Here at Natural Bed Company we are immensely proud of the quality of each and every bed we make. Manufactured in our Sheffield workshop, each solid wood bed frame is hand crafted to order by one member of our workshop team using only the finest natural materials.
We are sure your bed frame will last for years to come, something reflected in the 12-year warranty we offer, covering all of the solid wooden bed bases in our collection. However, the life-span of your bed base can be affected by how it is cared for once delivered – for the rest of this post I’ll detail how best to look after your bed frame and highlight any information it is important for us to have before we even begin production of your bed, to ensure it lasts as long as possible, in the best condition.
If you order a bed frame to be used with an existing mattress or one purchased with another company, we will always ask for a couple of details to ensure that the mattress will work with the frame as standard and to advise certain changes if this is not the case. First, we’ll ask to check the size – as some manufacturers sizing slightly differs from UK standard. If you are pairing your mattress with a Tibet bed for example, where the mattress sits on the frame, using a mattress slightly wider than the base can damage it over time. Don’t worry though, this isn’t a problem – as all our beds are made to order we can make the bed to fit your mattress.
If it is a particularly deep mattress we may suggest another change to the bed design – we often raise the position of the headboard to accommodate a deep mattress. It would be such a shame for a beautiful headboard to be hidden entirely behind a deep mattress and stack of pillows! Just let us have as much information as you can about your mattress and we’ll advise.
Secondly, if it you intend to use an extra deep mattress we like to check the weight – some designs can weigh 70kg+ and once the weight of two people is added to this, it can flatten out the sprung slats. For comparison, our most popular mattress, the Waterlattex weighs approximately 30kg in standard king-size – our designs are built to easily accommodate mattresses of this type. Let us know the weight of the model you intend to use, and we can make changes to the slat base to ensure no damage is caused. In the past we’ve used pine slats to replace our standard sprung beech slats, and/or added a second centre rail, and possibly a leg strut to the centre rail(s) to further support the mattress. So don’t worry if you have a very heavy mattress – we will have a solution!
To ensure the longevity of one of the most important aspects of the bed base – the slats – it is essential to let us know if you intend to use the bed in a room susceptible to damp or with an en-suite. Moisture in the air can cause the curved slats to flatten, if your bedroom has an en-suite bathroom, it may be wise to order the bed with fixed pine slats. Should you find that humidity is a problem at a later date – the slats can be swapped over fairly quickly, but there will be a time when the mattress is not correctly supported by the base.
Customers occasionally ask if they need to oil or wax the bed frame but this generally is not required, we would not recommend the use of any products that may build up over time and dis-colour the lacquered timber. Dust the bed base with a soft cloth occasionally, if you have an upholstered headboard, just gently brush the fabric with a soft brush or hoover attachment.
Please note – the tone of the timber will change over time, this is to be expected with a natural product, and each base will age in a slightly different way, depending on the room it is placed in – as the amount of sunlight the base is exposed to will have an effect on the colour.
Although not a frequent issue, when customers do call with issues to resolve with the bed frame, the most common parts in need of replacement are the slats and centre rail. These issues tend to be raised by rather exasperated parents after their children have jumped on the bed! Our beds are robust but not indestructible! Rest assured however a broken slat or centre rail can be easily ordered and replaced. We may just ask you to provide us with some measurements to ensure any replacement parts fit perfectly.
If you find that you lose parts when moving the bed frame from one room to another (or when moving home), don’t worry – we can usually supply replacement parts for just a small charge. Please remember to treat your bed base with a little TLC – if you ever need to change the position of your bed, please do not drag it across the floor – this can damage the joints and weaken them. Always lift the bed, this will take two people but the extra effort is worth it to ensure your bed remains stable and secure for years to come.
If you ever have any issues with your Natural Bed Company bed frame, please do not hesitate to contact us – the sooner we know a problem exists, the sooner we can identify a solution and resolve it.