Would it be inadvisable to place the base layer between the slats and the encasement, rather than between the encasement and the coils? I’m attempting to keep the thickness of my proposed hybrid build to 14 inches of components (15 inches thick total after being encased), so rather than putting a 1/2 inch layer of HD36-HQ foam within the encasement, I’m looking to put that directly on top of the slats. I would assume that this would provide the same benefit of ensuring a stable base for the coils, but I’ve learned to be careful about making assumptions. Thanks for any insights anyone might have!
Edit: Or would it be better to just place a thin bunkie board on top of the slats to create a true platform?
Note that the base layer significantly influences the overall feel of the mattress, depending on the thickness and firmness of the foam. Just as proper support beneath the mattress affects the bed’s feel, these factors are often overlooked but crucial for comfort.
We advise against placing the pocket coil directly on a bunkie board, plywood, or slats. It’s important to have a layer between the rigid, hard surface and the pocket coil. The foam layer serves as a transition layer and shock absorber between the coils and the hard surface. Many people find the mattress to be bouncier without the foam layer. It’s challenging to articulate, but having the base foam simply makes the mattress feel better. In our opinion, without the foam layer below, the mattress feels cheap and lacks the quality feel of a well-built mattress. Feel free to experiment and test for yourself; that’s part of the fun of DIY—learning what you find comfortable.
We agree with @Maverick that it’s preferable to keep the foam inside the cover. While it’s not always the case, a 1/2" piece of foam is thin and might shift or bunch. Additionally, it could sink between the slats. Placing it in the casement might help prevent this as it’s encased within the cover.
Thank you! So I think I’ll build out our mattress to include the foam inside. Due to encasement increments, I will include a one inch layer of HD36-HQ foam at the bottom. And based on reading through things here at TMU and elsewhere, I think we’ll trim our comfort layer down from 3 inches to 2 inches, which means we can still keep the total height (encasement included) to 15 inches. Thanks again
Thanks again for your response. I wanted to revisit this question and ask if you think a full one inch layer of of lux-ha (2.6lb/50ild) would be likely to sag into slats if I were to put it outside the mattress encasement. I ask because I screwed up and ordered a 1 inch layer instead of 1/2 inch layer, and I’m now intending to add a 1/2 layer of wool batting to go in between the coils and first layer of latex. Long story short, I’m worried that my build is going to be too thick for the encasement, so back to wondering if I can derive a benefit from just putting the foam layer in between slats and encasement?
If I’m just trying to put a round peg in a square hole, then I will just abandon the idea, suck it up, and buy another sheet of foam in 1/2 inch thickness. Or I suppose I could try to cram into the encasement the 1 inch foam and the 1/2 inch wool batting? Maybe the 1/2 inch of wool will compress enough to make everything else fit? ¯_(ツ)_/¯
It depends on the spacing of the slats. The closer the slats, the better. If the spacing is less than 3/4 inch, you should be okay. You could experiment with it and keep an eye on any potential issues since you already have the 1".
Thanks. Just to confirm, you think it might not work if the slats are more than three quarters of inch apart? Or 3 or 4 inches apart? I didn’t know they even made slat rolls that were less than inch apart, assuming that is what you meant? Thanks again!
It’s uncertain whether using slats spaced at 3" or 4" apart will be effective, but it might be worth a try, especially since you already have the 1" foam. We suggest keeping an eye on it to see if there’s any sagging between the slats. If sagging occurs, it might be necessary to explore alternative solutions.
While it’s uncommon, there are companies that offer slats spaced at 1" or less. If you purchased a bed frame from a retailer like https://mattressfoundations.com, you could consider purchasing additional slats to fill the gaps and decrease the spacing to below 1".