Bowing divan bed base. Can I fix a cheap bed base?
1 answers
2 comments
We’ve had said base for a couple of weeks now. It cost me close to £200 quid, all I could afford at the time.
However, my partner and I weight nearly 40 stone between us. So as you can expect it has already started to dip ever so slightly.
I’m interested in making this bed last quite a lot longer. I know from previous experience where my dad used to put sheets of wood on our slatted beds to stop them bowing.
Would a 9mm sheet of mdf wood stop the bowing of our divan? Or would you suggest a different type of wood?
I look forward to your reply.
Many thanks, Emily
Hi Emily,
Many thanks for your question asking what can be done to fix a broken divan. We're sorry to hear you're having issues with your divan.
We can appreciate that budget constraints can often mean having to be frugal with your new bed purchase. Most mattresses and bed frames are only made to accommodate around 35-40 stone in a joint weight limit.
Most retailers won't tell you that when you buy a new mattress base though. Which in your case can lead to your divan base bowing and breaking far sooner than you may expect.
Unfortunately, a bed frame for £200 is going to be made with the cheapest of materials using soft wood, glue and fibreboard which are not robust enough for the durability for long term use.
You could use MDF to try and level of the top of the bed base. In reality though, if it is bowing it is because of the frame not being strong enough to accommodate the weight and mattress sitting on top of it.
This is why choosing a quality well-constructed base is key. There are so many cheap mattress bases, that use softwood and weak joints. For lighter sleepers, this is not as noticeable but when there are two people sharing the bed the weaknesses can become apparent really quickly.
Putting MDF onto slats works as it helps evenly distribute the weight over the entire base. Slatted bases are notorious for enabling mattress sagging as the gaps between the slats often force the mattress in between them. Leading to an uneven and uncomfortable mattress regardless of the quality of the bed.
I think the best option is to speak to the seller about this base not being fit for purpose. Opting to choose a better quality base that is built to accommodate both the mattress and your bodyweight. Have a look at our bases to see the kind of quality construction you need to look for in a stable ad durable mattress base.
You notice we don't use slats in any of our bases or bed frames.
All the best with your search for a suitable bed base.
If you have any more mattress related questions please get back in touch on [email protected] or 0161 437 4419.
Sleep well
John & Ryan
Dreaming of the perfect nights sleep?
Hi, John & Ryan, I hope you don’t mind me leaving a coma here, but I recently bought a double divan bed frame with solid base, for me and my dog.
I only weigh 52kg and my dog weighs around 28kg and I’ve noticed that the bed base has bumps and dips, though the base and is not flat.
The matti bought weighs just short of 30kg and that itself is going back on Saturday because I’m waking up with intense pain throughout my arms and legs.
When I contacted the seller about my base of bed frame not being flat with dips and bumps and it also flexes, they advised me that this is quite normal.
Also, my mattress seems to slant backwards a tiny bit on torso end and I wasn’t sure if this was because memory foam hybrid mattress, the base not being totally flat or a bit of both.
The bed company sent me a new base but that also had large bump in middle of base.
As my new mattress is going back and the 2nd frame, probably also sending back the first frame too.
I already received a new mattress same as what a family member has. Unfortunately there’s was a single plush and when I ordered my double, I assumed it was the same but it’s a medium. Bit worried it may feel too hard but this mattress was literally 1/5 the cost of the 1 going back.
I was set on buying a new bed frame with slats for my new double mattress because in my mind, that will be totally flat and if the gaps was too large, I was simply going to buy some more wooden slats to make the gaps much smaller.
As I only weigh 52kg, looking to go up to 70kg because I’m underweight and my dog at about 28kg. Do you think a slatted frame with extra slats will be enough?
I’m just extremely stressed out about this, especially as for as long as I can remember, I get no more then 3 hours sleep per night and it’s always broken sleep.
I find that it takes hours to fall asleep, then constantly waking up and I find that when I wake up in morning I’m absolutely exhausted and sometimes I stay in bed for 4 more hours but even then I only fall asleep for short periods and it’s leaving me miserable.
What type of bed frame would you recommend? I could spend up to £500 and I see a lovely 1 for that price on Amazon but I also see 1 for little over £100 and as I’m not fussy and money isn’t great, I’m conflicted.
If you’re able to help, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Thank you, Graham.
Hi Graham,
Thank you for placing your comment regarding the problems you are encountering with your base.
If your base is sprung slatted which it sounds as though it is as it flexes and moves, I would recommend that you board this over with either MDF or Hardboard to provide a more uniformed flat surface and this should then stop the movement within the base.
Sprung slatted bases use wooden slats that clip into a bracket on each side and are curved. These curved sprung slats create an arch in the bed base which allows them to flex when pressure is applied to them. If you press on them they will flex and move.
These types of bases can cause a mattress to develop a central dip and this can easily be attributed to the use of a slatted bed frame where the pressure of the slats (the arches) are too firm to ‘give’ under the weight of the mattress and therefore the mattress is prone to settling on the central support bar. By adding MDF or Hardboard over the central area of the base, this should then stop that feeling of the rolling into the middle of the mattress and provide a more solid platform for your mattress. There is an article on our website relating to this which is in the ‘ Sleep Advice ‘ relating to Bases & Headboards and will provide you with more specific advice.
I hope this assists.
Regards Julie
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