Why is my bed frame squeaking?

Possible reasons for a squeaky bed:

There are many factors that can cause a bed to squeak, such as the mattress, box spring, frame etc. This is why it is important to examine all the possible factors when determining what the cause of the squeaking could be as this way you will be able to get to the route of the problem and hopefully eliminate it. 

Certain mattresses become squeakier with time, like an innerspring or foam mattress. Both of these mattresses have a metal coiled system which can be the culprit of the pesky squeaking this can happen because of the coils pushing against one another, this happens increasingly more as the coils start to age. However, mattresses such as latex will never squeak as it has no coils incorporated into it. Box springs present the same problem as the innerspring mattress does, they both have metal coils that rub against one another. Ultimately if your innerspring mattress or box spring are the causes of the annoying squeaking then it will be time to replace them.

If you find that the issue is your bed frame and that is what is causing the noise, then it will probably be caused from the abrasion between the joints.  A cause that isn’t as popular but could be the potential reason to why you can hear squeaking is that there may be resistance between the bed and floor or even the walls that are nearby the bed frame. if you determine that this is the problem that the reason to why this happens could be because of an unbalanced base that could be caused from an unstable leg. 

How to fix a squeaky bed frame: 

Before you set out to fix a squeaky bed you need to first identify what the problem is and then think of a way to strategically solve that problem. This is because you don’t want to head in to fixing the problem all guns blazing only to realise you haven’t even identified the exact cause yet. Targeting the wrong cause won’t fix the issue and will just force you to endure the squeaking for an even longer period of time, which of course no one wants. So, it is important to firstly identify the cause and you can work out a way on how to solve the problem and fix the squeaking. 

4 easy steps on how to fix or a prevent a bed from squeaking:

1.Recognizing the cause- As I have stated countless times the first and most crucial step is to recognise the cause of the squeaking, once you have done that it will be plain sailing fingers crossed. The potential causes of the squeaking could be the coils in the mattress rubbing together, you will only face this issue if the mattress you have is made from and metal coiled system, this is only in mattresses such as foam and innerspring. The second cause could be the box spring that you are using to provide support, as a box spring is there to provide support it also has hundreds of coils which could be creating friction bed the bed and the wood of itself. 

You can test if the mattress is causing the squeaking by carrying out a mini test, all you have to do is place the mattress on the floor and lay on top of it to see if your ca still hears the squeaking. If you can hear it then you will know that it is the mattress and if you can’t hear anything then you will know that something else is the culprit, if the mattress is the issue there is a high possibility that you will have to replace it. And if you feel that the box spring is causing the squeaking then you will need to dispose of your current one and purchase a new one. 

And lastly if the bed frame is causing the squeaking there are tips and tricks to fix this issue in the comfort of your home and thankfully will not need to purchase a new bed frame. Fixing a squeaky bed frame should be pretty quick and easy. 

2.Strengthen joints- Almost all bed frames are made with metal bolts and screws to keep the joints together and secure and over time these bolts and screws can become loose. This is a popular cause of squeaking and you should check to see if this is the cause as it can be solved very easily. All you have to do is retighten all the joints on the bed frame using a screwdriver or a wrench whatever you have to hand is fine. If you have taken these steps and the squeaking doesn’t stop then you can carry on trying to identify the cause. 

3.Lubrication of joints- For all bed frames that have metal bolts and screws, using a lubricant can be very beneficial. This is because adding lubrication to metal bed frames, bolts and screws can help quieten any noise or squeakiness. WD-40 would work just fine for this and is an ideal lubrication. 

4.Adding padding to the bed frame- A lot of people tend to find that any noise such as squeaking can be caused by the bed frame rubbing against the mattress and creating abrasion. If this is the issue if you add additional padding in between the mattress and the bed frame, then this can really help to quieten down and minimise the noise. To do this you won’t need to purchase anything all you will need is some thing fabric such as a t-shirt or a scarf. You will need to place this on top of the bed bedframe and then place your mattress back on top of the fabric, which should diminish any squeaking. 

There are some other steps you can also try out to help with the problem. You can add specially made furniture adding to the legs of the bed frame which will prevent the bed frame rubbing against the floor. Another factor that maybe causing the noise is an uneven floor, if this is the case you can add additional padding to the legs of the bed frame which are unbalanced due to the uneven floor. If you have a wooden bed frame and a wooden floor then this will be an issue as they can rub against each other and cause friction, to solve this problem you will need to apply a light layer of bees wax or even candle wax to the are of concern which will help to reduce the amount of tension.