Bought a sealy pillowtop posterpedic candelgow ti2 cal king from sears in nov 2011. ts causing me severe lower back pain. first 90 days bed was good. now too late to return. Cut mattress open. Bed is made of total junk foam on spings. does not match their claims. I am 6’-9" and have a wife 5’-7". I like firm and sleep on back, she like soft and sleep on side. Can I do a DIY Latex mattress that would make us both happy with from foam factory? will 2" of HD foam over the spings and a 2" talaley latex topper salvage our mattress if i remove the foam from atop the springs adn put the new foams over the spings? I bed the spings are not Titanium like they claim either. Or do I need to order a 6" latex core and abandon the entire sealy mattress? Or is there a cost effective bed I can order online instead?
Hi burnell,
Part of the problem with almost all major brand mattresses is the use of too much cheap low quality polyfoam in the upper layers of the mattress (as you saw). This is an even bigger problem with the pillowtops. The polyfoam will go through an initial softening process in the first 90 days or so and if this makes the mattress too soft … then it’s difficult to fix without surgery and warranties don’t cover foam softening. The good news though is that the innersprings are almost certainly still fine.
I would personally never consider buying latex foam from foam factory (or any of their other names) because I don’t believe they sell talalay and I also don’t believe their ILD ratings. I know they don’t buy foam from either Latex international or Latexco which are the sources of all the Talalay foam in the US. I also don’t believe their ILD ratings for a moment and if you buy the wrong ILD then you can end up with an impossible task trying to figure out exactly what you bought and how to fit it into a suitable layering pattern. The only thing I would consider buying from them is cheap polyfoam and even then only if the situation didn’t demand that I received exactly what I thought I was ordering. More of my thoughts about them are in post #2 here.
I’m not sure if you have the firm or plush pillowtop but if I was going to do mattress surgery on the mattress (which is probably fairly similar to this) … I would look carefully at which foams to keep and which to throw away. I would keep the insulator layer on top of the innerspring and possibly any zoning layer as well. Having a good insulator layer to prevent the foam from sinking into the coils is important. Then on top of this I would probably add 2-3" of latex with possibly up to 2" of good quality polyfoam under this. How much and what firmness would depend on the compromise between you for your individual preferences. Given your higher weight and back sleeping and your wife’s lower weight and side sleeping I would probably lean towards 3" of latex and then add polyfoam under it if this didn’t hit the feel you were looking for. I would tend towards about 24 ILD which would likely be firmer than much of the foam you are replacing.
If you go in this direction … I would be prepared to do some experimenting to get the final result you want.
I would tend to give mattress surgery a try before going in another direction because you can always use any latex you purchase over a 6" latex core if you decide to go in that direction but a latex/innerspring hybrid can make a great mattress.
There are many cost effective mattresses that can be ordered online in many budget ranges … especially from some of the smaller manufacturers who specialize in helping people order mattresses over the phone. If you do decide to go in this direction did you have a budget in mind?
Several members of the site specialize in DIY mattresses or purchases that can be shipped across the country. A brief description of them is in post #21 here. Another option if you decide not to do surgery would be to purchase from a local manufacturer where you could test the mattresses in person. They are usually your best local source of quality and value. If you let me know what city you live in I’d be happy to take a look to see if I know of any close to you.
Lots to think about but mattress surgery would probably be my first choice if you are up for a challenge and a little experimentation.
Phoenix
I was going to do exactlt that, suregyr first, then a 6" core as a plan B. I already ordered the Foam factory foam. However, based on what you said in the other posts, maybe I should just keep the HD poly foam and return their latex. I can order new 3" 24ILD latex from mattresses.net This sounds like a good plan. What density polyfoam (2") should I use? this sounds like a great plan. Thanks for your help.
Hi burnell,
Since you’ve ordered the “latex” anyway … you may as well try it just to see how it works before ordering an alternative. You may find it valuable to see how you and your wife feel about a firmer material. While it may not be what they advertise, you may end up liking it anyway even though it’s probably not talalay or the ILD you may prefer. If nothing else, you will avoid the confusion that can come from believing you have one thing when you really have another and using it as a reference point.
The idea behind my suggestions is that the top 3" layer is more for your wife who is likely lighter than you are and will probably need about 3" of latex to relieve pressure on her side. This will also isolate her from the firmer layers underneath the latex which you will need because of your heavier weight (you will probably “go through” the top layer more than she will and “come to rest” on the layers below this). Once you have tried the thickness that works for her and possibly you as well (depending on your weight distribution), then it will be easier to know the density and firmness of the layer that should be underneath it. If you do end up going with polyfoam … I would make it a minimum of 1.8 lb density (HD Polyfoam) because any lower than this may break soften more quickly.
