What can be more annoying than a squeaking bed when you are trying to catch some beauty sleep?After a long day at the office or at school, the last thing anybody needs is a noisy bed.
For some people, it is even more bearable to have noisy neighbors than a noisy bed.
why does my bed squeak? you might wondering!
If the squeaky noise comes up each time you make a movement on the bed, then there is a high possibility of your bed having loose joints. It may also be that your bed frame is old and when the bed has pressure, this causes the old frames to squeak “in protest”.
In this post, we will discuss the most common causes of a squeaking bed and also explain the different ways to fix a squeaky Wooden Or Metal Bed.
We will also drop a few tips to help you prevent your bed from developing squeaks in the future.
common cause of a squeaky bed
While a squeaking bed may seem quite mundane compared to other issues, when it is constant, it gets annoying.
Once you discover that your bed is beginning to make these horrible noises, you should find the cause.
This is the only way you can fix it and begin to enjoy your jolly night or afternoon sleep.
There are several profound causes of squeaks in your bed. In this section, we will take a look at the most common causes of those irritating shrill sounds your bed makes.
1: Defective or broken springs
Beds can be made from wood or metal. When they are made of metal, they are likely to come with springs.
Probably out of wear and tear or poor design, one of these springs could get out of place. The aberration could also be a result of improper use.
This is usually the first thing you should check for when you hear your bed squeaking. Sometimes, the spring may be inside your mattress and not even a part of the bed frame.
In this case, it is always difficult to isolate the broken spring. Your best bet is seeking professional help in this case so you don’t ruin the mattress.
2: Springs need lubrication
When you make use of your bed for a while, squeaking becomes inevitable. How soon the squeaks begin is mostly dependent on the quality of the bed.
Sometimes, the solution is not taking out a broken spring since all the springs might still be in place.
What you need to do in this case is minor lubrication. This enables your springs to bounce better without any noise.
This task may also be a bit difficult for a novice. If you are not able to locate the squeaky spring, then you may seek help from an experienced professional.
3: Unbalanced legs
This is one of the most common causes of squeaking in beds. There are times when the legs that support the frame are wrongly positioned.
As a result of this, they don’t provide the needed support anymore.
It is possible that the legs aren’t standing at the same height. Because of this, any movement causes a certain irritating noise.
It is also possible that your floor is not straight which may cause the imbalance.
When you notice that this is the case, all you need to do is rearrange the legs of your bed. Find the best angles and you will eliminate the noise without spending a dime.
4: When the mattress isn’t rightly positioned
Sometimes, your problem lies in the angle at which the mattress is positioned in relation to the bed.
The position of your mattress may cause the bed to move at an awkward angle when you sleep. This will consequently cause a lot of noise while you are moving in your sleep.
The best way to fix this issue is to ensure that you position the mattress parallel to your floor. Ensure that the mattress lays flat and you will eliminate the squeaky noise.
5: The frame needs to be tightened
After long periods of use, the fittings holding your bedframe together will begin to come loose.
This will be noticed in beds made of either wood or metal. When the joints are coming loose, the wise thing to do is to tighten them.
Always run a routine check for any missing components. Also, check if any loose screws need retightening.
Once you tighten all of these, the frame’s components will stop rubbing against each other. This will help to stop the squeaking noise.
6: A need for oiling
Another probable reason why you have a squeaking bed is that there is a need for oiling. Sometimes, all the screws and fittings are perfectly in place.
But the fact that they are metals and there is no oil means they will squeak when they rub against each other.
If your bed frame is made of metal, we advise that you apply oil to the rivets. On the other hand, if it is made of wood, you can try using paste wax.
Both materials will ensure adequate lubrication which eliminates squeaks.
6 Easy Ways to Stop a Wooden or Metal Bed from Squeaking
Finding out the cause of the irritating squeaks is one thing, fixing the problem is a different ball game. You can visit a professional to handle the problem on your behalf.
However, we believe in doing it yourself. This is why we have put together a few fixes that you can try out yourself at home.
With any of these methods, you should enjoy relative peace when you sleep. No more squeaks, so except if you have noisy neighbors, you should be sleeping fine from now.
To the simple hacks to save you from your squeaking bed.
1: Tighten up any loose joints or fittings
In most cases, tightening some Loose Joints Or Fittings is actually all you need to do to stop a bed from squeaking. There are several pieces of metal holding your bed together, even if it is made from wood.
It is natural that after some time, the metal components will loosen out of place. This may be the result of wear and tear, design, positioning, to mention a few.
Regardless of the cause of the loose metal-ware, fixing it results in peaceful sleep. You can handle this process yourself, all you need is screwdrivers or a wrench.
A screwdriver works for screws while you’ll need a wrench for bolts.
One of the reasons why the bolts or screws may loosen easily is that they aren’t held in place with washers.
If you notice that there are no washers or the ones present are worn, get new ones. When you do, screw the bolts or screws into place using the washers to keep them steady.
After doing this, you shouldn’t have any squeaks from your bed. If you do, then you should try this next method.
2: Lubricating the joints
Certain parts of your bed will begin to squeak after a while. This is usually due to wear and tear or very tight joints.
