How To Repair Bed Frame Rail Hooks

For decades, bed manufacturers in America used a standard hook bracket that was inserted into the cease on a bed's rails. They were held in identify by 2 metal dowels. See below:

Over time, these get loose and wiggle. The metal dowels wallow out the holes drilled into the inside face of the track. Eventually, they twist to the point that they come out of the pocket they are supposed to rest in and the subclass pulls out. Remounting the subclass in the aforementioned manner it was originally placed will not actually exist an option for a couple of reasons:

The rail itself probably cracked along the grain (or ply) where the slot was cut into the end (where the bracket was mounted.)
The holes drilled for the metallic dowels that secure the brackets accept become wallowed out and volition not concord the dowels securely whatever longer.

Almost manufacturers of these beds volition non be able to supply you with a replacement track. If they could, it most likely would non match in colour. You can notice metal hook on runway from companies like Leggett & Platt, but this looks cheap and may non fit tightly since they are a universal fit. Some shops volition make a client a set of rails for a price of $159 to $235 per rail depending on size and blazon of woods co-ordinate to The Washington Mail service article here.

Bed Rail — Newly synthetic rail with original blazon hook placement. Plywood structure with birch veneer.

Your best choice is to accept the rail, or rails, repaired so that they tin be as proficient every bit new, or better – this will save time, money and guarantee a finish match.

Hiring a professional piece of furniture repair visitor to install hook brackets on-site tin can be a little expensive, merely worth it in most cases if you cannot perform the repair. Fortunately, the repair is actually a Do-It-Yourself project. It only requires a set of offset hook brackets , 3/iv″ wood screws, a Phillips screwdriver, and in some cases a chisel to remove a tiny bit of wood.

***IMPORTANT*** MAKE SURE YOU ARE USING "OFFSET" BRACKETS. The offset will place your hooks right in the heart of the end of the rail where the original subclass was located. Offset brackets are only available at Square 23, while other flat ones are unremarkably institute online. If a flat plate is used, information technology will cause each rail to sit 3/eight″ wider to the outside than originally designed. While it volition still allow the bed to be used over again, this could cause a setup issue with your slats, as wells equally the gap betwixt your box spring and rails will be wider. Not just a potential cosmetic issue, but a structural one as well. It'south important for the bed slats to rest fully on the rail support cleat. If the bed slats get a little too short due to moving the rails out 3/4″, your foundation and mattress could autumn through to the flooring.

Unproblematic ASSEMBLY AND REPAIR EXPLAINED

When looking at a runway, lay information technology down "left to right" with the inside facing up. The brackets accept a "Left" and a "Right" side in order to permit the hooks on either cease to face down and grip the metal pins inside the slot on the headboard and footboard of the bed. They are non interchangeable from end to terminate.

If in that location is a substantial crack on the top of the runway, add wood gum into the crack by carefully prying it apart just a bit with a flat screwdriver. This is not mandatory, but will help stabilize the integrity of the rail. Later, identify the hook plate at the appropriate terminate as a dry fit. At that place may exist instances where the slat support cleat will need to be trimmed to make room for the plate. This can usually be accomplished with a mitt saw. You will demand about 3 inches of space between the end of the track and the cleat.

After placing the plate on the end of the rail correctly, I recommend tracing it's location with a pencil before mounting. Make sure the hooks are in exactly the same position on each end so the rail will be level once mounted. I also recommend to have a chisel and fleck out the wood on the very end of the rails about 2 mm and then the hook can set up back enough to allow the confront of the rails to come across affluent with the face of the headboard or footboard.

Use three/4″ to 1″ max countersink caput wood screws in the holes (5 per plate) to secure the subclass. The screws will exist long plenty to pull any crack together by acting as a clamp. They are brusk enough to non go all the manner through the rail and stick out the finished side. I as well recommend to add a heavy duty agglutinative to bail the plate to the rail. Liquid nails is a condom bet. It'south bachelor at Wal Mart or Home Depot.

These brackets will exist more secure than the originals and last for a lifetime with normal usage. They will besides be a seamless fit that will non cause a cosmetic, or setup issue with your bed. The unabridged process will take an hour or less- and save a perfectly good bed.

WHERE TO Get Commencement BRACKETS

If you lot need a fix of offset brackets, please click here.

Many people take commented that they cannot find the beginning brackets anywhere other than this website. We offer them on Amazon for $29.99 with costless shipping in the US.