Facts And Features Of Bed Frames

When considering the purchase of a bed and its frame, it's always good to learn a few facts and features of bed frames, if only to learn how very important a frame has been to the development of the kinds of beds that allow people to get the kind of quality sleep they can get these days. A frame is made to keep a mattress set secure and off the floor, at minimum, and it succeeds quite well at this.

As well, the kinds of materials that frames can be made of are fairly limitless, though they are most often constructed of either wood or metal. There are a number of different pieces that compose a frame, including head and foot rails along with standard side rails. These rails (known as "bed rails") are usually made of what metal workers call "angle iron." They serve as the platform along which the edge of the box spring can sit.

Keep in mind that the larger the bed is, starting with double or full-sized and going all the way up to King-sized or custom-sized, the more center support the frame is going to need to provide, lest the mattress and box spring sag in the middle and eventually fail. Many frames these days also come with headboards that can be attached to improve the look of the frame.

It's usually not the case -- unless the frame is specifically made for one -- that the frame will come with the ability to have a footboard attached. In almost all cases when one is desired, it will be necessary to find a frame specifically made with the right kinds of fittings so that a footboard can be affixed at the foot of the frame.

Many frames are made in a wide variety of metal, no matter whether they're popular or contemporary frames or more traditional types. A bed and frame that's been around for years and which never seems to lose its appeal is the brass bed (though the rails are usually made of steel). All quality brass beds should be composed of 100% brass, by the way, in their headboards and footboards.

Another extremely sturdy bed that first hit the scene way back in 1850 and which has been around in one form or another since then is the iron bed. Back then, whole industries existed that turned out very finely-detailed and exquisite beds of this type, though the advent of World War I and the rise of mass production saw many boutique foundries unable to keep up, eventually going out of business.

Bed frames made before World War I are noted as being some of the most intricate and even heaviest beds around. Modern beds nowadays are made taking advantage of more modern techniques that can duplicate much of the design and craftsmanship and at a much lower price, in relative terms. As always, when buying anything like a bed it's advised that the frame be given a thorough going over before purchase.