Carpet Cushion (Carpet Pad)

According to CRI, carpet cushion is “any kind of material placed under carpet to provide softness and adequate support when it is walked upon. Carpet cushion provides a softer feel underfoot and provides added acoustical and insulation benefits and longer wear life for the carpet. In some cases, the carpet cushion is attached to the carpet when it is manufactured. Cushion is also referred to as “padding” or “underlay,” although “cushion” is the preferred term. Cushion under most residential carpet should be a thickness of no greater than 7/16" and no less than 1/4" with 6 pound per cubic feet density. If the carpet is a Berber or a low profile carpet, choose a cushion of no more than 3/8" thickness with 8 pounds of density.”

Foam Cushion

Foam cushion comes in three distinct varieties:

• Prime- polyurethane foam is a more firm variety of the same cushion foam used in furniture, mattresses, and car seats. Two liquid ingredients are combined to form a large mass of foam, which is then sliced into sheets for use as carpet cushion.  Unlike the uniformly shaped foam cells found in conventional prime cushioning, certain Grafted Prime products have irregularly shaped foam cells. Other Grafted Prime products have very small, uniformly shaped foam cells.  Both types of grafted prime carpet cushion products are capable of providing a distinctive feel under foot.  Densified Prime is created by limiting the foam rising action through the use of mechanical or chemical technologies.  As vertical compression is limited by the oriented cell thickness, at a specified firmness, thickness, and density, there may be less "give" on impact than with conventional or grafted prime products.
• Bonded- polyurethane foam (often called rebond) is quite unique. You cannot mistake it when you see it, because it is formed by combining chopped and shredded pieces of foam, in different sizes and usually different colors, into one solid piece. It frequently has a surface net for ease of installation and improved performance.  Bonded foam is one of the most amazing recycling projects of all time. Nearly all the scrap foam in the U.S., and some from other countries as well, is utilized to make bonded cushion. This recycles waste, which would otherwise be thrown out, and it eases the strain on our landfills. Moreover, bonded foam is itself recyclable. The price of rebond cushion goes up and down depending on the availability of foam scrap. It is going to be difficult to predict what the price will be in just a few months.
• Froth- polyurethane foam is made with carpet backing machinery. Liquid ingredients are applied, either directly to the backs of some carpet styles, or to a non-woven material (for making separate cushion). They react and form thin, dense foam which is particularly useful in commercial applications with wide expanses of carpet.  Certain types of Frothed Polyurethane pad may double the manufacturer’s warranty (as with Shaw’s Indulgence MFCB cushion).

Rubber Cushion

There are two basic types of sponge rubber carpet cushion:

• Waffled (or Rippled) - Waffled rubber cushion is made by molding natural or synthetic rubber. Heat cures the rubber and forms a waffle pattern. This variety produces a soft, resilient cushion whose luxurious feel is particularly useful for residences.
• Flat - sponge rubber is a firm, dense cushion, which has a flat surface and is normally used in large-scale commercial applications and with loop type (or Berber) carpet.

Rubber cushion manufacturing processes can be varied to produce different levels of density and firmness. The usual measurement is the weight in ounces per square yard.

Fiber

Foam and rubber cushions are produced from new and recycled materials. Fiber cushion, on the other hand, uses existing fibers (both virgin and recycled, and either natural or man-made fibers), which are interlocked into a useful sheet of felt. There are two distinct varieties of fiber cushion:

• Natural - fibers include felt, animal hair, and jute (the material used to make some kinds of rope and heavy burlap bags). This is one of the oldest types of carpet cushion, dating back to the earliest days of machine-made carpet.
• Synthetic - fibers include nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and acrylics, which are needle-punched into relatively dense cushions which have a firm feel and, as with other types of cushion, can be made in virtually any weight, to stand up under light, medium, or heavy traffic, which is how they are usually classified.

For recommendations on the best application of each type of carpet pad or cushion or pricing, call US Floors Direct, Inc.

(719) 325-7539