HOW DO I INSTALL STABLECOMFORT?

STABLECOMFORT INSTALLATION

INSTRUCTIONS

GROUND PREPARATION:

1. The ground in the stall where the mattress system is being installed must be level or even slightly crowned in the middle. It is essential that the stall not be dipped or bowl shaped to the middle. If you have a concrete or asphalt stall it is probably already level but be sure that any holes or other problem areas are fixed, you may also want to dome or crown the floor. The reason for crowning or doming is so that the urine will run away from the horse and center of the stall to the outer edges. Also because the horse spends the majority of its time in the middle of the stall, doming allows for ground and mattress compaction. We recommend the middle of the stall be approximately 2” higher than the outer walls.

2. If you have an earth or gravel based stall chances are some work will need to be done to it. If the stall is too low bring in some gravel to fill and level. The recommended aggregates are pea gravel, ¾” washed stone or even ‘A’ gravel also known as road gravel. These are recommended because they need little packing and will resist settling over time. ‘A’ gravel is good because it can be used in other applications such as a driveway, however the stall should be hosed down with water for about 20 min. after the gravel is installed. It is essential that no matter what fill is used; it is watered and/or packed with a tamping device. If the aggregates are not packed with water and/or a tamping device and they settle it will result in premature stretching and perhaps wrinkling of the top cover. Sand is not recommended because it does not pack well and has a tendency to shift and move.

3. Fill the low spots with the aggregate. If you want the stall to be the same height as the aisle way be sure and leave the base 1.5” beneath the threshold at the door. To be more accurate measure the thickness of the mattress and keep in mind which direction the mattress will be lying, and remember the mattress will compact. If your stall does not have a threshold at the door, use a pressure treated 4x4 and fasten it to the posts of the stall, level with the aisle way. Bring in the fill, level it, keeping the centre of the stall slightly higher and compact it using water and/or a compacting machine.

MATTRESS INSTALLATION:

4. Before carrying mattresses into the stall measure the stall and the mattresses to decide which is the most effective way to lay the mattresses. Not every stall is exactly square, however due to the make-up of the mattress this is not a problem. Starting in one corner bring in the first mattress. The labelled end of the mattress should lie in the middle of the stall. This end of the mattress is slightly less full than the other end and the reason we put mattresses label to label is that we can compress them end to end better than putting the full ends together. Lay the mattress down, tight to the wall. It is not necessary to push the mattress together too much. Basically the mattress should be about 46” wide. Continue laying the mattresses in, being sure that there are not gaps between mattresses. When you get close to the walls it may be necessary to cut the mattresses. The easiest way to cut is along a cell, with the stitching. Remember cutting a cell empties the rubber from it, so it is a good idea to do your cutting on top of the other mattresses, without cutting the other mattresses. If you have to cut the mattresses against the stitching it can be done. Cut across the cells at the length you need the mattresses to be. Perpendicular to these cuts, cut to the end of the mattress. This ‘T’ cut will make it easier to remove the rubber from the mattress. When the rubber has been removed from the desired end of the mattress fold the excess mattress material over, flip the mattress over and lay it in. By folding the material over, you have created a flap that stops any rubber from flowing out. Depending on the length of the mattress desired you may want to remove some of the excess mattress fabric.

If your stall dimensions work out better to run the mattresses in different directions, that is fine but remember to fill the junction with loose rubber (discussed later) because you will find the end of the mattress is less full then the middle of the cell running the other way.

When you come to posts and doorways, cut the mattresses appropriately and do not worry if it isn’t an exact fit as small holes or pockets can be filled with loose crumb.

LOOSE CRUMB:

Loose crumb is used to fill the ribs in the mattress where the stitching is, where two mattresses meet end-to-end and any other pockets or low spots in the base can be adjusted for with loose crumb. The loose crumb prevents the top cover from following the ribs of the mattress, while providing marginally more comfort. Be sure the crumb is not sitting on top of the cells and is evenly spread and levelled.

See photo below of where 2 mattresses come together.

TOP COVER INSTALLATION:

This is where the installation can really vary from stall to stall. Different stalls have different materials to fasten to, but we will start with a standard wooden walled box stall.

If your top cover comes in a large roll measure the stall and then cut a piece of cover that uses the least amount. By this we mean that if a stall is 12x10 then often you only need to cut 10’6”in the length direction. It is important to remember which is the length direction of the roll and which is the width direction (see below). You can always tell the length direction because on the underside of the cover there is a line that has a date code and the word ‘bottom’ on it. This line always runs in the length direction.

Add 6” to the length of the stall for extra material to go up the stall wall when cutting cover. Be sure and cut the cover straight. If the stall is slightly larger than the width of the top cover can accommodate (12’3”x12’3”) then fasten a 2x4 on each wall where the cover is too short. This brings the stall in 3” in the width direction.

Now that the mattresses are laid and loose crumb is evenly spread the top cover can be brought in and opened. FUZZY GREY SIDE DOWN, SMOOTHER BLACK RUBBERIZED SIDE UP. Manoeuvre the cover so that there is at least 1.5” going up each wall and that the cover is square in the stall. Square meaning that the edge of the top cover runs evenly with the edge of the boards in the stall, not lying with a corner in the middle of a wall. An easy way to pull the cover in one direction is to stand behind the cover on the mattresses with your back to the wall and the edge of the cover in your hands. Kick the cover towards the wall behind you with the back of your heel. This is also a good way to tighten the cover when the other side is fastened with the plastic strip.

