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Workroom Operations
Wall-Mounted Headboards
Sometimes being a custom workroom means being extra creative.
by Ginny Conner
Editor’s Note: Kitty Stein, who usually writes this
column, has taken a temporary leave. She will return to Workroom
Operations after her brief hiatus.
Most
headboards are constructed with legs that either rest on the floor
or fasten to the bed frame. Cheryl Strickland describes this type
of headboard in her article “Making
Headway” (See D&WC, September 2002, page 46). But
what if your client requests that the headboard be mounted directly
onto the wall?
Here is an installation method I call the “Angle-cut”
method. The headboard is attached quickly and easily, can be done
by a single installer and can be easily removed, also.
HEADBOARD FRAME
The trick of this method is in the construction of the headboard.
The face of the headboard is made from 3/8-inch plywood and the
frame from one-by-fours. Depending on the shape of the headboard,
it sometimes is necessary to use wider one-by’s at the top
in order to cover the entire shape. There are no legs.
Draw out the shape of the headboard on the plywood. Cut the plywood
sides and bottom to the exact size, but leave some extra at the
top if it’s shaped.
Frame it on all four sides with one-by’s, and then with a
jig saw, cut the plywood and frame to the exact shape at the top.
MOUNTING STRIPS
Measure the inside distance between the two side frames. Cut two
pieces of one-by-four two inches shorter than this measurement.
These will become the mounting strips.
Tilt the blade on your table saw to a 45-degree angle and rip through
both mounting strips. (Illustration 1) If you don’t have access
to a tilting table saw blade, most lumberyards and some home improvement
stores carry one-by-two window buck. This board already has one
side precut at a 45-degree angle. They usually come in eight-foot
lengths and are seldom straight so be sure to search the stack for
a straight one.
Attach two of the mounting strips to the back of the headboard with
the angled cut facing down and the long edge away from the plywood.
The bottom strip must be at least three inches above the bottom
frame. The top strip must be at least three inches from the bottom
mounting strip. For an easier and more secure installation, place
the top mounting strip as near as possible to the top of the headboard.
It is important that these strips are very secure. Use wood glue
and plenty of screws, nails or staples. For additional grip, add
some screws from the front of the headboard. (Illustration 2). Because
you will not be upholstering the back of the headboard, you might
want to paint it, as well as the two remaining mounting strips that
will be attached to the client’s wall.
INSTALLATION TEMPLATE
Make a template for attaching the mounting strips to the wall. Lay
the un-upholstered headboard face down. Slide the angled sides of
the wall mounting strips under the angled sides of the headboard
mounting strips. This is the position the strips will be in when
the headboard is mounted onto the wall.
Place a large piece of template paper on top of the headboard and
trace the entire outline of the headboard. Also trace where the
wall mounting strips are positioned.
Remove the template and cut out the shape of the headboard. Remove
the wall mounting strips from the headboard.
UPHOLSTERING
Upholster as usual, but keep all padding off the back of the headboard.
If welt is added along the back of the headboard make sure that
it can be pushed forward enough to allow the back of the headboard
to touch the wall. Also, keep the amount of fabric bulk on the back
of the headboard to a minimum.
INSTALLATION
At the client’s house, tape the paper template to the wall
exactly where the headboard is to be mounted. Use the outline of
the wall mounting strips drawn on the template. Position the strips
on the wall with the angled cuts facing up and the long edge away
from the wall.
The mounting strips are fairly long and should span across several
wall studs that can be used for secure mounting. Because the mounting
strips are fairly narrow, be sure to drill pilot holes to keep the
strips from splitting.
Leave the paper template taped to the wall and begin screwing in
the mounting strips. Once the mounting strips are secure, tear away
the paper template and finish tightening the screws.
Lift the headboard and place it up against the wall about three
inches above the headboard’s final location. Gently guide
it down so the angled cuts on the headboard mounting strips slide
into the angled cuts of the mounting strips on the wall. The weight
of the headboard will draw it closer to the wall as it slides down
onto the mounting strips. (Illustration 3)
This method of mounting onto a wall is often used to hold heavy
kitchen cabinets. For our uses, in addition to headboards it can
be used for many other large items such as upholstered bulletin
boards.
Ginny Conner has been an integral part of Joseph Bird Interiors
since its creation in 1989. She has experienced the challenges, disappointments
and accomplishments of a very small workroom, a large retail/wholesale
showroom and workroom, and the many stages in between. She has created
and manufactured a variety of window treatments and accessories as
well as managed the workroom where she taught and supervised the production
of a variety of designer products. She is a regular contributor to
the SewWHAT? newsletter and is a seminar instructor. She is currently
involved with Easy Quote, Fort Lauderdale, FL, a software program
created by Joseph Bird specifically for the window treatment industry.
She can be reached at Swaggin@attbi.com.
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