Lofting Rules

Please note:  Lofts are to be used only to support beds.  Platform lofts supporting other types of furniture are prohibited.   College lofts are provided in Dimmitt Hall rooms 1-15, 101-114, 138-152, 201-216, 235-259, 301-329 and 364-377, Roadman Hall rooms 30-41, 130-142, and 330-349, Poppen Hall, Waitt Hall, Lags Hall, or Garretson Houses, personal lofts are not permitted in these rooms.  All furniture provided by the college must stay in student rooms.

All loft provided by the student will be inspected by residence life professional staff during room inspections. Student Loft Construction:  As a safety precaution, these guidelines for student construction within the room must be followed.

•  The structure must be free-standing, not fastened to the walls, ceiling, or other furniture provided by the college.
• All supporting structures in the loft must be assembled with carriage bolts and/or lag screws, and make no use of nails.  (Nails work loose over time and pose a possible hazard.)
• The College recommends that all lofts include a safety rail or board to prevent injury.The loft must be structurally able to support a student’s or students’ weight.The structure must not block the doorway, window, or heating system.  The door must be able to open perpendicular with the door opening.The structure must not restrict exit from any portion of the room.  A minimum width of 22 inches must be allowed for exiting from a student room from any interior room arrangement.Only structures used to loft beds are allowed.  No other platform construction is acceptable.The construction must not include any materials or any design of a particularly hazardous and/or flammable nature, including suspended flammable fabrics, carpeting applied anywhere except as a floor covering, and flammable plastics such as Styrofoam.There must be at least three (3) feet from the top of the main construction frame to the ceiling.  (The reason for a minimum height to the ceiling is to prevent head injuries.  Also, in the event of a fire, smoke and toxic gases tend to rise to the ceiling and a person could be overcome--even from the fumes of a wastebasket fire.)
• Residents must be prepared to respond to concerns of staff about the hazardous nature of construction and decorative materials and must remove materials that are judged to be particularly hazardous by the housing staff. 

Approximate mattress dimensions to help in constructing your loft. 

• Extra long beds: 80” long x 38” wide x 6” deep
• Standard beds: 76” long x 38” wide x 6” deep

Although not required, it is also recommended that some form of nonflammable padding be applied to the loft at any point that touches the wall(s) so as to prevent damage to the wall paint, which would carry a fine to the student for repainting.