Carpet Padding & Rebond Cushions

Carpet padding is usually a foam underlayment designed for installation under broadloom carpet. It serves several purposes: insulation, acoustics, support, and comfort. Most carpet padding consists of polyurethane foam – the same stuff in furniture, mattresses, and even car seats. This foam supports your carpet, allowing it to last longer in your home.

Benefits of Carpet Padding

Extends the Life of Carpet

The brand-new carpet you bought won’t last without a carpet pad under it. Carpet padding helps maintain the look of your carpet and its overall life. The truth is, carpet installed without a pad just doesn’t last as long. That’s because there’s nothing behind it absorbing the shock of everyday wear and tear. Having carpet padding helps reduce fiber crushing and keeps your carpet thicker for longer.

Provides Comfort

A big selling point of carpet is that it’s comfortable and soft. But, no matter how thick your carpet is, a carpet pad is required to make it as comfortable as possible. Carpet padding absorbs the impact of your footstep and helps reduce walking fatigue with its shock-absorbing properties.

Improves Acoustics

Any underlayment helps improve a home’s acoustics. Sound-absorbing materials are necessary for apartments, condos, and two-level homes. Studies have shown that carpet padding significantly increases impact noise ratings and results in measured noise reduction.

Thermal Insulation

Carpet padding helps provide some insulation to your home. It will help retain some of your home’s heat and prevent cool air from escaping. The insulating properties of carpet padding keep your energy bill down and your home well-insulated.

Rebond Cushions

Rebonded foam carpet pads are the most commonly used carpet underlayment. They contain 100% recycled foam, saving billions of pounds of foam from the landfill. Rebonded foam carpet pads are distinguished by their multicolored appearance, resulting in several types of scrap foam being bonded together. These offer the most value for your dollar and come in several different thicknesses and densities.

Pros:

• Value: Bonded foam offers a wide range of prices, densities, and thicknesses, making it the biggest bang for your buck.
• Eco-friendly: Bonded foam carpet pads are the most eco-friendly of the carpet pads. They are made from 100% recycled foam.
• Durability: Bonded padding is highly durable, with many different options for density and thickness, so you can properly match your carpet pad to your carpet.
• Thermal Insulation: Retains heat so you save money on heating costs.

Cons

• Foot traffic: If you have an extremely high amount of foot traffic, such as in a commercial setting, you might consider something even more durable instead.

Carpet Memory Foam Padding

Memory foam carpet pads are essentially frothed foam but with an extra element added to give it that signature memory foam feel. If you’ve ever lain on a memory foam mattress, you know that memory foam is incredibly soft and comfortable. A memory foam carpet pad will make your carpet just as soft to step on.

However, memory foam will squish over time, and that constant stretching of carpet backing will damage your carpet in the long run. This makes memory foam not ideal for any high-traffic situation.

Pros:

• Comfort: Memory foam carpet pads are the most comfortable on the market.
• Durability: Memory foam is as durable as frothed foam and bonded foam pads. However, it may not hold up as well under high traffic.

Cons:

• Expense: This softness will come with a price tag. It’s more expensive than 100% recycled material.
• New: Memory foam is still relatively new to the carpet pad industry. It’s difficult to say how well this new foam will hold up over time.

Installing Your Carpet Pads

Properly installing your carpet padding is essential to its durability and effectiveness. Here are some general installation tips. Always check with the manufacturer’s instructions when installing your carpet padding.

1. Remove the old floor coverings and thoroughly clean and repair the floor.
2. Remove any doors to prevent them from getting in your way as you work.
3. Nail down tack strips 1/2 inch from the wall around the room’s perimeter. Be sure they align correctly at the corners of the room. Avoid installing them across thresholds or doorways.
4. Determine the length of your room and cut your carpet padding into sections long enough to cover the tack strips at each end.
5. Place all your carpet padding sections, making sure they don’t overlap at the seams.
6. Staple each carpet padding strip at both ends, placing the staples 6 to 8 inches apart.
7. Cut the carpet padding along the inside edge of the tack strips using a utility knife.
8. Keep all seams in place with seam tape.

Visit Indiana Floor for All Your Carpet Needs

Our vast inventory of carpet, flooring, sundries, and tools is unlike any other in the industry. All five locations have the same inventory, creating uniform stock that our clients can use, regardless of location. We also import many of our products from overseas, meaning we can access exclusive products that many other companies do not. No matter what you need, our sales team and customer service representatives are available and ready to help!