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Rubber Carpet Pad
Carpet padding can make all of the difference in how the carpeting feels to your feet and legs, and in the life of your carpet. There are several different materials that you can find in carpet padding. Rubber carpet pads come in two main varieties and they each have their own advantages and disadvantages. What are the two varieties of rubber carpet padding?
A rubber carpet pad is an environmentally friendly approach to your flooring. Rubber is a sustainable product because it doesn't involve petroleum for its manufacturing and rubber trees are long-lived, meaning lots of rubber can be harvested from them. But they also protect your carpeting from daily wear-and-tear better than many man-made carpet pads. Additionally, rubber doesn't off-gas, making your air quality better than what some carpet pads do.
Waffle rubber and flat rubber are the two most common rubber carpet pads you can find. Waffle rubber carpet pads feature a waffled weave that incorporates air to help give it cushioning and softness. This was once the most commonly used pads in carpet installation. The waffled texture of the half-inch rubber helped to give cushioning to absorb some of the impact from normal walking and traffic. Rubber carpet pads of the 1970's and 80's broke down very quickly making the pad ineffectual at protecting the carpeting. Their construction and durability has improved over the last twenty years, however, which helps to make the waffled rubber carpet pad a good choice, but not necessarily the best one.
Flat rubber carpet pads are more expensive and harder to find than a waffle rubber carpet pad. The 19- to 22-pound density of flat rubber carpet padding is one of the only carpet pads that may last through more than one carpet installation, which is quite unusual. This carpet pad may seem a lot more expensive than the other types of carpet padding that are available, but one thing that you may want to consider is that it may actually help your carpeting to have a longer life, which will more than make up for the additional cost. This is something that you will want to consider, especially if you are choosing a high quality, expensive carpeting, because it can help to increase the life of the carpet and the value of your investment.
Without a carpet pad, carpeting wears out faster, causing you to have to replace it sooner, not getting maximum value out of your investment. Why is this? Carpet padding acts as a buffer between the carpet and the subfloor. Without it the carpeting come into direct contact with the subflooring causing the carpeting to take the abrasion carpet pads are designed to take. Thus they wear out much quickly.
Carefully consider the density and material of the rubber carpet pad to ensure you make the best choice for your situation. Determine which rubber carpet pad will best fit your needs to ensure you get the most life out of this investment as possible.
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