Hi Rehoboth.
Yes, you will feel right away the difference, A 12 IFD Serene will feel much softer than the 18 and 28 IFDs of the foam blocks you ordered. Alyson Brook should be able to let you know right off the batt the ILD of the 2" Serene foam they sell if you call them at 1-800-878-2104. They seem to work directly with Carpenter to get special orders for their customers as Carpenter makes specific contract products with specific companies that are produced only for that particular company. Company Store here also sells Serene toppers but they don’t list the IFD. so I’d give them a call.
Jeff from Mattress To Go, (one of the mattress experts on our forum) sells two products made by Capitol Bedding that have Serene foam in the uppermost layer and confirmed that with a 12 IFD you’d probably go right through it to the layer below. If I was buying the Serene in a topper, I’d probably want the 22 IFD, as I think you’d sink right through the 12 IFD.
Also a search for “Serene foam topper IFD” keywords in different browsers revealed results of 16 IFD Serene toppers but you’d need to see how accurate or recent these search results are as clearly on Carpenter’s website only the 12 and 22 IFDs are offered.
[quote] As a rough draft for version 1 of this build, we currently have:
- OEM springs (Serta Perfect Day Pisces)
- OEM foam layer above it
then ordered, to go above that …[/quote]
I’m not sure if you’ve found it yet, but some of the better comments and links I have for designing a DIY mattress are listed after Option #3 in this post. Even if you were extremely knowledgeable about foams and mattress design, there is quite a bit of trial and error that can go into designing your own mattress, but some people (such as yourself) enjoy “tinkering” and derive satisfaction from your own personal creation. In your case, you have a good start off and a bit of a scavenger hunt always helps keep costs down and is great to repurpose a worn-out mattress.
[quote] Yes, this means our sides of the bed aren’t the same height. They aren’t right now either (she’s on coils + base layer foam, I’m on same + the least worn-out 3" convoluted foam that had come in the mattress). Final goal is for them to be the same height but I suspect I won’t want the ILD 28 on my side, so if I buy another 2" block of something softer I’ll see whether my wife wants the 28 on her side.
[/quote]
In your DIY split with (dual thickness), your side would be 2" higher than your wife’s which isn’t the most ideal construction for a couple. As thickness and firmness work together in a finished mattress, it is possible to accommodate two sleepers with different preferences and needs. This is why the thickness of the Polyfoam, layer above the spring unit, and its condition (no sagging or rips) are also important factors in considering the layers above for your DIY. The height of the spring unit is also another important factor. While I can’t say which construction would work best either for you or your wife some personal stats such as BMI, sleeping position(s), and any underlying health conditions) and an assessment of PPP (posture and alignment, pressure relief, and personal preferences) would be very useful in guiding you.
Let us know what you find, and have fun
Phoenix