Fix a squeaky bed frame

Why a bed squeaks

A squeak is the sound of two surfaces rubbing or snapping past each other under weight. In a bed, the frame is held together by bolts, screws and brackets at the corners and where the headboard and footboard meet the side rails. Each time you roll over, those joints flex a little. When a bolt loosens or a hole wears oval, the parts start shifting and rubbing, and wood-on-wood, wood-on-metal or metal-on-metal contact squeaks or creaks.

Other parts add noise too. Wooden slats rest on support rails along the inside of the side rails, and they slide and rub against the rails and each other. A center support leg that doesn't quite reach the floor lets the middle of the frame sag and flex. Legs on an uneven floor let the whole bed rock. Inside a box spring, metal coils and the wooden frame can creak with age, and an old innerspring mattress can do the same. That's why you find the source first: each one has a different fix.

What makes a bed squeak

Let's fix it

1. Find where the squeak comes fromTake off the bedding and, with a helper, lift the mattress off and lean it against a wall. Press down firmly on different parts of the frame one at a time: each corner, the headboard joints, the middle of each side rail, and the slats. Rock the frame gently side to side and end to end. Listen for which spot makes the noise. Then put the box spring or mattress back on and press on it in the same spots. Note whether the noise is in the frame, the box spring, the mattress or where the legs meet the floor.
   Done

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2. Tighten every bolt and screwGo around the frame and tighten every bolt, screw and bracket, especially where the headboard and footboard meet the side rails. Most frames use an Allen key (hex key), a socket or an adjustable wrench, and furniture from flat-pack stores usually comes with the right key. Tighten until snug, then about 1/4 turn more, but stop before the wood crushes or the screw spins. If a bolt keeps loosening, add a flat washer and a lock washer under the nut, or a drop of removable thread locker on metal-to-metal bolts. A screw that spins in a stripped hole can be fixed with glue and toothpicks or a slightly larger screw.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • A screw spins and won't tighten Remove it, push a few wooden toothpicks or a golf tee dipped in wood glue into the hole, snap them off flush, let it dry, then drive the screw back in.

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3. Quiet the slats and center supportWooden slats squeak where they sit on the support rails and where they touch each other. Lift each slat and put a strip of felt, a piece of an old T-shirt, or adhesive-backed felt tape on the rail where the slat rests. Make sure slats sit evenly in their spacers or holders, and that any screws or clips holding them are snug. Look at the center support leg or legs under the middle of the bed: they should touch the floor. If there's a gap, turn the adjustable foot down until it just touches, or add a felt pad or a wood shim under it so the middle can't flex.
   Done

   Something went wrong?

   • A slat is cracked Replace it with a piece of similar-size lumber cut to length. A cracked slat flexes and creaks, and can break under weight.

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4. Lubricate metal jointsOn a metal frame, squeaks usually come from joints where tubes slide into brackets or bolts pass through metal. Take apart one joint at a time if you can. Wipe it clean, then rub the contact surfaces with paraffin wax, a candle or bar soap, or apply a little silicone spray or a dry lubricant on a rag. Avoid oily sprays near fabric, since they can stain and attract dust. Put the joint back together. Then tighten it. Where metal touches metal at a bracket, a thin piece of felt or a rubber washer between the parts can stop the noise.
   Done

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5. Stop the bed from rockingPut the frame back where it goes and press down on each corner. If it rocks or a leg taps the floor, the floor may be uneven or one leg may be short. Put felt furniture pads under every leg; they quiet hard floors and protect them. For a short leg, add a thicker pad or a thin shim under it until the frame sits solidly, or adjust it if the leg has a leveling foot. On carpet, furniture cups under the legs keep them from sinking unevenly. Pushing the headboard snug against the wall, with a felt pad between, also stops tapping.
   Done

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6. Check the box spring and mattressIf the frame is quiet but the bed still squeaks with the box spring on it, the box spring is the likely source. Its wooden frame and metal coils loosen and creak with age. Try flipping it end to end, or put a sheet of thin plywood between the box spring and the mattress as a quick test. Many newer mattresses don't need a box spring at all and sit on a solid platform or slats; check the mattress maker's support requirements before removing it, since the wrong support can affect the warranty. A mattress that squeaks on the floor has worn springs inside, and replacement is the only real fix.
   Done

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Watch it done

How to Fix a Squeaky BedBy Fix It With Zim on YouTube. Their method may vary a little from ours.

Watch on YouTube

If it comes back

Bolts in wood frames loosen over time as the wood dries and settles. Tighten them every few months, and add lock washers to any that keep loosening.

If a joint is cracked or the screw holes are torn out, gluing and clamping the joint or reinforcing it with a metal bracket is the fix. The same approach works for a wobbly wooden chair and a wobbly table.

If the squeak comes from the floor under the bed when you walk around it, not the bed itself, see how to fix a squeaky floor.

If the bed only squeaks in one spot when you sit on the edge, the side rail may be bowing between its supports. A second center leg, or a support rail added under that side, often helps on wide or heavy beds.