Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Determining the cause of the squeak
• Part 2 of 3: Eliminating the squeak
• Part 3 of 3: Quick Ways to Fix Problems
• Tips

There is nothing more annoying than a bad night's sleep from a creaky bed. Fortunately, there is no need to spend a lot of money on new furniture to get rid of the squeak. Identifying the exact source of the unpleasant sound and tightening and lubricating the butt joints of the bed frame will help you eliminate creaking and restore restful sleep.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Determining the cause of the squeak

1. 1 Remove the mattress and orthopedic base from the bed. Remove the mattress and orthopedic base from the bed. The orthopedic base is a special base made of wooden slats that is located under the mattress. Place the mattress and orthopedic bed base on the floor.
2. 2 Check for squeaks on the mattress. You need to make sure the mattress itself is not the source of the squeak before you move on to checking the bed frame. Climb on the mattress and move a little, if you hear a creak, the cause of the creak is the mattress.
3. 3 Check the orthopedic bed base for squeaks. Press down on top of it and try to wiggle it. If you hear a creak, it is probably the orthopedic base that is causing the problem, not the bed frame.
4. 4 Rock the legs of the bed and listen carefully. Squeaking often occurs at the butt joints between bed legs and the rest of the bed frame, so try rocking each leg. Try to find the exact spot where the creak is coming from.
5. 5 Rock the support bars at the bottom on the inside of the bed frame. Support strips can be wooden or metal, they are located at some distance from each other and stretch from one side of the frame to another. An orthopedic base and a mattress are then placed on them. Press down on each support bar to check for squeaks.
   • Squeaking is often caused by rubbing one piece of wood against another.

Part 2 of 3: Eliminating the squeak

1. 1 Get the right tools for the part of the bed you want to fix. See how the butt joint of the bed frame is arranged in the place where the creak comes from. If there is screw fastening, use an appropriately sized screwdriver. If there are bolted fasteners, you will need a wrench.
2. 2 Tighten the creaking butt joint. Sometimes the reason for the creak of the bed frame is the weakened fasteners at the butt joints. Before fully disassembling the frame, try tightening the screws and bolts where the squeak is coming from. If you are unable to tighten the fasteners further, then they are already tight enough.
3. 3 Use a washer if you are having difficulty fully tightening the bolt. If you are unable to fully tighten the butt joint with the bolt, place an additional washer over the bolt so that it takes up the free space between the bolt and the bedframe element.
4. 4 Disassemble the butt joint completely if squeaking persists. Use your tools to unscrew and remove the bolts or screws holding the joint together. Place the removed bolts and screws in a separate bag to avoid accidentally losing them. Separate the framing parts that are part of the problematic butt joint.
5. 5 Lubricate each piece of the butt joint. Apply grease to all surfaces of both butt joint parts that touch each other, including snap joints, hooks, and simply flat surfaces. Some good lubricants for this purpose are listed below.
   • Paraffin. Paraffin wax is a waxy substance that comes in the form of sticks that can be easily rubbed onto desired surfaces.
   • WD-40. WD-40 is an aerosol lubricant that works well on metal frame beds. However, it tends to dry out.
   • Candle wax. If you are unable to use a special commercial lubricant, try using candle wax. Rub the necessary parts with candle wax as if using any other wax lubricant.
   • White or silicone based grease. Buy a white or silicone-based grease from a hardware store and apply it to the butt joint to eliminate the squeak.
6. 6 Reassemble the bed frame. Replace all screws and bolts that you unscrewed, tighten them with your tools. Make sure all fasteners are fully tightened so that they do not accidentally make more squeaks.
7. 7 Check if the creaking has stopped. Rock the bed to check for a squeak. If squeaking is still present, try to understand where it is coming from. If the squeak makes a different butt joint than the one you fixed, perform the same operations on it. If the same spot creaks, try tightening the bolts and screws that hold the joint even tighter.

Part 3 of 3: Quick Ways to Fix Problems

1. 1 Use old clothing to cover the frame support strips. Take for this purpose old socks or shirts that you no longer wear. The fabric will prevent the orthopedic base or mattress from rubbing against the bed frame and making a squeak.
2. 2 Use a cork seal to fill in any excess gaps in a wood-framed bed. Check the bed for any gaps that the orthopedic base or mattress can potentially ride and rub against the bed frame. Stick the cork seal in these gaps so that all the components of the bed fit snugly together.
3. 3 Slip a towel under the uneven legs of the bed frame. A bed leg can be considered uneven if it does not touch the floor. Slip a towel between the leg and the floor to prevent the bed from swaying or making unnecessary sounds.
4. 4 Place the book under the mattress near the source of the squeak. If the squeak comes from the support bars, remove the mattress and orthopedic base from the bed, and then place the book on the squeaky bar. Then replace the orthopedic base and mattress.

Tips

• If there is a gap in one of the butt joints that causes a squeak, insert a strip of felt between the two surfaces to be joined to fill the empty space.