FAQS

1What are the differences between "Murphy Beds" and "Wallbeds"?

Wall Beds and Murphy Beds are two terms for the same thing - An enclosed structure, typically made of wood or laminate, containing hardware that allows a mattress to be folded up against the wall. There are simply a variety of manufacturers who go about it with different types of "Hardware."

The common term "Murphy Bed" arose through the original manufacturer of "Fold-Up" beds, but the term has been used by many other manufacturers who have nothing to do with the original company, and so there is a fair amount of confusion./p>

One of the main differences in "Hardware" is the "Bi-fold" style versus the "Panel" style. Most people prefer the "Panel" style because the entire bed face comes down as one piece whereas the "Bi-fold" style usually has 2 pairs of bi-fold doors that need to be opened and then the bed frame is pulled down - this makes the guest feel like they are in a closet and if you have any furniture next to the bed, i.e., nightstands, it makes it difficult to utilize them.

The Easy-Lift Mechanism is a "Panel" style Wallbed and is the strongest and most versatile "Wallbed Mechanism" in the industry.

3What are the prices of the Wallbeds and/or other Cabinetry?

Wallbeds Northwest has Complete Wallbed Cabinets ranging from $949.95 to $4,500.00. Prices range depending on the material, style, finish, and mechanism hardware. Simple and Economical Wallbeds typically range from $949.95 to $2,500.00. Practical and Functional units typically range from $1,500.00 to $2,999.95. Some of the fancier and more elaborately designed units can range from $2,500.00 to -$4,500.00. Wallbeds Northwest has thousands of options making it challenging to put everything we have on the internet. We would be happy to give you an exact quote for your project once we know the Design, Layout, Style, and Finish you would like. We can walk you through the process and it is actually very simple. You can contact us for an in-home consultation or stop into one of our showrooms and speak with one of our design consultants. We will work up a 3D CAD Drawing for you and give you a detailed quote that includes everything.

Wallbeds Northwest also manufacturers a considerable amount of other Furniture and Cabinetry including; Closets, Home Office Furniture, Home Theaters, Libraries & Dens, Sewing & Craft Rooms, and Custom Built-Ins.

4Are you Accredited with the BBB?
Yes, we are an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau and have and A+ rating. Quality and Service are very important to us - and our customers!
5Do I need a special mattress? How thick can it be?
Wallbeds do not require a "special" mattress. Almost all regular mattresses work with the wallbeds just fine. You can choose from any of the regular sizes like Twin, Full, Queen, & King as well as custom sizes such as Twin Extra Long, Full Extra Long, Short Queen or other custom sizes. What you want to be aware of is the thickness of the mattress. Most of our Wallbed units will take a 10" thick mattress and can range from 8" to 16". It will depend on the depth of the Wallbed and which type of Wallbed mechanism you choose. One of the advantages of the Easy-Lift is the European Slat System, which works just like a Boxspring. If you are considering a Sleep Number or a Tempurpedic mattress, then we can easily substitute the European Slats with a finished decking.
6Can you match my existing cabinetry?
Yes. Wallbeds Northwest does its own finishing in-house. We can match your existing furniture or cabinetry whether it is a stained wood or a painted project. We also do special finishes such as glazing, antiquing and distressing. We have talented finishers and professional spray equipment giving us the ability to do almost any finish you are looking for.
7What is your lead-time?
It will depend on your project - whether it is real wood or laminate, a simple bed only, a closet, or a room full of furniture. Typically we are 2-4 weeks for simpler projects and 3- 6 weeks for more complex. Please call for a more exact delivery day.
8Do you design them or do we?
That is up to you. You get to determine how much you want to do and how much you want to utilize our assistance. Most customers give us the basic information as to what they would ideally like to see done in their room, we get the room dimensions (either from you or we come out to measure) and then we design your project using our 3D CAD Drawing Program. Our Design team has many years of experience and can quickly and easily show you what will fit in your room, what layout will work best, and what design will look the most appropriate and attractive. There is no cost for our design work using the 3D CAD program. We will also come out and measure your room at no charge if you are in our local area.
9How do your products compare in the local market?
At Wallbeds Northwest we encourage free market ideas and competition. It simply makes it a better experience for you, the customer. We prefer to have our customers take the opportunity to see what else is out there because it helps to put everything in perspective. When our customers do compare they find that we are not only competitive with our pricing, but that they will get a better quality product and better service. They also find that we offer so much more in product, choices and experience. There are many advantages that our experience, innovation and utilization of high quality computerized machinery provide. We combine good old hard work (much of the work is done by hand and the rest is done by one of our operators using machinery) with the right equipment to manufacture our products to our customers' high standards.

