Bunk Bed Ladder Fix

by jdevine1

88K8714

Intro: Bunk Bed Ladder Fix

My daughter LOVES sleeping on the top bunk of her bed except for one thing... It is a metal bunk bed and the ladder hurts her feet when she climbs up and down. After doing some pondering I came up with an idea. I'm sure I'm not the first one to think of this solution but regardless, I thought I would share.

STEP 1: Grab Your Supplies

1.Get A $1 Store Pool Noodle. Choose a pool noodle in any color. Noodles have various sizes of center openings so just choose one closest to the size you are wanting to wrap. I just lined the noodle up with the step and cut the noodle to the length I needed. 2. Get a pair of decent scissors. You know, not a pair your kids have been messing with. 3. Pick up some decorative duct tape.

STEP 2: Cut Lengthwise

Cut the noodle lengthwise so you can slip the noodle over the ladder step.

STEP 3: Place It on the Ladder

Open the noodle where you just cut it. And slide it onto the ladder step.

STEP 4: Repeat

Repeat this process for each step of the ladder.

STEP 5: Wrap With Duct Tape

Wrap each step with decorative duct tape to hold the noodle on the step. This step is optional but without it, the noodle will pop off of the ladder and you will constantly be putting it back on. Literally, the very first time my daughter went up the ladder before I wrapped it in duct tape, one of the noodles popped off. Plus it has the added benefit of looking cool. My daughter reports that the ladder no longer hurts her feet. Happy girl! Happy mom! This solution literally cost me $3 plus tax! $1 for noodle and $2 for tape.

13 Comments

pattyinhollywood 4 years ago

I thought it is maybe my bone is bad... because of old age. I would use my shoes to climb up there.

LauraB349 4 years ago

Wow, I had no idea how universal the pain of bunk bed steps were! I thought it was just me after having one delivered yesterday and trying to put sheets on it while standing on the ladder- ouch! Hint hint to the manufacturers! Thank you all so much for these ideas; fabulous! I might also wrap weather stripping with a sticky side, on the rung before adding the the pipe foam. It takes a village! Thanks All!

muscmakermama 6 years ago

Any update? I had the exact same idea, but #1- I have to start fresh and re-cover because the noodles fall apart, #2- even though I wrapped in duct tape as tightly as I possibly could, having another person help me squeeze as tightly as we can, the noodles are extremely prone to roll and we've had some falls. The whole reason I got online just now was an effort to find a better solution (buying new beds is financially out of the question.) Thank you for any help!

SierraK9 5 years ago

I plan to use this method with the addition of glueing some non-skid material to the insides of the noodles before placing and taping them onto the ladder rungs. I am hopeful that this will deter any slipping or falls.

jdevine1 10 years ago

I hadn't thought of pipe wrap obviously. Good to know if there is ever a problem with the noodles. I did not glue the noodles. I thought about it but decided to play the wait and see if it is a problem. My daughter is 9 and sleeps on the top bunk every night. So far the occasional rotation has never caused any kind of scary moment. The weight of her foot keeps it still when she is on it. The rotation occurs as she steps off so she has not had any problems and has been thrilled with her new steps.

tcooper15 10 years ago

That's exactly what I did :) works great!!!

tguilliams 10 years ago

In the first picture, I thought the noodle was a finger...

MrMcG33k 10 years ago

Thank you for posting this. Ingenious.

malitam 10 years ago

fantastic idea. you could also use foam pipe wrap which is usually already slit. but what about my wood bunk bed? the ladder is just as uncomfortable and I've been looking for a solution that will not compromise safety.

glenngarf 10 years ago

I did this last year when both my kids got metal bunk beds, but I used some pipe insulation from Lowe's. It's a little tighter around the rungs, and if you wrap the decorative tape around tightly, it doesn't rotate as they step on it. Great instructable!

Eliohoho 10 years ago

I love this idea. And this tape looks just right ! I was thinking : are these foam tubes fixed in any way to the ladder ? I mean with glue for example. Because it is a plastic material and the ladder metal, your daughter could accidently make the foam roll around the metal tube ! And it could be really dangerous. I hope I'm wrong! Thanks again for this nice idea, E

parisusa 10 years ago

Looks so cute. I thought it was fabric!