Seattle
  • Current Conditions
    47°
    Rain
  • 10:00pm
    45°
  • 1:00am
    44°
Full Forecast »
Severe Weather Alert
Affected Counties

Credit Center

The Average US Credit Score is 693. What's Yours? See it Instantly Online for $0. By Experian®
Experian

Home Insurance Quotes

NetQuote
NetQuote connects you to agents from the industry's most trusted insurance companies. Let them compete to save you money.Compare today.


Home Improvement Credit Cards

Earn Rewards When Making Home Improvements
While you probably wouldn't choose to build a house out of credit cards, home improvements can get a boost from the use of plastic. More Details!
CreditCards.com
Bargain Homes For Real Estate

FREE property search of over 650,000 foreclosures, auction, government, and bank homes. Save 20-50% on your next home!

Enter Zip:
Foreclosure Resource Center


Tell Me More

Sign up to receive Home and Garden tips, plus promotions and special offers from our sponsors.

Sink Your Feet Into Your New Carpet

OK, so you're buying a new carpet. But what about padding? Do you need to buy that, too?

Padding is the cushion below a carpet and should be used unless the carpet is foam-backed, according to the University of Illinois Extension Service.

For most areas of a home, 40-ounce padding is usually adequate; in high traffic areas and stairs, 50-ounce padding may be a better choice, according to the extention service.

Padding is priced according to weight per square yard, except urethane, which is priced by thickness.


Tips: Carpet Shopping List
Calculator: How Much Carpet?
According to Access Carpets, purchasing padding and netting for your carpet is important because:
  • Padding helps insulate your home. The thicker and more dense the pad the better the insulation. Increasing your pad density could save you hundreds of dollars in utility bills.
  • Noise levels are greatly reduced by dense padding.
  • Padding prevents your carpet from slipping and shifting.
  • Padding extends carpet performance. Carpet will look better up to 30 percent longer by using the proper padding.
  • Padding can improve the feel of your new carpet. The more dense and thicker the pad, the more luxurious the feel.

However, not just any padding will do, according to CarpetGuru.com.

Different carpets have different padding guidelines, and if you don't follow the manufacturer's guidelines, you could void your carpet warranty.

According to the University of Illinois extension service, here are some of the different padding types:

Felted may be all animal hair or a combination of felt and fibers.

Foam Rubber is firm, dense, non-allergenic, and mildew and moth resistant. However, in moist areas, it will deteriorate.

Sponge Rubber comes in both flat and waffle finish; some types may be too soft for adequate support. It should be at least one-half inch thick.

Urethane Foam is very durable, resilient and will not crumble; it's also moisture and heat resistant. It should be one-half inch thick or less with a density of two to four pounds per cubic foot.

Sources:


Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Herpes simplex is more common than you’d think. Learn to recognize the 5 types. More Details

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. More Details

Check out the New Model Showcase and see all the new cars that will be hitting the roads for 2009. More Details

If you’re worried about STD’s it’s important that you know the telltale signs. Check out the 8 signs that you may have an STD. More Details

Don’t be left out. Make the switch to Digital TV.

Shop At The Online Mall

Sponsor Links

Back To Top