Our streamline manufacturing makes it possible for us to offer more choices at lower prices and so it is quite easy to compete with basic economical models that typically range from $1000 to $2500. For customers who are looking for something that looks a little nicer, has more options, a custom fit, a special design or finish, or perhaps real wood, it has been very difficult for anyone to match up to what we can do. Simply put, we do the basics very well, but we have the ability and experience to go beyond what others in this industry have the capability of doing.

When you compare you will find there is no better value on the market. Just make sure that you are comparing apples to apples because there is quite a lot of information (and misinformation) out there; for example, there are some places that will tell you that you are getting "real wood" when in fact that they are using veneer over particle board (very few even work in real wood), or that their "mechanism" is just as good as the Easy-Lift - though this isn't true. One company is quite misleading as they state that they "don't have high prices like those other guys," but they do not say who those "other guys" are, and when you actually compare their prices, they are way over priced and higher than most everyone else in the industry.

Some companies mislead customers into thinking that they have been making wallbeds for a long time by saying that they have "served the northwest" since 1995 or whatever the case may be. It would be wise to find out how long they have actually been in business. This does not mean that they have been manufacturing wallbeds for this length of time. Many of them have only recently been providing wallbeds. Some closet companies for example have expanded into wallbeds because of the slow economy, but they have little experience and even fewer options - and they charge the same high prices for the wallbeds as they do their closets.

Wallbeds have a high learning curve as they are not normal cabinetry and the mechanisms vary. Wallbeds Northwest has been manufacturing Wallbeds since 1999 and has been in the Wallbed industry since 1993. We often get calls from people who need repair or service on their wallbed that they purchased from company X that is no longer in business. We have seen many a company come and go in this business. Manufacturing and Installing Wallbeds are not as simple as it looks.

Come in and see why other companies are always comparing themselves to Wallbeds Northwest.
10How do you compare to online companies?
Wallbeds are gaining popularity and it is evident when you look online as more and more companies are showing up. While we also sell Wallbeds online, it is not the easiest product to be able to shop for. This is because it isn't a typical product that you would see at various stores. Most customers are not familiar with them and because wallbed showrooms are few and far between it makes it difficult to compare mechanisms and inspect the quality of the craftsmanship. If you do have a local company that has a showroom that is certainly a plus. (Beware that there are many companies that say they do wallbeds but have no showroom for you to be able to actually see them. They usually want to come out to your place because they don't actually have a showroom).

Of course there are many products that can be purchased online at better pricing, but this is not necessarily the case with wallbeds. The cost of a mechanism, the cabinetry to hold it, and shipping makes it impossible to offer anything that could be called respectable for much under $1000. If you find something, we recommend caution. (Locally, Wallbeds Northwest does have DIY Kits for pick up starting at $999.95 for a Full Size and can be shipped for reasonable prices throughout the US).

There are manufacturers who offer simple, basic wallbeds between $1000 and $3000 as do we. It is definitely competitive in this category. Much of what you find in this range is laminate and inexpensive wood materials being used with an low end "econo" wallbed mechanism. While Wallbeds Northwest offers wallbeds in this category, we do not cut any corners in quality, materials or craftsmanship. We offer a less costly, but proven wallbed mechanism that we have used for 18 years and manufacture our Wallbeds the same way for a $1000 or a $4000 system. (The differences are in the Material, Mechanism, and Style.

