Everything You Need to Know About Carpet Padding

Professional carpet and rug cleaning services in Austin, Texas.

Professional carpet and rug cleaning services in Austin, Texas.

Many homeowners may not realize it but, carpet padding (the cushion underneath your carpet flooring) is an extremely important part of carpet installation. Often, when people purchase new carpeting, they try to cut corners to save a dollar here and there - typically leading to choosing a less effective padding. 


In fact, the best scenario possible is to find carpet and padding that compliment one another. That’s going to be the best way to get your desired result.


So, let’s talk carpet padding for a minute to help you understand the best decision to make when installing your new carpet flooring.

Types of Carpet Padding

The following types of carpet padding are found in different densities and thicknesses:


  • Urethane Foam

  • Waffle Rubber

  • Bonded Urethane

  • Fiber Cushion

  • Flat Rubber


Now, depending on the area you’re laying flooring in your home and the amount of traffic you’re expecting, you’ll want to consider different types of padding. But, that’s not the only way this choice will affect your carpeting...

Beneficial in Several Ways

As you can see; the padding underneath carpet flooring serves many purposes - from providing a softer, more comfortable cushion to step on, to absorbing liquids and protecting the sub floor from damage. In fact, the carpet padding serves an even more important purpose than either of those. 


Carpet padding protects your carpet and its backing. As you step onto carpeting, the carpet absorbs the force. With a high quality carpet padding, the force has less effect on the carpeting itself - protecting the backing and fibers from any extensive damage and therefore elongating the lifetime of your carpet installation.


Ultimately, here’s the bottom line: in order to best protect the lifetime and condition of your carpeting, consult a professional. Not only will this ensure that you’re using high quality materials, but you’ll also guarantee a job well done!