Why is it so important to choose the correct carpet padding for your home? Carpet Buying Secrets Revealed. If your new carpet is designed to last for 12 years, then your padding must also be able to last 12 years or longer. Padding helps provide support, durability and abrasion resistance to your carpet. If your padding fails before your carpet does, your carpet will wear out much faster too.
Carpet Buying Secrets Revealed #5
Select the Correct Carpet Pad
Choosing the wrong type of padding can cause your carpet to develop wrinkles. This can permanently damage your carpet, void your warranty and be costly to repair.
Don’t let the salesperson to make the padding choice for you.
Verify that the suggested padding is the correct padding for the carpet you select.
Every carpet manufacturer has padding type, thickness and density requirements you must follow to keep your new carpet warranty in force. You can call the carpet manufacturer to ask what type of pad, thickness and density rating they recommend to maintain your new carpet warranty.
Learn more about Types of Carpet Padding and Specifications
Some padding upgrades are worthwhile
Most carpet pads provide excellent support for your carpet. A few are reasonably priced, while others are not so great and are way over-priced.
Rebond is the most common type of padding used in residential homes today. It provides excellent support and is reasonably priced. In most residential applications, upgrading from a 6-pound density to an 8-pound density is a wise choice. You might even want to upgrade to a 10-pound density if you have super heavy foot traffic.
These higher density pads will support your carpet better, increase durability, longevity and reduce the chance of your carpet developing wrinkles over time.
The Typical Cost For A Padding Upgrade?
To give you a realistic idea about padding upgrade cost, if a 6-pound Rebond pad costs $4.95 per square yard (.55 per square foot), then an 8-pound density Rebond pad should cost about $6.95 per square yard (.77 per sf). This example is to let you know that upgrading to a higher density pad should not cost you a fortune.
Read more about Choosing the Right Carpet Pad and about Carpet Padding Specifications.
Carpet Buying Secrets #6
Avoid Unnecessary Padding Upgrades
It’s real easy to pay too much for pad, especially if you follow bad advice from an inexperienced or unscrupulous salesperson.
There are many types of padding available but choosing the right pad can be challenging. Don’t blindly agree to any padding upgrade until you have a chance to do your padding homework!
You Probably Don’t Need a Specialty Pad
Don’t be swayed by a carpet salesperson who says you need to spend more for a pad that has a moisture barrier. Chances are good that you do not need a moisture barrier pad.
In fact, moisture barrier pads can help cause mold and mildew to form underneath your padding. If your basement has moisture problems, a moisture barrier pad is the wrong pad for you.
You also don’t need the pad that has baking soda infused to help eliminate or reduce pet odors. The cost is high and the benefit is low. Even the box of baking soda you have placed in the back of your refrigerator needs to be replaced once a month.
How long do you think the baking soda infused inside a 1/2″ thick pad will remain effective? Not long enough to make it a worthwhile and cost-effective padding upgrade I bet.
What About Padding That Will Extend Your New Carpet Warranty?
Carpet makers like Shaw and Mohawk offer a special padding that if you buy it, they will increase the length of your New Carpet Warranty by up to 10 years.
I think the increase in carpet warranty length they offer is too limited. I think this is just a slick marketing ploy to get you to spend more on a padding that you do not need. Sure, it’s a good quality pad, but it’s way overpriced. I think the cost is too high and the benefit is too low.
New Carpet Warranties
Seasoned Carpet professionals know that New Carpet Warranties are not worth the paper they are written on, and the fact is, a longer wear warranty will rarely end up beneficial to you.
What is a new carpet abrasive wear warranty? It’s not what you think. You should never choose a carpet just because it has a long abrasive wear warranty limit.
It practically takes an act of congress to substantiate a valid new carpet warranty claim and even if you do, they only cover affected areas and pro rate your replacement credit based on the age of your carpet.
Specialty pads will certainly cost you more today but from my perspective they provide little to no measurable benefits to you in the long run. Frankly, I believe they are a waste of your hard earned money.
Read more about Choosing the Right Carpet Pad and about Carpet Padding Specifications.
Carpet Buying Secrets #7
Don’t Trust Ads On TV
Should I Buy Carpet from Home Depot or Lowe’s?
Don’t fall for misleading TV commercials offering new carpet, pad and installation at ridiculously low prices! Buy One Room of Carpet Get Two Rooms Free? I’m sure you’ve seen the ads about Free Carpet Installation at Lowe’s and Home Depot. If it sounds too good to be true… well, you know.
When it comes to buying new first-quality carpet, you usually get what you pay for. If the price for similar products is significantly lower at Joe’s Carpets, than it is at Mike’s Carpets, there must be a good reason for it.
The lowest price is not always the best deal for you. Most of the time, great sounding carpet deals are not so great once you read the fine print. You might save a few dollars going with the lowest proposal but in the end are you sacrificing something else, like qualified installation or service after the sale?
Read the Best & Worst Places to Buy New Carpet.
Everybody wants something for free.
7 Carpet Buying Secrets Revealed for Free? Advertising experts know that the general public is easily swayed when they hear the word “free”. This is especially true when it comes to Free Carpet Installation offered by Lowe’s and Home Depot. Do you really want free carpet installation? Is it really free?
Read my FREE article to learn the answer to these free carpet installation questions and more! Free Carpet Installation Specials
Learn more Carpet Buying Secrets…
- Take your time when shopping for new carpet! Learn how to make wise and informed choices! Visit my Sitemap to view all my free carpet articles.
- Use my free Carpet Shopping Form. Take several copies with you while you shop. This form will help you compare products, choose wisely and narrow-down your final selection.
- Print out all my free checklists, forms, charts, guides and coupons.
- Best places to buy new carpet? Find a reputable Carpet Store Near Me?
- Best Time of Year To Save on New Carpet
- Carpet Professor’s Carpet Buying Guide
It’s hard to find an honest and reputable carpet store these days! That’s why I created my own special hand-picked list of locally-owned carpet and flooring stores. They give free estimates, offer fair prices, have knowledgeable staff, provide honest measuring and use qualified installers.