Foam Encasements

[phoenix]

Hi LookingNow,

[quote]I am going to ask Gardner to make me another bed. The one I have is compressed and tufted too firmly for me (springs, cotton, wool.)
I was told it would be tied loosely so it would have some give but it wasn’t. So anything I put on it as a comfort layer isn’t working; it’s all too hard for my side sleeping.[/quote]

I would keep in mind that all natural fiber materials will be firmer than soft foam materials so even if they are loosely tufted they may be firmer than you prefer and there is a limit to how loosely any material can be tufted before the tufting has little benefit. The firmness of the mattress will also depend on the firmness of the springs underneath it as well. If you have a firmer mattress then you may need a thicker/softer topper to provide the comfort and pressure relief that you need.

[quote]They have a bed I love that I owned before but I didn’t buy it this time because of my chemical allergies.
It’s springs with latex - but here’s the part I have a question about: it has a foam encasement.[/quote]

Were you sensitive to the materials when you owned it previously?

I did some reading about foam encasement here today and Phoenix’s comments say that if the foam is made in North America it is probably CertiPure certified (hope i got all that right.) therefore, it would be a personal choice as to whether my allergies could tolerate the foam.

Most of the polyfoam that is made in North America is CertiPur certified yes. There is more information in post #2 here and the posts it links to about organic, natural, chemical, safe, and green materials that can help you answer the question “how safe is safe enough for me?”. Most people are fine with polyfoam that has been CertiPur certified but it’s possible for someone to be sensitive to any material so in the end only your own personal experience can tell whether you will be able to tolerate any specific material. It may be a good idea to ask for a sample and carry it around with you for a day or two to see whether it affects you.

I was told by salesperson that Gardner’s foam encasement is hard, not soft. Would it then perhaps it would outgas less than a softer one?

The only way to know the amount of VOC’s that come from any material is by testing it because it depends on the specifics of the material not how firm it is.

Also, is it possible to just make a simple latex over springs bed without an encasement?

Yes … there are a few examples in post #2 here.

Would steel rods/supports around edges be enough? And would this be a really costly or time-consuming way to make a mattress?

There is more about the different types of edge support that are used with innerspring mattresses in post #2 here.

Phoenix