When you buy a new TV, you get a mount to put it on a wall. When you upgrade your phone, you make sure you have the proper charger with plug. It’s rare to have a car without floormats, and watching a movie can be improved with snacks. Such supportive accessories might not be vital to the product at hand, but they improve or expand our experience with the product. For carpet, a typical accessory is carpet padding (also called underlay, or underlayment). Although carpet underlay is not vital to the function of your carpet, it does add protection and comfort, improving your experience and helping your carpet last longer.
Advantages of Carpet Underlayment
One of the first things people might notice with carpet underlay is that it brings a softer feel to the carpet, but the benefits do not end there. The underlay protects your carpet from rubbing against the floor underneath, thereby avoiding premature wear. It also adds a buffer to help absorb pressure from foot traffic and furniture indentations from above. This extra layer increases temperature retention in the room – hot or cold – and helps to muffle sound, especially for upper-level rooms. The most common underlays are a polyurethane blend. This material acts like a sponge, absorbing or redistributing temperature, vibration and wear. There are rubber and fiber varieties, with variable costs based on quality.
Carpet underlays come in a variety of thicknesses, and their density is rated in pounds. The higher the density, the stiffer it will feel underfoot. Whether you are getting new carpet, installing an underlay under your current carpet, or replacing a worn-out underlay, it’s important to speak with a professional to fine the right carpet pad for your home and your carpet.
Carpet Cleaning and Underlays
With your carpet backing intact, it’s extremely unlikely that your carpet underlay will ever get dirty enough to need a cleaning. Carpet backing has a latex coat or other buffer to block contaminants from penetrating the carpet. This creates a symbiotic relationship, where your carpet keeps the underlay protected from dirt and moisture, while the underlay protects your carpet from unnecessary wear. Your carpet’s backing also allows for easier cleanup, so you don’t have to remove your carpet to clean the underlay.
Weekly vacuuming and semiannual cleaning from Preferred Carpet Care is a powerful combination to maintain your carpet and its underlay. Your vacuum gets the surface material that accumulates throughout the week. Once Preferred Carpet Care comes in, we use our expertise and high-end equipment to get the deep particles lodged within your carpet pile, threatening the integrity of your carpet backing. Both efforts make sure that no abrasive dirt, mold, or debris can ever make it to your carpet’s underlay.
Whether your carpet has an underlay or not, you can expand the life and vibrancy of your carpet by scheduling a cleaning from Preferred Carpet Care every six months. To discover more about maintaining your carpet and its underlay, give our office a call or schedule an appointment online.