Thickness Of Carpet And Pad

Together they are key factors in your carpet s look and feel and they also influence its resilience and durability.

Thickness of carpet and pad. Padding should not be too thick in rooms that get a lot of use. According to abccarpets most residential carpet pads have a thickness of 7 16 inch. Thickness a general rule of thumb when choosing a residential carpet padding is to select a thickness that is not greater than 7 16 inches and no less than 1 4 inches. Carpet density is basically a combination of height and thickness.

Something around 0 25 inch 0 6 cm or 0 375 inch 1 cm thick will respond better. Get to know the basics below to decide which options are best for your home and lifestyle. Thick padding can impair the carpet from properly stretching upon installation. However this isn t always the case.

In higher traffic areas such as hallways and stairwells it is usually recommend by the carpet manufacturer that you use thin dense carpet padding no thicker than 3 8. For most residential carpets the carpet pad should be between 1 4 and 7 16 inch thick and should have a density of 6 to 8 pounds per cubic foot. It s usually pretty simple because most carpets call for 7 16 pad. The right thickness for a given room largely depends on the traffic and the type of carpet that is installed.

Thick padding may not be as durable and anything over 8 16 will cause installation problems. The pile height measurement is not usually shown on the carpet sample however all you need is a tape measure. For berber carpets the carpet and rug institute recommends a carpet padding no thicker than. Don t include the carpet backing just the soft fibers from the backing up.

This padding insulates the floor from cold and noise and absorbs the impact that would otherwise go to the carpet. Most flooring manufacturers recommend eight pound padding with no more than 3 8 inches thick. The good news is most retailers know the padding thickness you need. On stairs i recommend a carpet pile height of 1 2 or less and a carpet padding thickness of 7 16 or less and a pile density rating of at least 8 pounds.

Thinner loop and cut pile carpets require a more. In general the thickness for carpet padding shouldn t be more than. Let s take a look at how thickness affects certain uses and types of carpet. Don t choose a carpet pad that s too thick or you risk unsightly folds and wrinkles developing in and beneath.