Carpet padding is that cozy layer you find underneath your carpet during installation. Made from various materials like foam or synthetic fibers, it plays a vital role in making your home feel warmer and your steps softer. In addition to comfort, carpet padding contributes to the longevity of your flooring and may be required for warranties. 

What Is Carpet Padding?

Carpet padding, sometimes called underlayment, is the cushion beneath your carpet. It adds support, comfort and protection to your flooring. You’ll typically find it made from materials like foam, rubber or felt — all designed to enhance the feel and longevity of your carpet.

Why Is Carpet Padding Important?

Carpet padding is crucial for several reasons:

• Shock absorption: It absorbs the impact of foot traffic, reducing wear and tear on your carpet and helping it stay looking fresh over time.
• Comfort: That extra layer of cushioning makes walking, sitting or lounging on your carpet much more enjoyable.
• Noise reduction: Carpet padding helps dampen sound, making your space quieter and more peaceful.
• Insulation: It provides thermal insulation too, keeping your home warmer in winter and potentially saving you on energy bills.
• Moisture barrier: Good quality padding can resist moisture and spills, protecting the carpet above.

Most Manufacturers' Warranties Require Carpet Padding 

Did you know that most manufacturer warranties require carpet padding? Skipping this step can void your warranty and lead to issues like fading colors or buckling carpets. 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 Keeps Your Carpet Looking Its Best 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 

Ever notice how your vacuum works better on padded carpets? That’s because padding contributes to airflow. It allows air to circulate under the carpet, helping your vacuum pick up more dirt and debris.

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 come a long way in terms of safety. All the carpet padding products from Carpet & Tile Mart are CRI Green Label Certified, meaning they meet indoor air quality standards and are safe for your kids and pets.

Now that we understand why carpet padding is essential, let’s explore the different types available.

Shop Carpet Padding

What Is the Best Carpet Padding for Your Home?

The type of carpet padding you need depends on how you use your space. Here’s a quick rundown:

• 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 will provide firm support for Oriental area rugs, low-pile carpets and commercial carpets.
• 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: The 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: Our 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. 

At Carpet & Tile Mart, we’ve carefully selected padding options to match your home’s specific needs. Many of our products are eco-friendly and designed to maximize the lifespan 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 laying it down, make sure it goes 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 choose Carpet & Tile Mart for your carpet installation, we'll handle installing your carpet padding along with your carpet selection.

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 

When it’s time for your new carpet, Carpet & Tile Mart is here to help you choose the right type and ensure a smooth installation.  We stand behind our products and recommendations. We encourage you to visit a store near you to learn more. You can also contact us online to speak to an expert. 

Carpet & Tile Mart is a family-owned and operated business with locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Need your new flooring installed fast? Carpet & Tile Mart will work on your timeline. Our close relationships with local contractors mean we can get the job done within a 50-mile radius of our store locations. 

FAQs

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. 

How Often Should You Replace Your Carpet Padding?

The life span of carpet padding can last up to 25 years, depending on the quality and material of the padding and the amount of foot traffic in your home. It’s advisable to check your padding during regular carpet cleaning or when you notice signs of wear, such as lumps or a lack of cushioning. If your carpet starts to feel uncomfortable or shows signs of damage, it may be time to replace the padding for optimal comfort and support.

Can You Use Old Carpet Padding Under a New Carpet?

While it may be tempting to reuse old carpet padding, it's generally not recommended. Old padding can lose its effectiveness, become compressed, or harbor dirt and allergens. Using new, quality padding ensures better performance, comfort and longevity for your new carpet. It's best to replace the padding when installing new carpet to maintain the integrity and warranty of your flooring.