Help me Obi-Wan Jimsocal, you're my only hope. And other foam related questions for anyone! Doing surgery soon and could use opinions
Aug 21, 2011 9:28 PM
Joined: Nov 9, 2010
Points: 53
We are DESPERATE for something different in our mattress -- and are finally prepared to do mattress surgery on our 6-7 yr old Stearns and Foster. I've emailed a couple of semi-local places re foam, but was really hoping that Jimsocal could reveal his source for his HR foam -- and we'd be happy to just go there and give them our business. If anyone else has any recommendations of places you've been happy with close to Pasadena (or the Los Angeles area) I'd love to hear that too.

 

I was also hoping someone could give me their opinion regarding our proposed set up. We cut open a few inches along the bottom of the mattress and were surprised to find that there is only about 3.5" of foam/space above the springs and under the cover. We already have a 2" memory foam topper (can't remember the name but it's from overstock based on recs here -- maybe Senus??). We have been happy with memory foam in the past, but the crappy PU foam under the cover is so unsupportive that the MF isn't helping anything. We plan to just cut off the cover and were thinking of putting about 3" of high resilience foam on top of the fiber mat over the springs and our MF topper over that. 

Here's my question. Is 2-3" of HR foam ILD 36-45 going to be supportive enough over our coils? Does that range of ILD seem good if we like firm? We both like a firmer surface, but with the little bit of cush that MF provides. Hubby is 6'4" 215 lbs, and mostly a side sleeper (I kinda make him sleep on his side since he snores on his back). I am also mostly a side sleeper and have a bad back. I am 5'2" and about 160 (said way under my breath). We are open to latex and have liked the ones we've tried briefly at Ikea and Custom Comfort, but since we can probably get HR foam locally so much faster and cheaper, we'd thought we'd give that a go first. 

At this point, I'm considering just pulling everything and putting the MF topper over the springs (over the fiber mat thing of course). I think I just read recently here that someone else had done that.

I promise to post pics of our surgery -- just wanted to make sure we were on the right track.

Thanks!

This message was modified Aug 22, 2011 by stacytr
Re: Help me Obi-Wan Jimsocal, you're my only hope. And other foam related questions for anyone! Doing surgery soon and could use opinions
Reply #7 Aug 26, 2011 2:07 PM
Joined: Jul 5, 2011
Points: 20
stacytr wrote:

Ok, yesterday we actually cut the cover completely off! There was a bunch of foam sewn/quilted into the cover -- very thin and seemed low quality . We also pulled out the thinnest layer of foam from the stack. It is so much better already! Which gives me more time to obsess -- I mean research! We are still debating HR foam or latex, trying to determine what ILD and thickness. And if we buy latex we would probably buy from a place like foam by mail just cause it's so much cheaper. Thanks for the feedback -- if anyone else has anything more to add I'd sure appreciate it.

 

Have you called any of the latex mattress folks recommended on this forum and ask them what they recommend?

 

Just a thought....laugh

Click on Highlighted threads at top for several excellent posts on Mattress Surgery from Sandman JImsocal and others...
Reply #8 Sep 18, 2011 3:16 PM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
Or also search "mattress surgery."  I have also done mattress surgery, and mine is yet to be successful after at least a year of nearly every imagineable combination of foam layers.

 

shovel99.  I have shared a lot of insight on the different foam products, densities, etc.  Too much to repeat here... just look.

 

Sandman gives his specifics and I have tried his.  Better than the 25 factory made mattresses I have bought... but not real good, yet.

 

I have problem of side and back sleeper with lower back pain.  I need firm for back sleep, soft for side sleep, and spend about half of each night or side then back.  There will not likely be a solution for me.  Memory foam tends to run hot.... reduces pressure points, but then does not "SUPPORT"... because you sind into it, rather than it holding you up.

 

What you need will depend on side or back... your weight... and your preferences.  That is why it is impossible to "tell you what to get".

 

I bought my foam in 1" thicknesses.. .you can fold it over for experimentation.  And 2 x 1 inch is pretty close to 1 x 2 inch in feel... so you can try more combos for less money.

 

Overstock.com used to have many choices in 1 inch of memory foam, and no longer does. See my posts for comments on Foam by mail latex 20 ILD, Sleeplikeabear.com's 14 ILD.  20 ILD is firmer than I can stand as a top layer and there is not cheap place for 14 ILD... it all comes from the same place and will cost you at least $175 for a 1 inch queen.

 

Right now I am using a spring just like sandman's Sealey posturepedic reserve with the encased perimeter coils.... on the bottom have 2 inches of supersoft foam from foamdistributing.com ...and then 2 inches of 14 ILD latex from sleeplikeabear.com.  I have only two fitted sheets, no pad, because even the best matt pads ad firmness my boney body can't stand.  I am 165 pound male.

 

I wish you good luck.... others with fewer problems than I have have gotten lucky with Matt Surgery fairly quickly.

Start by getting one inch of FBM 20 ILD, (this is pretty soft and p;robably soft enough for most for a top layer),  $93 delivered,  1 inch queen supersoft (PU) foam from foamdistributing.com..... maybe $45 delivered...  and 1 inch of 5.3 lb density mem foam from foamorder.com  $110 or so with coupon, and 1 inch of 4 lb memory foam at overstock.com  (the so called Mem cool memory foam.   Reasonable quality, softer than 5 lb.)

With one of each of those you can begin to get a feel.

I. like jimsocal tried a tall stack of both mem foam and latex and the foam did not "give" enough to accommodate my hip shoulders on my side. Needed springs.

 

I think the reason that I am still not successful is that for my 165 lb, the 14 gauge Sealy coil is just too stiff for me.  It barely indents when I sit on it.  And even 20 ILD latex layers actually stiffen the feel of the springs.

 

Good luck.

 

Paul

 

Re: Click on Highlighted threads at top for several excellent posts on Mattress Surgery from Sandman JImsocal and others...
Reply #9 Sep 18, 2011 3:18 PM
Joined: Dec 11, 2009
Points: 113
Just re read your post.  I believe the HR foam you seek can be bought at www.foamdistributing.com.  I bought both supersoft and either High Density or High Resilience :PU there.

 

Paul

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