[K9-Lovers]

The term "murphy bed" is used now for all types of stow-away beds, much like people say Kleenex for tissues, and Xerox for a copy machine.

Some beds bolt to the floor, and some bolt to the wall. Some use spring mechanisms and some use piston mechanisms. I have one that bolts to the wall and uses a spring mechanism, just my preference -- all are good. The piston mechanisms make it easier to put up and take down the bed and if you are not strong, get one with pistons.

We love tempurpedic beds and wanted to use one as well, but you cannot. When the tempurpedic bed is stored upright, the layers of foam begin to separate. The tempurpedic people will not warranty a mattress that has been stored in a "murphy bed". It just "slumps" too much, even with the straps holding it in. Plus, tempurpedic mattresses are so very heavy, that it would be hard to put the bed up and down. What we did is buy a high quality mattress with springs in it, and then bought a high quality 3" memory foam topper for it and our guests marvel at the good sleep they get on that bed. Be sure to measure correctly the depth of the mattress and the foam topper, or your bed cabinet may not close all the way. Get a thin mattress, not one of those with the thick fluffy top sewn in.

We hunted and searched for the best foam topper, and found a fantastic one at Sam's Club. The ones at Bed Bath & Beyond look good, but they are not as dense. You know what I mean if you have a tempurpedic.

Another thing we did after having the framework installed, was to screw plywood to the platform before putting the mattress down so that the mattress was not sitting on top of metal framework, but instead on top of a smooth wood surface. This helps tremendously.

One more tip if you get a wall-mounted bed: before the workers screw the frame into the wall, put some of those little stick-on pads on the framework. you know, the precut little self-stick felt pads that come in a pack and you can use them under a lamp base to keep from scratching your table. Our wall was a little uneven (everything else is perfect in TV) and the frame was rubbing and making a squeaking noise when someone laid in the bed and shifted their weight. So we had to undo the frame and put in the pads. It was very, very difficult to do after the fact, so be pushy and make the guys wait while you apply the pads. You can get narrow pads instead of round ones so they won't show after the frame is installed.