Written by Administrator. This article is my 7th oldest. It is 553 words long.
Things to Look for When Purchasing a Rug Pad
If you are buying a rug pad, you need to know that they are not all created equally. Choosing the right rug pad for your needs is a process that many people hurry through. However, the way a pad is made plays a key role in the way your rug looks and performs.
A rug pad is a sheet of material that goes between your rug and the floor. It is cut just a bit smaller than the rug itself so that it holds the rug in place without protruding. Its primary purpose is to protect your rug from the damage of rubbing against the floor underneath. It also takes the brunt of the impact from people walking on it, reducing the stress to the rug fibers. According to the Carpet Cushion Council, rugs without pads beneath lose an average of 19 percent of their height from traffic while the same rug with a pad only loses between 5 and 10 percent.
In general, your rug pad fulfills several important purposes:
It makes cleaning your rug work more easily. If there is a pad beneath your rug, it is easier for your vacuum cleaner to give the rug a slight lift, bringing out more dirt. This keeps your family members from suffering from as many allergic ailments.
Rug padding dampens sound. While this is not as important when the area rug is the size of a doormat, the ones that cover a large percentage of a wood or cement floor beneath a large area rug keep a lot of the sound from echoing back to you from the floor through the rug itself.
An area rug pad gives that rug a softer feel. A lot of homeowners believe that this is the primary purpose of a pad, but it is not. Indeed, some of the most effective rug pads at dampening sound and keeping the rug cleaner are not as soft underneath the rug.
It is important to think about where your rug pad will go before making a purchase. What kind of activities go on in this room? Who walks through it on a regular basis? Will a couch take up much or most of the rug, or is this an area through which people walk freely? The more traffic you have on the rug, the more of a beating your rug will take in a shorter amount of time. If there will be a lot of walking or playing on this area rug, as in a media room or playroom for kids, think about using a thicker pad to provide more comfort. Is there someone in your home with a wheelchair? A thick pad tends to slow them down, so think about that as well. Beyond that, the pad is really up to your needs. Here's one tip to think about, though -- if you buy a pad that comes folded, it is difficult to get that fold to come out all the way. Manufacturers indicate that the folds completely relax, but you can have one under your area rug for years and still feel that fold as you step on it through the rug. Instead, buy your area rug pads rolled.
If you bear these ideas in mind, choosing an area rug pad will bring you a rewarding process. Enjoy!