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Carpet Pad
A carpet pad can make or break your carpet purchase. It helps make the carpeting more comfortable under foot and last longer, and it helps insulate from both sound and temperature variations. The right carpet pad can make your flooring choice look better too.
Contractors and homeowners put quite a bit of thought into their choice of carpeting for a home or office, but the carpet pad is often overlooked -- swept under the rug, if you will. One reason people don't think much about it is because they assume all carpet pads are created equal, which is not the case. It's important you research each part of your carpet flooring purchase to make sure that you are getting exactly what you want and need for your home and family.
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What exactly is the purpose of a carpet pad? A carpet pad is installed under carpeting for several different purposes.
- Carpet pads help to make the floor more comfortable to walk on. Carpet padding helps to cushion your floors to make it less painful to walk on and stand on, as well as sit and play on if you have children. Imagine how hard the floor would feel if the carpet was installed directly on top of concrete. This will help you to see how essential it is to have a carpet pad under your new carpeting.
- Carpet pads can also help carpeting last longer. Carpeting without a carpet pad underneath it will wear out much faster, so adding a carpet pad will help your carpet to last longer. This will save you money in the long run.
- Sound proofing is another purpose for a carpet pad. No, it will not block out your teenager's rock music, but it will keep you from hearing every single step taken. This will make a difference in any home, but most especially in a home with more than one level.
- A carpet pad can also help to keep your carpeting cleaner. A carpet pad gives a space for dirt and debris to move through the carpeting into the carpet pad. This is a good thing, but can be a problem if you are an allergy sufferer.
Some people think that there is no need to replace a carpet pad if there is an existing one, but it is important to install a new carpet pad with your carpeting because the existing carpet pad is most likely worn out. It may look like it is fine, but if it has been down any length of time, it is most certainly worn out and dirty. It may even begin crumbling when you try to take it up, which will further show you how worn out the carpet pad is. If you are removing your carpet and installing more, then you definitely need to install a new carpet pad as well.
Carpet pads come in several different densities and three main different materials, including foam, rubber, and fiber.
- A foam carpet pad comes in three different varieties and is normally used in more commercial applications. It's often made from foam scraps. The scraps can come from remnants of padding manufacturing, car seats, and various recycled foam products.
- Rubber carpet pads come in a waffled and flat version. The flat rubber carpet pad is normally used for commercial applications or under Berber carpet. The waffled rubber carpet pad is a very luxurious carpet pad that will offer you a great deal of cushioning and comfort.
One benefit of rubber pads is that rubber is anti-microbial. Given the amount of dirt, dander and other pollutants that work their way through your carpeting to the padding, this can help reduce some problems for allergy sufferers. And it doesn't off-gas VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Furthermore, rubber is a sustainable, natural product, making it an environmentally friendly option.
- Fiber carpet pads can be made from natural or synthetic fibers and can be made in almost any density. The amount of traffic that you have will determine what density of carpet pad that you will need. Rooms that are used a great deal, including hallways, living rooms, family rooms, etc, need a thicker carpet pad than a bedroom.
Natural fiber is a more sustainable product than synthetic fibers, unless the fibers are recycled from other products. Off-gassing can be a concern with synthetic fibers, so pay attention to its content.
One issue to be aware of about carpet pads is that if they are too cushiony and soft, people in wheelchairs or who have trouble walking may be hindered in their efforts to move around your carpeted rooms. That may not be a problem when you install your new carpet and pad, but it may become an issue down the road. Just stay aware so you can make appropriate decisions should the time come.
Choosing the right carpet pad is very important. Price should not be your only concern, because a cheaper carpet pad may wear out long before you are ready to purchase new carpeting. Make sure that you are getting a quality carpet pad that will stand the test of your family’s traffic and feet.
Comments
Does office carpet need a padding or does it go right on top of concrete?
Cara at August 5, 2009 11:36 AM
Hi Cara, That is entirely up to you. The benefits of having a carpet pad I outlined in the article above so I would say you would just need to decide what your preference is. Carpet padding really adds minimal cost so it boils down to what you want.
The Flooring Lady at August 5, 2009 01:22 PM
I currently have a white carpet in my house and it has gray areas all over it; I also have 2 pets. I am guessing the gray areas are where I have shampooed or scrubbed up animal vomit and the padding underneath has maybe transferred dye into my white carpet. I am getting new carpet and am thinking about the white waffle rubber pad. Do you think this would help solve my cleaning problems and keep my new light carpet from showing these stains?
Sue at August 9, 2009 10:41 AM
Sue,
I would recomend you also replace your padding when replacing the carpet. My reasoning is stated within the article. In regards to the spots it could be a variety of reasons why the stains keep appearing. You might consider using Stain Solver for future pet mishaps.
The Flooring Lady at August 10, 2009 11:44 AM
please let me know which pad kills more noise btwn floors - 6lb or 8lb and by how much? I currently have 6lb pad installed and looking at what my options are to kill more noise. also - why some pads have film on top of them? my pad does not, can I just put a sheet of plastic btwn pad and carpet?
ilya at August 27, 2009 11:53 AM
Ilya,
Not knowing what type of sounds you'd prefer not to hear I want to state that a carpet pad and carpeting will add some noise reduction; it's not, however, meant to block out all sound. In saying that the 8lb will provide a firmer walk and it's been suggested that it can absorb a bit more noise.
You mentioned a film do you mean the netting? The netting has a waffle like texture to it. There are moisture barriers meant to prevent moisture from seeping into the padding after a spill.
The Flooring Lady at August 28, 2009 11:05 AM
I have carpet that had alot of pet stains on it I have had it steamed cleaned twice and its good for a day or two and then the stains come back. Can I replace just the padding and have the carpet steamed cleaned again with hopes of having the stains permently removed?
Kim at September 17, 2009 11:37 AM
Kim,
There could be a variety of reasons why the stains keep appearing once the carpet is completely dry. You might consider trying StainSolver to clean the spots and see if it improves before trying to replace the padding.
Try the various cleaning approaches mentioned first, with the anticipation you may need to replace the padding.
The Flooring Lady at September 21, 2009 06:58 AM
I have purchased "2" new Shaw Rugs and I also am in the mids't of placing Laminate flooring down. We have acomplished "1" room thus far but before we place the rest of the already purchased flooring down in the house we need to know what kind of padding to put down under our rugs that we have already purchased. We contacted the company where we purchased the flooring after we had it in place and we asked them for their opinion on what can and cannot be used on this flooring. We informed them that the floor is a Laminate and that it states that we are to "NOT" use a RUBBER BASED, "LATEX", or "PVC" product on these floors. We were told that this type of flooring is a "WATERBASED URATHANE" flooring and that these materials I named will harm our floors by discoloration. I trust you and I feel that after reading some of your other posts that you can give me the answer that I am searching for. Do you know if there is such a thing as a "Waterbased Urathane" flooring and if so what do you recommend? Thank you for your time and I sure hope that you can give us the answers to this question......winter is comting on fast and I sure would like to have these floors done before it arrives. I am also tired of the mess in my house, I would like this project finished by the holidays. Signed, lauralismom chosenp@mchsi.com
lauralismom at October 27, 2009 09:29 AM
Lauralismom,
Water-based Urethane is a water-based polyurethane, very likely to have been used on flooring. I recommend that you follow the manufacturer's suggestions to not use rubber, latex, or pvc backed rugs on your new floor.
You should be able to determine either by the packaging or the place of purchase if your shaw rugs have any of these backings on them.
The Flooring Lady at October 29, 2009 01:16 PM
