How to Price Carpet Padding

Padding beneath the carpet creates a soft, cushy feel under your feet.

Carpet padding is a thin or thick material that is laid across the floor prior to installing the carpet. Sometimes padding will come pre-affixed to the carpet itself, however, the addition of extra padding is still a good choice. Padding, or extra padding, can provide the floor with comfort, softening the hard floor boards beneath. With carpet that is not already padded, laying a pad is necessary so the carpet is insulated from creaky floors, sounds from the floors below and to provide a soft cushion while walking barefoot.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Measure the area of the room where the carpet will be placed. Measure along the north wall to get the width, then along the eastern wall for the length. Write down these measurements, and then multiple the width by the length. For a 12 by 13 foot room, for example, the area is 156 square feet.

2. Contact or visit a local home improvement center to compare padding types. Distinct varieties, each meant for a specific purpose, exist. Felt is made of jute, an Asian plant fiber substance, and is suited perfectly for wooven carpets. Urethane is widely available in many thicknesses for most any carpet types, as is rebond, the recycled form of urethane.

3. Price the padding that best suits your carpet by using the dimensions you have drawn up. A common roll of padding will be 6 by 45 feet. This puts the square feet at 270. One roll of this padding will be sufficient enough to complete the room listed above at 156 square feet.

References

• Home and Garden Television: The Inside Story on Carpeting
• Home Depot: Healthier Choice Carpet Padding