Crease the top cover where the mattress meets the wall to form as close to a 90-degree edge as possible. This is done by walking along the wall and pressing the cover down with the edge of your foot. Ensure that the cover is lying flat without wrinkles or bubbles and now we can fasten the plastic strips.

Photo illustrating the creasing of the top cover along the wall.

FASTENING THE PLASTIC STRIPS:

This is the final part of the installation and also the part where a mistake could affect the performance of the product, so be careful and think before you cut. BE SURE TO HAVE A SHARP KNIFE AND REPLACEMENT BLADES, AS A SHARP KNIFE CAN MAKE THIS JOB MUCH EASIER. The top cover has more stretch in the length direction. Therefore you will want to fasten the width direction first. In other words you want to stretch the material in the length direction as much as possible and this cannot be done if one of the walls corresponding with the length of the roll is already fastened. Starting in one of the corners of the stall, where you plan to start screwing, you will want to cut the corner so that you can fold the two ‘wings’ behind one another. How to do this is to slit the corner, where the top cover meets the mattress and run the knife vertically in line with the corner until you have separated two wings of the cover. These two wings should then fold one behind the other and lie against the stall walls. Take your time, as this is really the only part where a slip of the knife could make the cover too small for the stall. Cut the other corner of the same wall the same way but do not cut the rest of the corners until you are ready to fasten the strips against that wall.

SEE PHOTOS ON FOLLOWING PAGE.

1. 2. 3.

Measure the length of the wall from corner to corner. Cut enough plastic strip to cover this length. The easiest way to cut the plastic strip to score it a few times with a sharp knife and then snap the strip in two. Begin fastening the plastic strip against the top cover. The plastic strip is acting as a large washer to help stretch the cover. If possible try and keep the base of the strip slightly away from the wall while the top edge of the strip lies against the wall (see diagram below).

This is the ideal way to draw the cover tight. If the cover becomes slightly stretched over time this is also the way to fix it, but you have to remove the strips that run on the two walls in the opposite direction. The diagram below is another way to fasten the strips but may lead to stretching over time as the cover has no where to go when fastened as it is already tight to the wall. When the above diagram is fastened it should look like the diagram below.

Send a 1 ¾” wood screw through the plastic strip and through the top cover into the wooden wall, using a drill or screw gun. You want the strip to draw the cover tight. THE TIGHTER YOU CAN STRETCH THE MATERIAL IN THE LENGTH DIRECTION AND ALSO THE WIDTH DIRECTION THE LESS CHANCE OF FUTURE STRETCHING THERE WILL BE. SEE DIAGRAM BELOW.

Topographical view of a stall floor. When fastening strips you should start on wall #1 and then fasten wall #2, then wall #3 and last wall #4

The plastic strip does not need to be pre-drilled. A coated screw is recommended so that over time the screws do not corrode too much making them difficult to remove. Be Careful too keep the strip down on top of the mattress. If the strip rides up the wall too much the cover will be on angle and if the horse steps there it could tear the cover because there is nothing behind it. A screw should be placed every 6”-8”. DO NOT WORK FROM THE TWO ENDS OF A WALL TO THE MIDDLE. START AT ONE END AND CARRY ON TO THE OTHER END.

Where there are posts and things you may have to cut the cover and the strips around the posts. You cut around a post by cutting the cover down along the edge of the post until you reach the mattress. Let the cut part fall back against the wall. Do the same along the other side of the post. This is also how you cut the cover and allow it to fall into threshold at the doorway to be fastened down.

Now that the first wall is fastened move directly across the stall and fasten the other sidewall. FASTEN THE WALLS ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER (SIDE, SIDE, FRONT, BACK). DO NOT FASTEN THE WALLS IN A CIRCULAR ORDER (SIDE, BACK, SIDE, FRONT). Example - do not fasten the North then East then South then West. The correct way to do this is to fasten the North then South then West then East. See diagram showing topographical view of stall floor. At the door way you usually have to fasten down to either a concrete or wooden threshold. When fastening into a concrete floor use either concrete screws or concrete nails no shorter than 2”. Fasten the cover down over the mattresses. There will be a slight step up. See diagram below.

Another way is to fasten a board to the concrete first across the doorway and then fasten the top cover down to the board.

Once all of the walls have been fastened go along the top of the plastic strips with a sharp knife and cut off the excess top cover.

In many stall situations, it is not possible to fasten to the stall walls, or many people have removable stall walls to make a larger injury or foaling stall. It is often possible to lay a wooden perimeter out of pressure treated 4x4’s, lay the mattresses flush with the perimeter and fasten the top cover down to the wood.

Photo illustrating wooden perimeter laid in front of concrete wall.

If the wall cannot be fastened to because of its composition (concrete, steel etc.) the first avenue to consider is to fasten a board to the wall first using bolts or concrete screws etc. Then fasten the top cover to the board.

Below is a series of diagrams that describe different fastening methods and will be continually added to when new situations arise.

Situation #1. When you cannot fasten to the wall directly (concrete steel etc.)

Situation #2. Fastening to a concrete curb that the stall wall rests on. Requires the use of many concrete screws or concrete nails etc. Could also be used if the wall rests on a wooden footing. Installation would be easier if a 2x4 was fastened to the concrete curb and the plastic strip then fastened to the 2x4.