How Do You Select The Right Carpet Pad?
Out of sight, out of mind, the saying goes. Maybe that’s why the choice of a carpet pad — aka underlay or cushion — is often overlooked. Yet the right pad can make or break a carpet purchase because it plays a critical role in your carpet’s performance and appearance. Your carpet pad is a sheet of spongy material that goes underneath your carpet. It’s cut slightly smaller than the carpet itself so it will fit inside the tack strip that keeps the carpet in place. Installers either staple or glue the pad to the subfloor, joining sections of padding with a specialized tape. The main purpose of a carpet pad is to protect your carpet. The pad keeps the underside of your carpet from wearing against the bare floor. It also absorbs the impact from footsteps and furniture, lessening the stress on the carpet. In one study, carpets without cushioning lose, on average, 19 percent of their pile height from wear compared to a f
