Carpet padding is the material that goes underneath your carpet during an installation. This padding can be made from a wide array of materials, ranging from foam to synthetic fibers. You'll notice your warm stays a little bit warmer, your steps are a little bit softer, and the carpet is a little bit more comfortable because of the carpet padding. Let's take a look at some of the different reasons why carpet padding is a requirement.

Most manufacturers' warranties require carpet padding 

Most manufacturer warranties are implicit in the requirement of padding. In addition to voiding the carpet warranty, lack of padding will break down the carpet's structure, fade the color over time, and contribute to buckling and wrinkling. Whether you pursue a do-it-yourself installation or have the team at Carpet & Tile Mart handle your installation, we will always help you choose the right padding to go along with your carpet. In the case of padding failure, most padding warranties will cover the cost of replacement and re-installation of the carpet.

Padding makes your carpet look better over time

One of the most important roles that carpet padding plays is absorbing the shock of foot traffic. Over time, heavy steps can create bubbles, wrinkles, and paths in your carpet. The padding absorbs the shock of foot traffic, helping your carpet maintain its shape over time. Padding will also better absorb the weight of your furniture. If you move your furniture around, indentations left by your furniture will disappear a little bit more easily. 

Padding makes your carpet more comfortable 

Not only does carpet padding protect your carpet, it also makes it more comfortable. The padding absorbs the weight distributed by your body. In addition to making walking more comfortable, you will also be able to sit, lie, and lounge on your floor. 

Padding helps keep your carpet clean 

When you vacuum your carpet, the padding contributes to airflow. The padding lets airflow happen underneath the carpet, letting your vacuum pick up more dirt. 

Carpet padding is an excellent insulator 

Carpet padding is an excellent insulator. While carpet alone will insulate against noise produced by walking, carpet padding absorbs even more noise from movement. Carpet padding will also help keep a room warmer in the winter months. Without carpet padding, you could potentially lose around 10% of the warmth in a room. 

Padding adds to the life of your carpet

Carpet padding is a shock absorber. Not only will it decrease wear and tear on your carpet, but it will also help make sure that your carpet maintains its "stretch" over time.

Carpet padding is 100% safe and non-toxic

Carpet padding has become incredibly safe over the years. All the carpet padding products from Carpet & Tile Mart are CRI Green Label Certified. This label means that the padding meets indoor air quality standards and is safe for your children and pets. 

Different types of carpet padding for your home 

The type of carpet padding required will depend upon the carpet application itself. 

• Fiber Padding: Carpet & Tile Mart carries two different types of fiber padding. The typical fiber pad and non-skid fiber pad are environmentally friendly options. Both of these pad will provide firm support for orientals area rugs, low pile carpets and commercial carpet.
• Light-Traffic Padding: Crushmaster pad provides basic support for less used areas.
• Mid-level Traffic Padding: The Comfort 8 pad has a higher density to provide more support for medium level traffic.
• High traffic padding:Defender Pad has a protective moisture barrier to prevent spills from being absorbed in the pad, memory foam for increased resiliency for the higher traffic areas of your home. 
• Extreme Traffic Padding: Monster Pad has tons of rebound, contains memory foam, and also has an attached moisture barrier.  This pad is designed for the heaviest types of foot traffic in your home. This is the strongest padding that you can get for your carpet. 

Carpet & Tile Mart's lines of padding have been carefully selected to match the specific needs of your home. All of our padding products are environmentally friendly, and based upon your traffic situation, will maximize the life of your carpet. 

Installing carpet padding 

If you have experience installing your own carpet, the padding is often the easiest part of the installation. When you lay the carpet padding, it should go to the edge of the tack strips. If you need to connect different pieces of padding, your installation instructions will tell you how. You will simply use a staple tack-hammer to connect the padding to the wood subflooring. For concrete flooring, you will likely need to use an adhesive when laying your carpet padding. If you elect to use Carpet & Tile Mart for your carpet installation, we will install your carpet padding along with your carpet selection.

What happens if your carpet padding gets wet?

Your carpet will do a pretty good job of blocking stains and moisture if a spill happens. If you spill water on your carpet, quickly blot it with a towel to pick up as much moisture as possible, and then dry the area with a fan. If your carpet padding gets wet from a water main break or larger spill, the affected area of carpet padding will need to be replaced, even if you can save the carpet. 

Taking care of your carpet and padding 

Taking care of your carpet will ultimately keep your padding free of mold and dirt particles. Avoiding spills and addressing them immediately will help keep your padding clean and fresh. The longer a spill stays on a carpet, the more likely it will be absorbed by the padding. Selecting a pad with a moisture barrier will help prevent spills and odors from being trapped in the pad as well as make removing stains easier.  Vacuuming will also help get dust and other particles out of the depths of your carpet. 

Work with Carpet & Tile Mart for your next carpet installation 

Carpet & Tile Mart will help you select the right type of carpet and make sure that the installation gets done right. We are a family-owned and operated business with locations in both Pennsylvania and Delaware.