Carpet Padding

Carpet padding has many benefits and will extend the life of your carpet by absorbing the downward impact caused by walking and the placement of heavy objects. Carpet cushion adds comfort and softness, while acting as a sound dampener by absorbing sound. Carpet cushion also acts as a natural insulator, reducing heat loss through the floor and can also reduce fatigue caused by standing on a hard surface for extending periods of time.

Carpet padding should 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 and even separation at the seams. Improper cushion selection also may void applicable carpet manufacturer's warranties.

Carpet cushion is made primarily from polyurethane foam, fiber, or rubber and is available in a variety of styles and constructions to fit your needs. The type and thickness of 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 cushion, while living rooms, family rooms, hallways, stairs and other heavy traffic areas require thinner, firmer cushion.

Berber carpet, or thinner loop or cut pile carpet requires a pad that is no more than 3/8 inch thick. Check with the carpet manufacturer to see if a specific cushion is required.

Certain types of carpet padding are resistant to water spills, and can even mask odors. Padding with a spill guard will prevent any topical liquids from penetrating into the pad. This type of padding is well suited to environments with kids and pets, and is well worth the additional cost. Many pad manufacturers claim that chemicals injected into the core material of the pad, acts as an odor eater and will essentially reduce odors that penetrate into the pad.

Types of Carpet Padding

Foam padding - This type of padding is made from urethane foam and is available in different densities and thickness. This ype of foam padding does not have much density or resiliency and is therefore not suited to heavy traffic areas.

Rebond padding is manufactured from high density recycled foam and comes in thickness ranging from 3/8” 5lb to ½” 10lb. The high density foam pieces are bonded using adhesives and webbing, making for a rigid pad that is also soft and resilient. Ensure that the rebond pad is free from the BHT chemical, which can cause discoloration to certain carpets.
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Slab rubber is considered to be the Rools Royce of carpet padding. It is dense and soft, yet extremely resilient and will stand up to years of heavy foot traffic. For the ultimate in luxury and long wear one could use 100 ounce 19lb density slab rubber padding.

Fiber pads are made from jute, or a combination of jute and hair, or recycled textile fiber. This type of pad is well suited to commercial applications, due to its density. Stay with at least 7.5 lbs per cubic ft. density on the synthetic fiber, and 12 lb density on the jute pads. Thickness should be between 3/8 and 7/16 inch. Total weight should be 40 ounces per square yard, or more.

Berber carpets require special padding that is light weight and firm. Use Fiber pads constructed from jute or spun nylon under bebrer carpet and avoid the use of rebond as it is not dense enough.

Frothed foam is a new form of padding. It is a super dense urethane and is made 5/16ths and 7/16ths inch thick and is extremely durable. It costs about the same as a good slab rubber padding and will last longer.

When shopping for a carpet pad, look for the following qualities: density, resiliency of the core material and firmness.