Rug Padding Yes or No?

Many Clients ask us if Rug Padding is Necessary to be placed under their rugs and i will always reply yes. Rug padding serves 6 purposes.  

  1. Stops the Rug From Slipping,
  2. Help Prevent Trip Hazard,
  3. Protects the rug,
  4. Feels thicker and less leg fatique,
  5. Stops buckling or creeping when a Rug is used over Wall to Wall carpet,
  6. Protects the floor surface

1. Stop the rug from slipping. This can be a bothersome and dangerous problem for rug owners when walking on their rug.  If it moves under their feet it can result in a loss of stability and cause an accidental fall, especially at the bottom of a flight of steps with kids running up and down steps or through high traffic areas are especially dangerous with improperly installed area rugs.  Better quality rug pads will grip not only the floor but also the area rug so it wont crease or slip.

2. Helps Prevent Trip Hazard  all too often we enter a home and find a client's rug has curled.  Properly cut Rug Pads should be 1 to 1 1/2 shorter around the outside of the rug, this will help the rug have a slight downward slope around all edges preventing curls 

3. Protects the rug Just like a boxspring and mattress the padding absorbs some of the compression normally generated with bare floors and rugs and will add longevity to it's life.

4. Feels thicker and less leg fatique this applies to areas with traffic or where someone stands often.  All too often I have walked on commercial carpet without padding or cushion and my feet will be sore by the end of the day, the same applies to area rugs and bare floors adding that extra cushion will eliminate tired feet and legs.

5. Stops buckling or creeping when a Rug is used over Wall to Wall carpet.  Many of our clients don't think about adding a beautiful area rug layered over wall to wall carpet, just as any hard surface floor it will define an area and add beauty and color to any room. Many carpets are too soft and when an object is placed over the rug on wall to wall carpet it sinks causing an ugly sight and can damage the rug, by adding a dense carpet pad inbetween the rug and carpeting it will likely prevent this problem and stop the rug from natural creeping caused by the wall to wall carpet's direction.

 6. Protects the floor surface, the pad can be your best friend by saving you some money on expensive wood floor repairs. We have seen many times pieces of metal like screws,  nails, staples even holiday ornament hangers embedded in a rug when we clean them and if continuesly stepped on can slowly work itself to the back side of a rug and cause deep scratches into a hard wood floor.  A good quality pad between the floor and rug will prevent those damages.

 These days there are even rug pads with a moisture barrier to protect liquids from passing through the rug and saving a wood floor from spilled drinks and or pet accidents which can be very expensive to repair since they will discolor the woods lignin and possibly grow mold.

When buying padding for your rug you need to consider where the rug will be and if there is sufficient clearance for doors to open and close without rubbing and causing excessive wear to the rug.  There are many options for padding. Pads with higher quality latex under side can last up to 15 years plus with little degradation and wont damage wood floors as the latex decays against the floor finish. 

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