How to Remove a Murphy Bed

Murphy beds are a wonderful space saver and can be quite convenient for small rooms. These can also be a great option to accommodate visiting guests. Some people choose to take their Murphy beds with them when they move or simply move it to a different room. In other instances, the bed begins to sag and needs to be replaced. Removing a Murphy bed isn’t difficult, but will take a bit of time because of its size.

How to Remove a Murphy Bed

To uninstall your Murphy bed, get some plastic bags, a drill-driver or screwdriver, and drill bits. Pull the bed down and remove any bedding, then, pull off the mattress, exposing the frame. Gather the bedding up and move it away to have room to work. In addition, move the mattress to another room so it isn’t a tripping hazard.

Murphy beds are designed to fold up against a wall. Many people believe that a Murphy bed must be left with a house when you move out, but this isn’t true. Most manufacturers provide detailed removal instructions to allow homeowners to take their beds with them from one home to another. If you don’t have the removal directions for your bed, most general instructions will work as long as you look for and disconnect any springs used to help move your bed from one position to another. — eHow.com

Once the area is clear, follow these steps to remove your Murphy bed from the wall recess:

1. Locate and unfasten the hinges. The hinges will be located at the base, connected to the wall or recess. Unfasten the screws holding the hinges to the wall or recess and put them into a plastic bag if you are moving it to another room or home.
2. Uninstall the mattress supports. Use your drill-driver or screwdriver to unfasten the mattress supports. These will be fastened to the frame and can also be put into a plastic bag for later use if the bed is to be re-installed.
3. Unfasten the side panels. Unfasten the side panels attached to the headboard and footboard. The screws will be located on the inside of the frame. Take caution when removing the side panels as these might be heavy.
4. Unfasten the wall section. You can now unfasten the wall section from the interior wall using a drill-driver or screwdriver. You’ll need someone to hold it in place while you unfasten it to avoid it falling and damaging the floor or landing on your feet.

Disassemble all of the wall sections, one by one, to finish the removal.

How to Dispose of a Murphy Bed

If you are replacing the murphy bed or no longer want it, your local trash collection agency won’t pickup and haul it away. You’ll have to rent a truck and take it to a recycling facility or you can avoid the rental and disposal fees by simply calling your local junk removal service to pick it up and haul it away.