When the joints are very tight that the metals there begin to rub against each other, they squeak. This issue isn’t seen in old beds alone, new beds also have the same problem.
If you don’t find a solution to this, and you work on tightening the joints alone, the noise will get worse.
Depending on the kind of bed (wood or metal) beeswax or some other form of lubricant will come in handy.
For some people, they prefer to make use of spray lubricants. Whichever lubricant you are comfortable with, get it and make use of it.
When lubricating the joints of your bed, we advise that you take down the mattress. This way, you don’t soil it with the lubricant.
For some people, moving the bed outdoors is better. If your bed can be moved in this manner, then you should consider the option. Otherwise, you apply the lubricant with some extra care.
Apply several coats of lubricant over the different joints. You can purchase lubricants from any home improvement or hardware store around.
If you can’t find any specialized lubricant for the process, try candle wax instead. Candle wax may be old-fashioned, but it is just as effective.
3: Add some padding
Sometimes, your squeaking bed may be the result of the slats. The slats may be coming out of place or may just need a little padding. You can supply this padding with some old clothing.
If you have some old t-shirts or socks, simply layer them over the slats attached to your bed frame.
What this does is create a barrier preventing the metal or wood frame from rubbing against the mattress. With lesser friction, the squeaks are likely to stop.
If you don’t have any old clothes, then you can find cork. Fill the void between the mattress and the bed frame with the cork.
This way, you can eliminate the friction between the bed frame and mattress. As a result of this, you don’t have any noise to contend with anymore.
4: Check your bed’s legs
We told you earlier how the legs of your bed can cause it to squeak. When the feet of your bed are not well-positioned or they are rubbing against the floor, there’ll be squeaks. It is even worse if you have a hardwood floor.
The worst part is that the legs can begin to scratch the floor making it lose its beauty. Of course, you don’t want that to happen.
We can’t also rule out the fact that the floor may not be straight or the legs may be uneven.
To fix this, you may have to reposition the bedframe. If the squeaking noise continues, then you have to purchase a couple of furniture pads.
These pads ensure a reduction in the friction occurring between the bed frame and the floor. If you are not able to buy furniture pads, your old socks can come in handy once again.
Using old socks is just a temporary fix. Ultimately, you’ll need to find the pads for your bed’s legs. You can get them at any furniture store or buy them online.
5: Reinforce your bed’s foundation
In some cases, the problem may lie in the foundation of your bed. This is more common with beds in an RV.
When your bed doesn’t come with a strong foundation, you have to reinforce. If you don’t, then get ready for loads of squeaks that will keep you up all night long.
In reinforcing your bed’s foundation, all you need to do is add extra supports for the bed. You can make use of several materials for this reinforcement process.
The two most common materials are plywood and cinder blocks. Any of them will do a perfect job.
6: Buy a new frame
If your bed frame isn’t too old, you are probably not thinking in this direction.
However, if you have tried the different methods on this list and you still have a squeaking bed, there’s no other choice.
Finding a new bedframe may be a herculean task, especially if you are on a budget.
There are several things to consider when buying a new bedframe. Some of these factors include but aren’t restricted to:
- Personal budget
- Mattress size
- Your room size
- The type of sheets you have
- The material used, either metal or wood
With these factors, you should be able to get a very nice bed at an affordable price.
Don’t forget that you also need to check buyer reviews as well. This gives you a clear picture of the kind of bed you want to pay for.
Steps to take to prevent a bed from squeaking
A squeaking bed is a serious problem when you consider that you have to put up with that sound all night.
We have shown you what can cause your bed to squeak and how to fix it when it occurs.
From the lists above, it should be easy to decipher what to do to prevent this situation from occurring.
We will outline a few tips you can adopt to avoid squeaks from your bed in this section.
- Conduct frequent checks: on your bed frame and mattress to be sure no spring or metalware is out of place. Once you notice anyone, quickly fix it before it starts to make noise.
- Frequently lubricate the joints of your bed frame: When the joints are not lubricated, they become tight which leads to the irritating noise. Use oil to lubricate the joints frequently t avoid this.
- Clean your bed frequently: When there is an accumulation of dust, it affects the joints and dries up lubrication. Soon, your bed will begin to squeak. This is why you need to clean the bedframe frequently.
- Check the position of the legs: Do this frequently as there is a possibility of your bed shifting which may result in squeaking noises. If you have to, reinforce the foundation of your bed.
Wrapping Up
A squeaking bed is annoying, frustrating, and really irritating. We have shown you the causes of this situation, how to fix it, and how to avoid it. If you think we left anything out, share them in the comments section.
Jessica is a Acoustical Engineer, currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. After graduating from her degree in Master of Engineering degree in Acoustics from Solent University in 2014, Jessica worked for a few companies before She will be blogging about her past and current experiences in the studio and sharing her journey as she pursues her career goals. She enjoy the balance of work inside and out of the office, solving practical problems on a daily basis as every project is different and requires a different solution, the variety of work (sound insulation testing, background noise survey, mechanical plant commissioning, external plant assessment, plant room breakout assessments) and the mix of independent and team work.