Padding - The Protective Layer Between Your Carpet And
by Elmo Theron
http://www.rrcarpet.com
The investment of time that you expend selecting the right
decor for your home should also be spent on figuring out the
finer details that keep your investment in tip-top
condition. As you painstakingly search for the right paint
color for your walls, the right carpeting for your floors
and the finishing touches that add your sense of
personality, you should consider how durability, stain
resistance and padding play into the longevity of your
hard-earned capital. While you are selecting carpeting, be
sure to ask the salesperson about the importance of padding
and which pad has the best benefits for your carpeting
endeavor.
The carpet padding that you select says as much about your
decorating style as your carpet selection. You may be
wondering how this can be - after all, it's out of sight and
out of mind once the padding is in place. The padding that
you pick out speaks volumes about how you want your
carpeting to look years from now. Without this protective
cushiony material laid between your floor and the carpet,
your carpet's quality can deteriorate sooner than the
expected warranty and in turn the abrasive upper layer of
carpeting can damage your floor. Even though some people
mistakenly believe the role of a carpet pad is merely to add
comfort while walking on the carpet, correctly selected
padding should not change the feel of the carpet. The
day-to-day wear and tear of traffic on carpeting can stretch
the carpet backing, break down its synthetic materials and
even cause the backing to separate from the carpet fibers.
The main role of carpet padding is to stop this abuse from
wearing down your floor and carpet before its time.
Fact or fallacy: Carpet padding should be very soft and
thick. Answer is neither. Carpet padding can be
counterproductive and cause damage if its not the right
density or softness or if its too high or thick. Reason is
the carpet tack strip that nailed around the outside of the
room and holding down the carpet is easily stressed by too
high of padding. As the carpet feels this stress it tends
to stretch and fall apart. To prevent this from happening,
the general recommended thickness of padding is ~ inch.
There are many types of carpet padding on the market and
any of these will serve well for residential use. Today's
waffle rubber pad is a good choice. Many people would not
buy waffle rubber again because the product as it was made
in the past decades deteriorated badly. However, new
manufacturing processes are in place that have corrected
the previous problems. Urethane foam is another carpet pad
that did not perform well in the past. Here again, this pad
is recommended today if a thicker pad up to half-inch is
selected. Bonded cushion or rebond is the most popular
carpet cushion sold today. A thickness of 3/8" is best for
residential use. Rebond also has a density measure
associated with it; density in the range of 5 to 6.5 pounds
is recommended. A density of 5 pounds is good for most
rooms while 6.5 pounds is best for high traffic areas.
If the finest quality of carpet pad is your style, then
flat rubber padding will provide the superior
performance your seeking. Density of this padding is
expressed in pounds. For residential property, the 19 to 22
pound range does the job but at a big sticker price.
The truth about padding is it is most definitely a necessary
element in your carpeting project. It increases your
carpet's lifespan and protects your flooring. For more
information about padding, ask your local carpeting expert.
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