Question on mattress & boxspring

[Minelson]

What are boxsprings for? Do they do anything else than raise the mattress? I'm asking because my dog Shep (love of my life) is going to be 15 this month and he can't jump up on the bed anymore. I bought a ramp, tried little steps and tried a stool. He just doesn't have the confidence that those things will hold him so he tries to jump and it's so sad to watch him fail and fall down
So I'm thinking about taking the bed apart and just having the mattress on the floor. It's a very thick mattress..king size. Is there any reason why this wouldn't work?
Here's Shep
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7...D480/ry%3D320/

[Raptor]

Don't see why it wouldn't work. Any way you can cut the legs on your frame and lower the bed?

[longrider]

I seen a picture of my grandmothers bed when she wore a youngun. sitten on a bed made from sticks and rope. Feather it wore.

In the old days matresses were feather or cotton or just plain grass. On the ground or rope threaded through the stick or near log bed frame followed the fashion. Then slat board laid across the frame. iron springs were all the rage in the thirties and forties (ours squeaked like you wouldnt believe.)

then some genius put cloth around the springs and later built a wooden frame around that.

Now, its just fasion to have the mattress way up high. My grandmother willed me her Iron Bed that she had on her honeymoon. The frame is set way up high, 16 inchs from floor to frame. She said they didnt start out with springs or a box, just a feather bed she made from plucking chickens and geese. ( I love my grandmother but I threw that thing out!) laid right on wooden slats.

I made a plywood base to go between the frame. Now my Tempurpedic Mattress sits a a reasonable height.

take the box spring out and build a staircase for him.

[Rowdy]

Actually, I just heard a story on this subject a few weeks ago. Basically it said that the boxspring is pretty worthless, and that a platform bed is just as good.

It also said that price was a pretty worthless indicator of worth as well. It suggested to just buy what felt comfortable.

[Minelson]

Originally Posted by rose2005

Our bed is from the UK. It's an antique wooden slat bed which the mattress sits upon. Very comfortable. No box springs.

Rose

Is it a king size? I'm just wondering if it would need some support in the middle

[Minelson]

I just looked and the frame does have support in the middle...now I just have to find someone to help me muscle this project. I'm going to do it while hubby is away because I know he will think I'm nuts

[Windy_jem]

We have our king sized bed laying on plywood on top of an old water bed pedestal. No sags here.

[Quint]

I know the warranty on my mattress is void if it is used without a box spring.

[ceresone]

Wouldnt sitting it on the floor give it all the bracing it needs??
Bless You for caring that much for your dog.

[The Paw]

One of the purposes of the box spring is to allow your mattress to "breathe"/ventilate. The wood slats mentioned above, while using less height, still allow air circulation beneath.

If you do put the mattress directly on the floor, you should probably air it and flip it weekly.

[Minelson]

If using slats, what thickness and width should I use?...

[greenmulberry]

I don't use a box spring.

[The Paw]

Originally Posted by Minelson

If using slats, what thickness and width should I use?...

I built a slat platform for a futon using 1" x 3" slats, with about 3" of space between each slat. That seemed to work. Have enough slats, or you will get sag. I have seem store bought platforms where the slats at 1.5" with maybe .75 inch spacing.

[wogglebug]

Originally Posted by The Paw

One of the purposes of the box spring is to allow your mattress to "breathe"/ventilate. The wood slats mentioned above, while using less height, still allow air circulation beneath.

If you do put the mattress directly on the floor, you should probably air it and flip it weekly.

Yea, verily, the mattress MUST breathe. You sweat at night under warm covers, at the very least the mattress absorbs water vapour. That has to have room to evaporate off - box spring or slats or whatever. If you use a solid base, you have to put a lot of holes in it - my (very tall) brother-in-law killed a drill of mine doing that when he put a bigger top over a bed-base, but the bed lasted for decades. I did the same sort of thing without the holes, but the MDF top eventually collapsed. My former wife and I had the foam mattress on the floor after that, and it nearly killed us - literally. The mattress got sopping wet underneath, where water vapour was condensing against the cold floor and we couldn't see it. It eventually shorted-out the electric blanket on top. The foam mattress started smouldering, and the fumes dashed-near killed us. That sort of thing releases cyanide gas, and we were VERY lucky to wake up.

Any permanent mattress needs air-space under it.

[Maura]

Give your dog his own bed right next to yours. Even if you put the mattress on the floor (I did this with one bed because the cat kept getting under the bed and I didn't want to crush her should the bedspring and mattress fall.) Shep will still have to step down to get off, which will probably hurt his joints.

He will actually be more comfortable on a dog bed made for arthritic dogs than he is on your bed. The fact that he is in your bedroom gives him all the security he needs.

[DC_Hound]

One of my bassets is 15 years old and very arthritic (also blind and deaf, and with a seizure disorder--but perfectly happy!). After sleeping in bed with us for 13+ years, we finally bought her an orthopedic dogbed from Drs. Fosters and Smith and honestly after a couple of nights she loved it. She can put herself to bed at HER bedtime (about 8 PM) instead of waiting to be hoisted into the big bed. Her bed is in the bedroom and I feel a lot better about her not having to get up and down more than a few inches. She even has her own pillow and blankie.

[ELOCN]

I am sorry your dog can no longer get up on the bed. I think a mattress is much more comfortable if it has box springs underneath it, but you can certainly remove the boxsprings and put them someplace else so that Shep can get up on the bed.