What is Carpet Padding for?
Most carpet purchasers think that carpet underlay is simply to make the carpet feel softer underfoot. While this is one of the benefits, the main reason is to protect the carpet from premature wear. Underlay acts as a sort of shock absorber, absorbing foot traffic and allowing the fibers to bounce back rather than being trodden hard into the sub-floor surface. This has the effect of prolonging your carpet’s life and in the long run, saving you money! Buying (or being advised to buy) carpet underlay that is too thick is probably the most common mistake made buy carpet buyers. Underlay that is too thick has the effect of “stretching” the carpet fibers and causes premature wear. Also, carpet that sits higher than the recommended maximum of 7/16″ will be harder to fix around the perimeter of the carpet. What types of carpet underlay are there? Rubber waffle underlay These days rubber waffle carpet padding is good quality and can be chosen with confidence that it won’t break down and disint
