Need to Buy a Mattress? Read This Before You DoWhy doesn't Angie's List rate attorneys?Landscaping: What do your neighbors do that drives you crazy?How much does it cost to be a member here?How much does it typically cost to paint a 2100 square foot house on the exterior? That's very difficult to answer without seeing the house. As one poster said, the prep is the most important part. On newer homes that don't have a lot of peeling paint, the prep can be very minimal even as low as a couple or a few hundred dollars for the prep labor. On a 100 year old home with 12 coats of peeling paint on it, then the prep costs can be very high and can easily exceed 50% of the job's labor cost.A 2100 sq ft two story home could easily cost $1000 just for the labor to prep for the paint job. That number could climb too. Throw in lots of caullking or window glazing, and you could be talking a couple or a few hundred dollars more for labor. Painting that home with one coat of paint and a different color on the trim could run roughly $1000 or more just for labor.
Add a second coat and that could cost close to another $1000 for labor. For paint, you may need 20 gallons of paint. You can pay from $30-$70 for a gallon of good quality exterior paint. The manufacturer of the paint should be specified in any painting contract. Otherwise, the contractor could bid at a Sherwin-Williams $60 per gallon paint and then paint the house with $35 Valspar and pocket the difference. $25 dollars per gallon times 20 gallons? That's a pretty penny too. That was the long answer to your question. The short answer is $2000 to $4000 and up, depending upon the amount of prep, the number of coats, the amount of trim, and the paint used.The lowdown on crib mattresses Types of mattresses What to look for when buying Important safety notes What it's going to cost you The lowdown on crib mattressesA good mattress not only makes bedtime cozier – it supports your growing baby and keeps her safe. Consider cost, comfort, and durability, as your baby will probably sleep in a crib for up to 3 years.
Browse dozens of cribs.Types of mattresses“Breathable” mattresses, made of materials that are supposed to allow a baby to breathe freely even if his or her face is pressed up against it, are getting more popular. Experts haven’t yet weighed in on their efficacy.What to look for when buyingDensity: You want high density so it’s firm enough to keep your baby safe while sleeping. Most foam mattresses don't list density on the packaging, but weight can be a good indicator. As for innerspring mattresses, manufacturers often equate the number of coils with firmness, but the gauge of the wire is just as important. Lower gauge means thicker wire, which is stronger and therefore firmer. Look for a mattress with 135 or more coils and a gauge of 15.5 or lower.Weight: A typical foam mattress weighs about 7 to 8 pounds, although mattresses made of memory foam (an especially dense form of polyurethane) can weigh close to 20 pounds. Innerspring crib mattresses are heavier in general, weighing in at about 15 to 25 pounds.
Keep in mind that you'll be hoisting up a side of the mattress, or lifting the whole thing, when changing your baby's sheet.Cleaning: Most traditional mattresses suggest spot-cleaning only. Some have removable covers that can be machine-washed. The innards of at least one crib mattress on the market can be hosed down in the tub once its washable cover is removed.Certification seals: Crib mattresses for sale in the United States must meet safety standards defined by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials. (The Juvenile Products Manufacturer Association does not test or certify crib mattresses.) A manufacturer's claim that a product is organic can mean a variety of things, but look for an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification (a worldwide uniform certification), which assures you that certain flame retardants and heavy metals were not used to make the mattress.Important safety notesNo matter what mattress parents choose, they should continue to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe-sleep guidelines and put babies to sleep on their backs on a firm, bare surface.
What it's going to cost youCrib mattresses start at about $40 and can range to more than $350. Organic mattresses start at about $80 and can reach $400. Download our illustrated guide to crib mattressesAmerican Academy of Pediatrics. /English/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/Pages/Choosing-a-Crib.aspx [Accessed May 2016]Consumer Reports. Crib mattress buying guide. /cro/crib-mattresses/buying-guide.htm [Accessed May 2016]Consumer Reports. /cro/cribs/buying-guide.htm [Accessed May 2016]CPSC. Learn how to put your baby to sleep safely. http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/cribs/ [Accessed May 2016]The mattress is probably among the most important and personal home items you own. We all know we're supposed to get seven hours of sleep (at least) each day--and a bad mattress will definitely prevent that from happening. What it comes down to with a mattress is your own personal comfort and how it can support your body specifically. While the comfort level of a mattress varies from person to person and the construction of mattresses can be broken down to a science, one thing is certain when you're looking to purchase one: It's a big investment and you better make sure it works for you.
Thus, we took note of some of the general things to keep in mind if you're in the market for a mattress, whether it's a memory foam or a regular spring mattress.For the most part there are three main mattress types: inner spring, latex and memory foam. There are, of course, also air mattresses and ones made up of latex foam, but mattresses at most stores generally stick to the above three. Our pick: Latex (Find out why below) Ask about inner springs. Without going too much into the intricacies of construction, inner spring coil mattresses are the most common and cost-effective, and they tend to be firm. Ask about the type of support wire coils in a spring mattress. There are four types: open (hourglass shape), offset (square top), pocket (individually fabric wrapped cylinders) or continuous (S-shaped). Out of the the four, open coil support wears out most easily and continuous coils provide the best evenly distributed support. Our Pick: Continuous coilsMade from all-natural latex rubber, this mattress option is hypoallergenic and dust-mite resistant.
Not too firm and not too plush, latex is a good choice for people who might be suffering from back pains, and it also retains heat well. Many go for 9"-12" thick latex mattresses, which has more layers of latex rubber inside, and don't go below 6", but this is highly dependent on your specific comfort level. We've found the 7"-10" range to be a good fit for us.The most well known body-molding, memory-foam mattress is by Tempurpedic. What's important to know about memory-foam is that it heats up much more than other mattresses as it isn't as breathable as latex or spring mattresses. However, its firmness has been said to provide much better cushioning than innerspring mattresses, but memory-foam usually comes with a much high price tag. Be firm with firmness. Contrary to popular opinion, a firm mattress is not always best. An extremely firm mattress can actually provide uneven support and end up putting stress on body parts like the hips and shoulders. Likewise for a mattress that is too soft, making you sink and thus causing body aches.
However, one tried and true tip is to go with a medium-firm (or cushion-firm) mattress, like a latex foam one, if you suffer from lower back pains -- it gives better support to the spine's curve. This goes without saying, but you'd be surprised at how many people succumb to the convenience of purchasing a mattress over the internet these days. You should check out mattresses in person and definitely lie down on one to test it out in the store to make sure it's comfortable for you. Not to mention, shipping costs can be high, which would make an already expensive purchase even more costly.There are mattresses that go for under $1,000 but most people tend to invest that amount into one. Some mattresses can cost thousands of dollars (even tens of thousands of dollars), but in general, we find that one that costs anywhere from $500-$1200 with the right support is satisfactory and easy to find at chains like Sleepy's and department stores such as Macy's. If you're shopping around for a mattress now or thinking about getting one in the near future, here are a few options to get you started, and don't forget to check out the shopping video also.