Carpet padding makes carpet feel better and last longer

Carpet Pad

Much attention and energy is devoted to selecting carpet, but pad is a crucial part of your flooring and should not be forgotten.

A firm and resilient carpet cushion, or carpet pad, is necessary to form a good foundation for your carpet, increasing its comfort and extending its life, by absorbing the impact of foot traffic.

Every step you take creates hundreds of pounds of pressure per square inch in your floor covering. Carpet cushion helps alleviate that pressure. The decrease in pressure helps make your carpet feel richer, thicker, and softer.

A quality carpet cushion also helps decrease pile crushing, the acute compression of fibers in a high-traffic area, particularly in hallways. The pad allows the carpet to maintain its pile height and stay looking new for much longer. Industry studies have shown that quality carpet cushion can actually increase the useful life of carpet as much as 50%. It will make your room quieter and warmer.

Carpet cushion also adds insulation and reduces noise. It significantly improves a carpet's sound-absorption and improves its thermal insulation properties. It will help you keep your carpet cleaner. Dirt can grind down carpet fiber the way sandpaper wears down wood, and thus shortens carpet life.

A quality cushion makes cleaning more efficient because it raises carpet off the subfloor and provides an air space underneath, allowing the carpet to breathe. When you vacuum, that space allows more air to come up through the carpet, carrying more dirt along with it. The result is more effective cleaning every time.

Types of carpet cushion may be various polyurethane foams, (including the very common bonded foam product often referred to as rebond) fiber, or rubber.

The type and thickness of carpet cushion you need varies according to traffic levels and patterns. For example, bedrooms, dens, lounge areas and other rooms with light or moderate traffic can use thicker and softer carpet cushion, while living rooms, family rooms, hallways, stairs and other heavy traffic areas require a firmer carpet cushion.

Carpet cushion should also be selected according to the carpet manufacturer's requirements for thickness and density. Improper selection of carpet cushion can accelerate loss of carpet surface appearance, cause wrinkling and buckling, cause separation of the carpet seams, and can cause a breakdown of the carpet structure itself. Improper carpet cushion selection also may void applicable carpet manufacturer's warranties.

For most residential carpet applications, choose carpet cushion not more than 7/16" thick. Berber carpet is made with large, wide loops and it has been found that a stable, low-flexing carpet cushion foundation is necessary. A thicker, softer carpet cushion is not acceptable for this type of application. Carpet cushion thickness should not exceed 3/8" for these type products.

Again, check with us to see if a specific cushion is required.

Read more about carpet cushion/padding or View our many carpet cushion/padding selections