You may want to watch out for companies that do not tell you what kind of "Wallbed Mechanism" they are using. Many use a cheap "mechanism" as well as low-end materials to be able to offer what seem to be low prices. The quality of the "mechanism" is important as you do not want to have to replace your wallbed in 5-10 years. And since you cannot inspect the product, you will not get to see the cheap mechanism or poor quality workmanship until it arrives at the doorstep. It is very important to check out a companies reputation, their years in business (actually selling wallbeds) and their return policies.

We often get calls from people who need repair or service on their wallbed that they purchased from company X that is no longer in business. We have seen a many a company come and go in this business. Manufacturing and Installing Wallbeds are not as simple as it looks.
11How does your Easy-Lift Wallbed Mechanism compare to other mechanisms?
The Easy-Lift Wallbed Mechanism is an exceptionally versatile system that is easy to operate and comes with many beneficial features. Check out our The Easy-Lift Wallbed Mechanism page.
12What Types of materials do you work in?
Wallbeds Northwest works in all the common cabinetry building materials including wood, laminates and painted surfaces. Woods include - and are not limited to - Alder, Ash, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Oak, Lyptus, Mahogany, Maple, Pine, Sapele, & V.G. Fir. Laminates are typically Melamine only or Melamine with Rigid Thermo-Foil (High-Quality Vinyl heat vacuum sealed over a routed MDF panel). Painted surfaces can be done on MDF or Paint Grade Wood.
13Do you Deliver and/or Install?
Yes. Our own delivery crew will Deliver & Install your project in the local area, which includes, but not limited to: Seattle, Redmond, Sammamish, Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Woodinville, Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Bothell, Burien, New Castle, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Shoreline, Snohomish, Tacoma, Lynnwood, Everett, Marysville, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kenmore, Maple Valley, Medina, Mill Creek, Bellingham, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Mt. Vernon, Monroe, Mukilteo, San Juan Islands, and more.

For some projects, we will go out of state for installations, and we have done installations in; Oregon, Idaho, California, Hawaii, Arizona & Nevada. Delivery & Installation prices are dependent on the size of the project and the location for the installation.
14Do you ship out of state or to distant locations within the state?
Wallbeds NW Ships standard & custom Wall Beds & Furniture across the USA. Customers in-state but not local can choose between shipping, picking up or having Wallbeds Northwest Deliver & Install. It depends on the size & complexity of your project as well as where you are located to be able to determine which would be best.
15How is shipping handled?
We ship our standard systems in cardboard packaging by common carrier. We ship our custom projects by wrapping them in foam & cardboard and then crating them as mostly assembled units to allow for easier installations.
16How do the European Slats hold up?
We use the very best 5-Ply Beechwood for our European Slats and install them with rubber mounts. They also come with a Lifetime Warranty.
17How do we get started and what is the process?
There are a couple of ways to get started; You can come into one of our showrooms where you can see a great selection of displays, check out the quality of our products, and get lots of practical ideas, or you can call or email and we can schedule an in-home consultation (free if you are within our local area). When you come into one of our showrooms you can speak with one of our design consultants and they will go over all the options that are available; he or she can often work up a drawing and quote for you while you are there. If you would like to do that, then it would be helpful to bring in some basic dimensions (they do not have to be perfect). You can also have us come out to measure first (local area).
18If I am doing the installation myself, how easy is it?
The wallbeds are relatively easy to install if you are somewhat of a "handy-person". If you have no experience with cabinetry, woodworking or assembly of furniture you may want us to do the installation for you - if you are local - or have a local handy-person to assist you. Wallbeds are not like ordinary cabinetry and do require the ability to lift heavy parts.
19What is the warranty on your mechanism?
Wallbeds Northwest is proud of our products and workmanship. We offer a Lifetime Warranty on the Easy-Lift Mechanism and a 1 Year Warranty on materials and craftsmanship.
See the dimensions.
20Where are you located/ What are your hours?
Please visit the contact page to see our hours and store locations.