Replacing water bed mattress with latex?

[phoenix]

Hi kmiller,

The main advantage of the separate bottom layer is that it makes it much easier to make the bed. The mattress barely comes above the side rails so the mattress is in a box. Three inches less to to work the sheets down and one third less weight to lift up.

That makes sense to me.

The bottom layer has the cotton topper cover around it. Except for a small cut out in the corners it is on a plywood platform. I was concerned that it would not have enough ventilation. You think it needs another cover?

If it has a cotton cover it should be fine. Being inside a recessed bedframe though on a solid foundation would reduce ventilation which could increase the risk of moisture issues and it may be a good idea to use something such as a bed rug underneath it (see post #10 here).

It came from SleeoEZ in the cover and when we flipped it into the frame one of foam pieces worked above the other and we could not work it back down flat. We had to unzip the cover and take out the one side and put it back. Then the cover was not perfectly positioned and we were afraid we were going to tear out the zipper getting it back on. If I ever replace the cover I will get separate right and left covers. Once everything is all set I could imagine not touching it for years.

As you know handling latex can be somewhat tricky because it’s so elastic and “floppy” and also tends to “stick” to the layer below it. The trick is to lift the layer and wave or flick it into position and avoid pulling or tugging which can rip the latex and can leave it sitting unevenly in the cover. There are some videos in post #12 here that may be helpful and once you get the hang of it it’s much easier.

Phoenix