Lofts free floor space in
dorms
By Dave Stephens
Assistant
Campus Editor
Most people do not associate the sound of hammers,
saws and electric drills with college life. But for those Purdue students
returning to the residence halls, the sounds of construction welcome
them home.
No, the residence halls aren’t undergoing
a new phase of construction — the noise is from the building of
lofts.
A loft, also called an elevated bed, is a structure
that raises a bed off the ground to increase the floor space of a room.
Lofts come in two basic designs — the single or double loft.
A single loft holds one bed, while a double loft
holds two. The advantage to a double loft is that it uses less floor
space than using two single lofts.
"We have never really tracked the number of
lofts put up in the (residence halls)," said Terry Ashlock, director
of residential life for the Purdue Residence Halls.
However, Ashlock believes that halls with smaller
rooms tend to have more lofts and that males tend to have lofts more
often than females.
The residence hall regulations for loft construction
specify that lofts must be freestanding, self-supporting and cannot
rock into the walls. Also, all elevated beds must be completed no later
than the second week of classes and will be inspected by residence hall
personnel.
There are traditionally three ways for students
to acquire a loft - build a new one, buy a new one or buy an old one.
Tim Runnebohm, a professional carpenter and the
father of Clayton Runnebohm, a freshman in the School of Technology,
said it costs about $65 for the materials to build two single lofts.
He also said it took him about three hours to build the loft the first
time but that it could be re-assembled in about 10 minutes.
It is also possible to buy a loft, with prices
ranging from as low as $100 for a single loft to more than $250 for
a custom-made double loft.
Mark Smith and Jim Pelton, freshmen in the Schools
of Engineering, said they paid $250 for their double loft in Harrison
Hall. Smith said it took only15 minutes for the loft to be built.
The other option for students looking for a loft
is to buy a used one. Some residence halls offer lists of former residents
trying to sell lofts and fliers posted on bulletin boards often advertise
used lofts at reasonable prices.
|
