Hi Phoenix,
Thank you for your reply! I did see a lot of the links before, but I forgot some of the specifics. It’s a lot to read and I still have to check out local retailers, too. I’ll reply with more specific questions as I continue my research.
Regarding the bed - the furniture store was unable to offer any information about it. As you saw, the main crossbeams (two vertical and one horizontal that are intended to aid the structural integrity of the bed) are nailed directly to the frame and aren’t raised like the rest of the slats. If these slats aren’t strong enough, I feel like it would be possible to remove the slats, leaving a regular bed frame that a foundation can be put on, if need be. But I’ll continue trying to find more information just in case.
I particularly enjoyed the information in this post about various technologies to resolve the heat retention of memory foam mattresses. I’ll factor those into my search as well - that is, looking for open celled memory foam rather than just gel-topped memory foam. I’m a little confused about whether or not to use a mattress protector, given this information from the aforementioned post:
One type of mattress protector that is only lightly covered here is a bamboo mattress protector. Any additional suggestions? I did see the longer post about mattress protectors here.
Thanks again for all the info!