Carpet Cushion: Does it make a difference?

People question the necessity of the better cushion. This is one of the last places customers want to spend money, but it is crucial to the performance of your carpet.

Cushion serves several purposes. The main purpose of a carpet cushion is to protect your carpet. The cushion keeps the underside of your carpet from wearing against the bare floor. It also absorbs the impact from footsteps and furniture, lessening the stress on the carpet. In one study, carpets without cushioning lose, on average, 19 percent of their pile height from wear compared to a five to 10 percent loss for the same carpet with a separate pad [source: Carpet Cushion Council Benefits].

What many people do not know is a better cushion can make cleaning your carpet easier. With an appropriate vacuum cleaner, one approved by the Carpet and Rug Institute, the vacuum will pull the carpet away from the pad a bit and the barrier on top of the pad will release the dirt to the suction of the vacuum. This reduces dirt particles and allergens.

A high quality carpet cushion can provide thermal insulation. Most carpets have a breathable backing. This is great for installation, but does allow drafts to travel through. If you have a cushion, you increase the R-value, a measure of a material's ability to keep heat from passing through.

Carpet cushion can lessen noise. This is very important when selecting a cushion for an upstairs area. If you have little feet tromping around upstairs, investing in a high quality cushion might save you a few trips up and down the stairs to calm the storm!

Most customers want the carpet to provide "cush" or a softer feel when they walk on the carpet. While this does feel nice under foot, it might not be the best for your particular installation. We want the cushion to hold up well. If it is very spongy, you are putting more pressure on the carpet to the subfloor. You might be grinding the fibers against the floor, causing the carpet to wear quicker.

The highest price cushion is not always the best choice for each customer. If you are redecorating a guest bedroom used once a year for Thanksgiving guests, you might consider the entry level padding. It still has a moisture barrier, but shouldn't be expected to withstand daily traffic. If you select a wool carpet, you must use a solid rubber waffle pad as it will not break down in the life of the wool carpeting.

Here at Crossville Wholesale Carpet & Floors, we always want to make sure we treat you like our neighbors and friends. We do not want to sell you something you do not need. With all the information in hand, we can find you the perfect carpet and cushion for your home. Who knows? You might not even need new cushion!

Here are the specifications of the St. Jude Courage Cushion if you want to take a look.


Cushion for St. Jude: Courage

• A minimum of 2% of the suggested retail price is donated to St. Jude
• Children's Research Hospital, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $250,000
• Excellent performance and comfort through ComfortTouch™
• Antimicrobial treatment
• Features our exclusive Dual R2X Barrier
• Life of the home warranty to original purchaser

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