bunks.  
  2. Next, you need to remove the slats that support each mattress.  These strips run parallel widthways across the beds, resting on the edge of each side rail and supporting the mattress.  These slats are free-resting so, to remove them, all you need to do is lift them off.  Place the slats in packing boxes, stacked on their horizontal edges to avoid warping during storage.  
  3. Now you need to remove the side rails from each bunk.  To do this, you'll need to remove the leg and rail joint that attaches the side rails to the foot and headboards.  Take a pair of pliers and pull out all the dowels that support each joint.  You may need to tap the inside end of each dowel with a hammer, simultaneously pulling the dowel with your pliers.  
  4. Once the dowels have been removed, tap the area on the headboard above the rail and leg joint.  This will release the joint and allow you to remove the side rail.  Separate all four joints and then stack the rails, footboard and headboard ready for removal.  
  5. Now remove the safety rail from the upper bunk.  To do this, simply unscrew the four retaining screws and tape them to the side of the safety rail so that they don't get lost during the move.

In conclusion

Dismantling your wooden bunk beds is a relatively simple job that you can carry out yourself by following the above guidelines.  However, if you'd rather leave this to an expert, your furniture removalists will be pleased to do the job for you.