Carpet
cushions, or carpet padding or Rug Padding underlay, is padding placed
beneath carpet and rug. There is no doubt about the fact that in styles,
patterns, textures, colors, carpets have undergone various changes.
Carpets are manufactured in such a way that they can easily blend well
with any room decor. From casual to formal, from traditional to
conventional , you can always find a carpet style that will highlight
any interior setting as well as your lifestyle. With advancements in
carpet construction and fiber technology, carpets and rugs are made more
softer, more stain-resistant and help carpets maintain their appearance
far better than ever before. An important accessory that is recommended
by many manufacturers for giving a lasting effect on the carpets is the
use of carpet cushions or pads. Not only in large sized carpets but also
the small sized carpets or even rugs require padding. Today, carpet pads
or rugs pads have dramatically been improved. They are available with
various additional features which not only provide a padding to the
carpet or rug but also block spills from penetrating the cushion and
soaking into the sub-floor. They can also help in eliminating odors in
your carpets and rugs.
Types of carpet cushions
- Foam Carpet Cushion
- Rubber Carpet Cushion
- Fiber Carpet Cushion
- Rebond Carpet Cushion
Why are carpet/rug pads or cushions required?
It is to be noted that people should not confuse carpet pads with
carpets because they are two separate products. It is very essential to
buy a carpet pad with a carpet, the reasons being are as follows:
- Carpet pads or Rug Pads or cushions make your carpet feel better.
Every step that you take on your rug or carpet produces hundreds of
pounds of pressure per square inch . The padding helps in
alleviating that pressure and this decrease in pressure make your
carpet feel more thicker and softer. It makes a carpet seem richer
and more luxurious.
- Carpet padding or cushions make your room warmer. Carpet Cushion
helps in improving thermal insulation properties thereby making the
carpet warmer .
- It also improves a carpet's sound-absorption thereby making your
carpet quieter. A carpeted environment is already quiet because the
pile surface absorbs surface noise at the source. But with the
installation of separate pads can make the room even more quiet.
- Pads keep your carpet cleaner. Just as a sandpaper wears down
wood, in the same manner dirt can grind down carpet fiber. A quality
cushion or padding makes cleaning more efficient because it raises
carpet or rug off the floor, thereby creating an air space
underneath, allowing the carpet to "breathe." When the
carpet is vacuum cleaned, the space allows more air to come up ,
carrying more dirt along with it. This leads to more effective
cleaning of the carpet every time.
- Carpet Padding or cushions make your carpet last longer. Pile
crushing is a common thing seen in all carpets when they are used or
walked over for a long time, making your carpet look ugly or worn
out. An example of pile crushing is usually seen in the crushed
carpet path where everybody walks, specially in hallways. A quality
cushion helps reducing pile crushing, thereby maintain the carpet's
pile height and make it look new for much longer.
- A carpet installed over separate cushion or pad is considered to
be more economical. Studies have shown that cushions or pads can
actually increase the useful life of carpet as much as 50%. An
installation with cushion becomes economical because most carpets
without cushion or padding may need to be replaced sooner.
Materials and Thicknesses
Carpet
cushions or Carpet paddings are made from various materials like
- Jute
- Bonded urethane
- Synthetic fiber, and
- Rubber
- Polypropylene
- Polyester
- Styrene-butadiene latex
- Recycled rubber etc.
They are available in a variety of thicknesses-the most common
being 1/4 and 1/2 inch. They are used in both residential and commercial
settings. For walking support and comfort, a carpet pad for large area
rugs or wall-to wall broadloom should be about 3/4 inch thick. A thin,
resilient pad is better for small area rugs and a common rule for
selecting cushions is that the rug should be no more than 1/8 inch to
1/4 inch from the floor.
Considerations before
buying Carpet Cushion
Carpet cushion or padding should be purchased according to the
carpet manufacturer's requirements for thickness and density. Good
carpet pads or carpet cushion not only extends the life of the
carpet but also provides additional resilience, acoustical, and
thermal qualities to the carpet. The thickness of the cushion should
selected keeping in mind the traffic density. Thicker and softer
cushion should be chosen for bedrooms, dens, lounge areas as the
traffic here is quite low. Cut pile, cut and loop, or high-level
loop carpet requires firm cushion with a thickness of 7/16 inch or
less.
Berber carpet or thinner loop or cut pile carpet consist of large,
wide loops due to which stable, low-flexing, cushion foundation is
necessary. For Berber carpet, a thicker or softer cushion is not
used. |
Insulation Values of Carpet Cushion
Following table consists of the thermal values of Carpet cushions.
There is a huge difference among the R-Values. R-value is the measure of
resistant to heat loss.
| Cushion Type |
Ounces per Square Yard |
R- Value |
| Rubberized Jute |
40 oz.
50 oz.
56oz. |
0.97
1.55
1.73 |
| Synthetic Fiber |
20 oz.
28 oz.
36 oz. |
0.99
1.00
0.98 |
Rubber
(Waffle Pattern) |
56 oz.
64 oz.
90 oz.
100 oz. |
0.63
0.61
0.63
0.67 |
Rubber
(Smooth) |
62 oz.
68 oz.
80 oz.
100 oz. |
0.21
0.36
0.36
0.59 |
| Bonded Urethane Foam |
1/2 inch thick |
1.86 |
| Prime Urethane |
1/4 inch
3/8 inch
7/16 inch
1/2 inch |
1.11
1.63
1.86
2.10 |
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