It is a proven fact that a rug pad prolongs the life of your rug, adds comfort and sound absorbtion as well as safety for non slip reasons. Now, we must consider the right rug pad that does not harm our wood, or other hard surface, floors.
For room size rugs that don’t tend to slide, I like a nice quality dense jute pad. Today’s jute pads are not rough and do not shred like the old days. There is a great pad available that is made using recycled material such as nylon and wool fiber from Carpet Denver scraps. This jute pad is made with a needle punched process to create a dense, yet comfortable pad that does not shed, smell and is mold and mildew resistant.
Jute pads come in various weights. They start at 20 ounce and go up to 40 ounce. The best pad for all rugs is the 40 ounce jute pad. Due to its weight, it is dense enough to protect your rugs and your floors yet soft enough to feel comfortable. A spongy type pad, much of what is used under wall to wall Carpet Denvering, is not desired under area rugs. The spongy pads allow penetration from the surface of your rug to the floor underneath, hence causing possible indentations to your floors as well as a lack of a soild foundation to the back of your rugs, where they need the protection.
In the world of rubber, or non slip, pads, there are many choices that resemeble each other. This type of pad is made from a dense needle punched jute surface and a rubber, or rubber like, backing. Here is where we need to be careful. It is important to choose a pad in this category that contains a solid rubber back. Many of these pads have a sprayed on latex backing. This sprayed latex will provide a non slip effect for a while yet it can be a short while before damage occurs. The fact that the latex is sprayed on means that there is not a strong enough hold between the latex and the jute surface. This is why we hear about “rubber” rug pads that tend to break down or stick to hard floor surfaces. I like the non slip pad that contains this jute surface and a solid layer of rubber which is sewn on to the jute. Because this is an independent solid layer of real rubber, it will last longer, provide better non slip functions and will not harm your floors.
Your area rugs are an investment and the safety of your family means everything. Don’t skimp when it comes to the right rug pad. Make a qualilty choice and you won’t have to worry about your rug pads for years to come.
