Hi David, 
 
Thanks for your question. 
 
There is no right or wrong way to do this but if you are concerned with ventilation then we find that most people do prefer to drill holes into the material, whatever that material may be. Please see our article here for further information on slatted bed bases. 
 
The breathability of the mattress will have an impact. Our mattresses for example are fully breathable so can go on to a solid surface whereas other retailers manufacture mattresses that aren't breathable so the holes will be of great benefit. 
 

 
As part of our own care and maintenance guidelines we always advise to flip any fully turnable mattress once a month in the first year and you can then drop this to every 3-4 months in the second year onwards. 
 
This will absolutely help with that ventilation. 
 
I hope this has answered your questions fully but if you do have any further queries please don't hesitate to contact our office on 0161 437 4419.
 
Kind Regards, Lee.