Carpet padding is an important part of any wall-to-wall carpeting project and is a vital part of one’s floors. Also, referred to as carpet underlay, it serves as the foundation where the carpets are installed with the main purpose of protecting the carpeting.
The padding protects the carpet underneath from wearing against the bare floor while assisting with the impact of heavy furniture and foot traffic. The correct carpet padding also enhances the appearance and long-term quality of one’s carpet.
The Importance of Carpet Padding
Here, we share the reasons why it is so important that you protect your carpet with carpet cushion.
1. Protecting Your Carpet—On Both Sides
A carpet cushion protects both the underlayer of one’s carpets from wearing against the base floor, as well as the top layer of the carpet from furniture dents and the wear and tear of foot traffic.
2. Softer Feel
Using carpet cushions helps to provide a padded feel underfoot. It also creates a softer walk or feel to the carpet, giving it added comfort.
3. Carpet Cushion Makes a Carpet Appear More Luxurious
One of the main benefits of carpet cushion is that it makes a carpet feel better and look better for longer. Carpet cushion present resistance to pressure, meaning that it helps to decrease the effects of wear, which contribute to a carpet’s feeling and look of luxury.
4. Carpet Cushion Improve a Carpet’s Acoustical Properties
A carpeted environment is quiet because of the ability of the pile surface to absorb surface noise at the source. Important to note is that a carpet installed with a separate cushion can make the room even more quiet.
5. Carpet Cushions Can Improve the Thermal Insulation of the Floor Covering
R-value is used to measure a material’s ability to keep heat from passing through it. Carpet padding has a higher R-value than carpet, which means that it keeps the room warmer, as it has a stronger ability to retain heat.
This means that carpet padding improves the overall thermal insulation properties of a floor covering and can stop the drafts that can seep through porous carpeting.
6. Carpets With Separate Cushion Can Be Cost Effective to Install
In the long run, a separate cushion can prove to be the most economical installation choice. A variety of cushion types can add to the wear resistance of a carpet.
In a test to determine loss of pile height, which presents the appearance of wear, carpets without cushions resulted in a 19.3% loss in thickness. On the contrary, carpets with cushions may suffer only 5-10% pile height loss.
This proves that an installation with a cushion can be more cost-effective as most carpets without any form of cushion may need to be replaced sooner.
Four Types Of Floor Cushions & Underlayment
Below, we will tell you about the four types of floor cushions and underlayment.
1. Carpet Underlays
Carpet underlayments are important even with a subfloor that is in good condition and should be chosen depending on the subfloor type and type of carpet. Common types of carpet underlayments are felt, crumb rubber, foam rubber, and cork.
Carpet underlayments serve to:
- Provide thermal and sound insulation.
- Reduce carpet wear and tear.
- Serves as a moisture barrier.
- Enhances carpet comfort.
2. Laminate Underlays
A laminate flooring underlay provides the floor with stability while covering imperfections. Some high-end types of laminate flooring have underlayments in their structure which saves time because only the top flooring material is installed. For laminate floors that require an underlay, one can use foam or acoustical laminate.
3. Vinyl Underlay
If the subfloor is plywood or OSB and is in good condition, vinyl flooring may not need an underlay. If an underlayment is required, then one can use plywood, which is the most common underlay for vinyl flooring.
4. Hardwood Underlay
Hardwood flooring materials are diverse and include engineered hardwood flooring, solid flooring, different wood species, and cork. Hardwood floors usually require an underlayment to withstand moisture. The most common hardwood underlay is felt since it is dense.
Other forms of hardwood flooring underlayments include cork and rubber, while foam underlayment is best for engineered wood flooring.
Carpet To Go: Helping You With Your Flooring Requirements
Carpet padding is an important part of the flooring process and good underlayment is a must that provides many added benefits to one’s flooring.
Call us today at Carpet To Go or contact us via our convenient online platform where our team is available to attend to all your carpeting and flooring needs.
Our experienced team of flooring experts is ready to provide you with the knowledge and service to meet all your flooring requirements.
