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IS A RUG PAD NECESSARY?
Should you get a Rug Pad for your new rug? The short answer is, “yes.” Here’s five reasons why.
Benefits of Using a Rug Pad
1. SAFETY
In short, rug pads keep a rug from shifting when it's walked on. This is especially important if you are placing the rug on a hard/slick surface like tile, hardwood, laminate, or vinyl. A rug pad is designed to grip both the floor and the rug, to hold it in place. Our premier pad, for example, is made with a rubber bottom and a felted top, which is soft on the backside of the rug but clings to it with a little friction.
Using a pad should also stop a rug from bunching up, which helps in appearance of the rug but also prevents trips and falls. It is sometimes recommended to use double-sided carpet tape on your rug pad for a little extra security.
2. CLEANLINESS
Most rug pads have ridges or bumps that help trap dirt particles which could otherwise become embedded in your rug. These ridges and bumps will also allow air flow between your rug and floor, which helps greatly when vacuuming your rug. Rug pads can also prevent wet spills from reaching the floor or carpet beneath your rug.
3. INCREASE THE LIFE OF YOUR RUG
By protecting it from shifting and rubbing on the bottom, you can increase the life of your rug with a pad. A rug that skates around the floor is capturing dirt particles beneath it and causing friction, that may prematurely age the rug, especially if it is hand knotted or a finer rug. Placing a rug pad between the floor and rug will help to lessen this damage and make your rug last much longer.
4. PROTECTS YOUR FLOOR
Protection with a rug pad goes two ways: the rug, as mentioned, and your floor. Machine-made rugs often have a backing which may not feel rough to the touch but might still scuff or scratch a floor under the right conditions. Collections of dirt and grime combined with the friction of a shifting rug can cause scratches to your floor over time. Real wood floors can be damaged from these small abrasions, but a rug pad will stabilize the rug and protect it from damage.
5. COMFORT
Rug pads provide for a more cushioned walking surface, just by adding that extra layer underneath the rug. Extra-thick pads are available for people who want even more cushion underneath, but we like the Premier Pad with it's 1/4" thickness for providing just a little bit of additional padding beneath the rug.
At the End of the Day
Whether or not you need a rug pad depends entirely on the kind of floors you have, the type of rug you choose, and how the rug will be used. We generally recommend pads for anyone with hardwood or vinyl, especially if the rug is a runner or going in a high traffic area. Our dedicated team is available for consultation if you are unsure about whether or not you should get a pad.
Tips for sizing your rug pad:
For the best fit under a rug, we recommend cutting the pad 3 inches shorter than the rug's length and width, so that it lays nicely over the edges. Please choose the pad size closest to your rug size or slightly larger - that will give you enough margin to trim it down to size! Rug pads can be easily cut with kitchen shears, or any strong pair of scissors.
After years of experience and many tests of our own, we decided to carry only one pad in our store and it happens to be the highest ranked one! Shop for a rug pad here, or contact a showroom to pick one up locally.
