Choosing the Right Wood for Bed Slats

Bed slats are an important factor to take into consideration whenever you are building a new bed. They need to be strong and robust enough to take the weight of two people and withstand the further strain of pets and children that might pile on them at any given time. Choosing the right wood for your bed slats is vital. You will need to select a type of wood that can cope with a variety of pressures.

Douglas Fir

Douglas fir is a light-colored wood with a vertical grain. It is highly resistant to warping and difficult to twist out of shape. Extremely durable, Douglas fir is used in many internal wood projects like slat beds.

Southern Yellow Pine

Southern yellow pine is one of the strongest woods around and perfectly suited for use with bed slats. Its grain is firm and durable and will not break under the strain of the constant weight it will carry.

Red Oak

Red oak is a highly abundant hardwood and extremely strong. It is vastly resistant to wear and crushing.

Yellow Poplar

Yellow poplar comes from the poplar tree and is very easy to work with. It has properties that make it simple to plane and stain. If you prefer to color your wood for your bed slats you will find yellow poplar very acceptable.

Hickory

Hickory wood is a remarkably shock-resistant wood and very resilient. Owing to its lightness it was actually used in the making of airplanes in the very early history of flight.