Mattress Forum

I don't know but I hope you can find a source because I would like to do this, too, some day...

But I think it's going to be very difficult if not impossible to buy just the springs.

As far as trusting the coil systems in SCo mattresses, you can usually get the specs on what kind of coils they are if you insist. They will sometimes have to call someone to find out and it might take a day or two but you can usually get the specs on the mattress coils and almost all of them ARE made by L&P, so it's no big deal really to use the springs from an SCo mattress, imho.

Sealy seems to make pretty decent offset coils. If you buy their super firm "rock hard" model it will usually be the cheapest and won't have much pu foam in it so you will have less foam to throw away... My wife has a Sealy she's still using the springs on after about 5 years or more. I threw mine out because I THOUGHT they were no good but now I think I was wrong. Replaced mine with Englander Bonnell coils and now I'm thinking they are too firm for me (12 or 12.5 gauge). My wife's Sealy springs feel better, to me, now than the Englander. Though I was able to soften up the Englander coils by putting 1/2" of memory foam right over the top of them, as a base for the latex on top.

checked on sealy. all mattresses are 14 gauge. may not be firm enough for my  needs. 

You also have to consider the number of coils and whether they are interlaced on individual pocketed.  I have a Sealy with 14 gauge, but there are a lot of coils and they are interlaced.  So, it is still pretty firm.  Interlacing makes it firmer because you have more coils effectively pushing back at any given spot.   The downside is that it will not conform as well to your body, so more likely to have pressure points.

I know that the top of the line Simmons have even lower gauge pocketed coils with lot's of coils.   Probably more that you want to spend though for surgery purposes.  There may be an issue as well with the pocketed coils shifting around.
 

Pretty sad that we all FINALLY have caught on to the garbage PU foam they put in mattresses today.  Pretty sad that we have to resort to trying to build our own beds out of trying to not be in pain!

hey but please don't bid against me on virginia19450 carded wool batting on ebay. hoping to get that one

Hey olenska, thanks for finding the carded wool! I'm going to look into that. Don't worry though, I won't bid against you. I may not even buy it yet. I'm more interested in cotton felt in rolls. Where did you find the cotton felt? Is that the same as "cotton batting"? I think I've heard it called that...? 

The quote from the L&P guy is classic! Thanks for sharing that! It's the first time I've heard ANYONE within the mattress industry admit to it! I was running an anti-mattress industry newspaper, my headline would be "L&P Confirms: S Co. Mattresses Are A Nightmare!"

I like that you're taking a different approach right off the bat, adding horse hair and wool layers to your DIY mattress! Am anxious to see if you like it. What made you decide to do this instead of following the usual springs + latex approach? I have been wondering myself about the possible need for a cotton or wool layer, so I'm anxious to see if you like your mattress when it's done, and meanwhile I might try some cotton in there, myself. I'm thinking cotton because we have a futon filled with cotton and it is surprisingly comfortable. Not super comfortable because there are no springs or other layers. But something about it makes me think a cotton layer might be an important component of a good mattress. Also I've noticed that several small custom  mattress companies use cotton as a layer, and I think a lot of S Co's used to, as well, back in the day when mattresses were made well.

If you buy any of this stuff (cotton, wool, horsehair) it would be great if you would provide photos.

Too bad about not being able to buy just coils. I bet it's POSSIBLE, but god knows from whom. Maybe one of the CUSTOM mattress makers - more of a mom & pop shop - might be willing to sell you one. I might ask Custom Comfort or a couple of the local companies around here if they'd sell me just their springs... I know they're going to look at me like I'm nuts, but... what the heck?

Oh, I also wanted to say re springs: I don't recall Budgy ever saying individual pocket coils were best for latex. If so can you tell me which thread? Or maybe he'll see this and comment. But I know he doesn't read all the threads... Also in a recent thread, somewhere - I'm looking for it - he was saying that Simmons coils do NOT migrate, or at least that's what I think he was saying. I asked for clarification and now can't find the thread. If I find it I'll post it here. I would by Simmons pocket coils if I thought they were good quality. Oh, I do remember him saying that NOW they not so good, though, because they cover them in polyester or something so they're stiffer than before, not as comforming. I think I asked then, what is the best pocket coils, if any? So I've got to find that thread!  I had a Simmons once and it only lasted about a year before killing my back. I was convinced the coils migrated. I bad mouthed them all over the net after that and swore I'd never buy another one! But maybe they got better after that - that was around 1998 or so...