Real Deals on Furniture and Home Décor here will hold a ribbon cutting this Saturday, Dec. 21, for what store officials say is the world's largest mattress.
Workers put the finishing touches on a mattress that measures 38 by 80 feet. It will be unveiled at Real Deals on Furniture and Home Décor in Jefferson, Ga., on Dec. 21.
The mattress, measuring 38 by 80 feet, will be unveiled at 10 a.m. at an event featuring Santa Claus, Jefferson Mayor Jim Joiner and other dignitaries. Children will be invited to jump on the mattress, which covers more than 3,000 square feet.
"The reason for building the mattress is to promote the importance of sleep to an overall healthy lifestyle," said Real Deals spokesman Ken Phillips. "We want to bring attention to the importance of a good mattress to a good night's sleep. Our mission is to help people spend one-third of their lives in first class by sleeping on a good mattress. It is our hope to educate thousands of people every year to not take sleep - or the mattress they sleep on - for granted."
So how big is the mattress? Officials say 72 king mattresses, 96 queen, 110 full or 156 twin mattresses could rest on the 3,040-square-foot mattress built between support posts in the 130,000-square-foot store.
The structure, engineered by Southerland Mattress in Nashville, Tenn., took more than two months to build. Forty-six roof trusses support its 4,560 pounds of foam, with a cloth cover stretched across and a mattress pad to keep it clean. A railing surrounds the mattress.
Jeff and Marisa Humphrey started Real Deals on Furniture at the Old Jefferson Mill in 2003. She and her four sisters later started Real Deals on Home Décor, which has grown to more than 70 franchise stores in the United States and Canada.