One of the benefits of higher quality polyfoam (HR polyfoam with a density of 2.5 and a compression modulus of 2.4 or higher) is that it gets firmer faster and is more resilient. The specs of the HQ polyfoam at FBM though say that the support factor (another word for compression modulus) of all their foams is exactly the same (1.9) and it only has 45% resiliency which are both more typical of lower quality foams. Because these is so clearly wrong (higher quality polyfoam has a higher compression modulus and resiliency and this is one of the main benefits of using it), it also makes me question their other specs such as density. Higher quality (density) polyfoam would be better in the upper and middle ranges of the mattress (it would last longer and perform better) but it’s not clear what the specs of the foam you would receive are if you order the higher quality foam that they sell (the HD 36 HQ or the Lux HQ). Given that the price difference is small though … it would probably be worth going with the supposedly higher quality.
The other issue of course is that their “HQ” quality foam only comes in 2 ILD’s (35 and 50) which means that one of these would need to be right for you. Out of these … if the 36 really is 36 ILD … it would likely be a much better choice as a transition layer under the softer latex. 50 ILD (again if it really is) is likely to be too firm and would “dominate” the innerspring.
Hope this helps
Phoenix
i have read your web page all day. my back really hurts. it seems i should just donate our sealy and start over. I have read web pages for a dozen bed companies. wish we had one in lancaster pa, but lemoyne sleeper is bankrupt. i think the only way my 130lb wife and my 250lb 6’9" frames will both be happy is with an adjustable ulta plush latex bed from the arizona mattress co. then i can have firm and she can have medium or soft. she stil is ok with the sealy posterpedic that is breaking my lower back. the cal king adjustable latex is 1,400 right now on mattress.net i think i will return the latex i ordered from FBM.
Hi Burnell,
Yes it’s a shame that Lemoyne went bankrupt … and unfortunately it wasn’t that long ago.
There is a local manufacturer within an hours drive or so though in Pottsdown …
http://www.magicsleeper.net/ and http://www.mattressandfurniturestore.com/. Pottstown (or Pottsdown), PA. Local factory direct manufacturer that makes a range of good quality and value mattresses including two sided innerspring mattresses and a number of latex and latex hybrid options. Family owned and good people. They also make custom designs and sizes and and they are also a member of this site.
There are also a couple of regional factory direct manufacturers within reasonable driving distance.
Furniture Row® Store Locations - Store Hours & Addresses York they make two latex mattresses called the Aspen and the Snowmass although I would think the Snowmass may work better for your circumstances
Directory of Verlo Mattress Locations. Find a Verlo Mattress store in your town. West Chester They carry a range of latex mattresses including latex/innerspring hybrids.
Both of these may well be worth testing even if they don’t make a side to side split. If nothing else … it would give you a better idea of firmness levels that worked for both of you. It may even be possible that a single layering scheme could work for both of you in spite of your weight differences (this is one of the advantages of the high support factor of latex where a softer layer on top can work for her and a firmer transition layer underneath this could also make it work for you).
Phoenix
- I was able to cancel the order with foam by mail. It had been 2 weeks and they still had not cut the foam fo rmy order.
- would plywood under the mattresss ontop the box spring make my mattress firmer so I could not get the bacl pain? someoen told me to try this, but i am skeptical.
- Am going to visit Magic sleeper tonight. i called and they were very informative and have alot of beds with varying types of latex to try.
- think I can sell my 4 month old mattress, and disclose its not for big people?
Hi burnell,
That’s probably a good thing IMO.
This would depend on what the mattress was currently sitting on but if it is a box spring that flexes then it would make the support firmer yes. It would also change the feel of the mattress. It wouldn’t help with any polyfoam softening in the top layers of the mattress though so how much it helped would depend on the source of the problem.
This would certainly be a good place to visit. John is knowledgeable and has some very good quality and value mattresses.
I thought you had cut the mattress open? I’m not so sure that someone would want to buy a used mattress that had been cut open.
Phoenix
We had a great visit with John at Magic Sleeper in Pottstown PA. He showed us samples, switched out two different thicknesses of latex for us to try laying on. Explained the construction of the box spring and mattress. We even saw the room and mattresses being worked on. His prices are way less than Sleepys and in line with Sears prices. Thank you for recommending them.
Hi Burnell,
You’re very welcome 
I know to many people it may seem strange to drive an hour to find a mattress … visiting a local manufacturer or a high quality sleep shop can end up leading to much better quality, save a lot of money, and even end up saving a lot of time compared to going from store to store and getting more and more frustrated and confused by the misleading information and “stories” most people are exposed to in the more “typical” mattress chains and larger outlets.
It’s nice to know what really is in your mattress
Phoenix