Renewing foam in forepeak mattress

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Alfie168

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My little Dehler 22 has a small forepeak bunk with a basic two piece foam mattress in two covers. The mattress got waterlogged through a rain leak, so I junked the foam and kept the covers and gave them a good wash. The 'little jobs' list has finally got round to replacing the foam. SWMBO suggested I took the cover to a local reputable foam supplier who do all kinds of cushion work. Now I know foam is not cheap, but I got a hell of a shock when I took them in this afternoon for a quote at the works

The quote ranged from £422 for basic foam , all the way up to £1,266 for latex. Well, to be honest I had budgeted about £150 per cushion, so my £300 total job guesstimate was wildly out of kilter for two triangular lengths of foam 212cm by 88cm at the base. Exit one somewhat taken aback me. When I got back SWMBO was a bit surprised as well.

Back at base the redoubtable SWMBO had another idea. "They sell new mattresses on ebay for about £90. We could cut one up".....well refining this idea a bit we found that a mattress topper fitted the bill better with regard to matching the cushion depth , so I have ordered a Super King sized memory foam topper at 4 inches thick (the depth inside the cover is about 3 6/8 inches) and cutting that into two triangles should do the job. Cost including delivery £75, which is quite a lot cheaper than I had thought it might be.

Sometimes I think I am just getting out of touch with how much things cost, but then again, if I can get "made in UK" memory foam for £75 retail including delivery....what am I paying the other £347 for ? Cutting it into a triangle and stuffing it in the cover ? Hmmmm.
 
Foam is a nightmare. There seems to be no sane way of knowing how 'squidgy' a block of foam will be.
I think most SWMBO's say 'never again' when they've reupholstered a boat?

The main thing I did not realise was that the foam should only go into the cover after putting up a serious fight.
 
I bought some foam for the rear cabin at Hawke House in Gosport but I don't think it was anything like the price you were quoted. I plan to bond a memory foam topper of about 4 cm that we have already been using on top of the base. But beware the topper is quite soft and not very supportive. You might have to beef yours up a bit with a layer of firmer foam.
 
Hoolie said:
I bought some foam for the rear cabin at Hawke House in Gosport but I don't think it was anything like the price you were quoted. I plan to bond a memory foam topper of about 4 cm that we have already been using on top of the base. But beware the topper is quite soft and not very supportive. You might have to beef yours up a bit with a layer of firmer foam.
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I have a leftover of the original foam, and that is pretty squishy and not brilliant quality truth be told. Also this bunk is unlikely to be used much as its the devil to access, so its 85% decorative and I'm just restoring the boat to how it should look for completeness sake , but I take your point. Anyway if I've made a mistake its a £75 one.......not a £400 one :rolleyes: The Superior Foam quote was £878 (basic foam 422). I was beginning to go giddy as I read the figures...:LOL:
 
I used GBFoamDirect much cheaper than you've been quoted - you have to do your own dimensions and decide on the firmness required. New foam has to be fire retardent so more expensive than ol;d foam. Good advice available from above company - others are around online.
 
PetiteFleur said:
I used GBFoamDirect much cheaper than you've been quoted - you have to do your own dimensions and decide on the firmness required. New foam has to be fire retardent so more expensive than ol;d foam. Good advice available from above company - others are around online.
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The fire retardant question is very timely. Not all foam is required to be fire retardant, but there are regulations covering furnishings, and this is where it gets confusing (to me at any rate). I know foam mattresses have to be fire retardant and labelled as such, as does all furniture, but to be quite honest I havn't been able to find any such rule to cover mattress toppers, many of which just come as blocks of foam, and as such are unlabelled anyway, and also such things as scatter cushions.

My hope is that the mattress topper is fire retardant. My expectation is that its not as I've not been able to find conclusive evidence that it has to be....so far...:(
 
PetiteFleur said:
I used GBFoamDirect much cheaper than you've been quoted - you have to do your own dimensions and decide on the firmness required. New foam has to be fire retardent so more expensive than ol;d foam. Good advice available from above company - others are around online.
Click to expand...

Indeed I've done a quick quote and for top quality foam GB Foam Direct quote £95 per cushion with stockinette, and thats pretty much in the ball park of what I was expecting from my local (ish) place. I'm not dreaming the prices they quoted as I have the typed quotation in front of me, and I took a cover in for them to measure.

Anyway, thank you for that referral as if the topper already ordered is truly unsuitable I can return it for the cost of postage (provided I havn't chopped it up of course), and get my foam from GBFoam Direct instead.

I shall be scratching my head for weeks over this one I have no doubt.
 
I bought two pieces of foam for my quarter berths, 900mm wide, 4" foam and it was also cut to shape, had to be ordered in . £180
Bought it from an upholsterer who shares a unit with a marine canvas worker.
I tried an ikea foam matress but it was way to soft.
 
If you sit on the cushions, like in a dinette, you need firmer foam than if it's only used as a bed, but the (Ebay, IIRC) site I got my bed foam from made all this clear and offered suggestions as to suitability. I can't remember what I paid, but it was nowhere near that, which sounds like an "I don't want the job" price.

I bought a rectangle and cut the cushions out with a wood saw and a carving knife. When I worked in a furnishings shop half a lifetime ago, they used an electric carving knife.
 
Graham_Wright said:
If you want top quality but cheap, go to the caravan breakers. The total foam for my full fit (referenced elsewhere) was £90 including delivery.
Click to expand...

I confess I hadn't thought of that one at all, but for the price difference and the comparatively small amount I need, I think I can run to new. The GB Foam site lets you put in exact dimensions, and that on its own must be worth a lot of hassle saved, and the cost seems perfectly reasonable, but thanks anyway.
 
Alfie168 said:
My little Dehler 22 has a small forepeak bunk with a basic two piece foam mattress in two covers. The mattress got waterlogged through a rain leak, so I junked the foam and kept the covers and gave them a good wash. The 'little jobs' list has finally got round to replacing the foam. SWMBO suggested I took the cover to a local reputable foam supplier who do all kinds of cushion work. Now I know foam is not cheap, but I got a hell of a shock when I took them in this afternoon for a quote at the works

The quote ranged from £422 for basic foam , all the way up to £1,266 for latex. Well, to be honest I had budgeted about £150 per cushion, so my £300 total job guesstimate was wildly out of kilter for two triangular lengths of foam 212cm by 88cm at the base. Exit one somewhat taken aback me. When I got back SWMBO was a bit surprised as well.

Back at base the redoubtable SWMBO had another idea. "They sell new mattresses on ebay for about £90. We could cut one up".....well refining this idea a bit we found that a mattress topper fitted the bill better with regard to matching the cushion depth , so I have ordered a Super King sized memory foam topper at 4 inches thick (the depth inside the cover is about 3 6/8 inches) and cutting that into two triangles should do the job. Cost including delivery £75, which is quite a lot cheaper than I had thought it might be.

Sometimes I think I am just getting out of touch with how much things cost, but then again, if I can get "made in UK" memory foam for £75 retail including delivery....what am I paying the other £347 for ? Cutting it into a triangle and stuffing it in the cover ? Hmmmm.
Click to expand...
Try About Jordans Foam Cut to shape and size - Our History and Services
They did a custom memory foam for the owners cabin in my Azimut. Cost £150 ish for the foam. Then needed a cover made locally too. Great value and really comfy mattress.
 
I've got some foam on the way. Unless it's truly unsuitable it's going to have to do for now. It's supposed to arrive in the next four days or so. It's unlikely to be slept on in a hurry as there are better options, so as long as it fills the covers.....well I shall report back if it works or doesn't from my perspective.
 
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