Rug Pads – Everything You Need To Know
Have you heard of rug pads before? Many homeowners and clients we have spoken to over the years either haven’t or have not bothered using one in their homes. But rug pads are actually essential for anyone with a rug in their home!
It’s okay if you haven’t heard of or used a rug pad before. After all, it’s highly likely that you’ve invested a fair amount of money into a new rug so why lay out even more money for something you won’t see?
In this article we are going to take you through everything you need to know about rug pads! From why you should be using rug pads underneath each rug in your home (and yes – even your runners!), the different types of rug pads available, and how to select the right one for your space.
There’s a lot to cover with rug pads so let’s get straight into it!
Why Use a Rug Pad?
One of the main reasons to use a rug pad underneath a rug is to protect your flooring. After all, flooring is a huge investment in any home so it’s worth protecting it. Aside from protecting your floors beneath, rug pads can also protect your actual rug too!
Rug pads also add an extra layer of comfort, warmth and soundproofing to your space, while keeping your rug in place. Using a rug pad to prevent rugs from sliding around and keeping them in place is the most common reason for using one. Besides gluing a rug down directly onto the floor, there’s no other option for keeping rugs in place while protecting the floor and rug than a rug pad.
These are the main advantages to using a rug pad and we always specify them to our clients as standard practice when a rug is being presented for an interior design scheme.
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Different Types of Rug Pads
As with anything you choose for your home, there are different types of rug pads to choose from.
The main aspect of a rug pad to consider is its suitability for your flooring. There are rug pads available for hardwood floors, laminate, stone or tile, carpet, and vinyl flooring. These types of rug pads are made from different materials to ensure the correct protection is being used for the flooring type.
Hardwood Floors – Use a rug pad that is well cushioned and made from a quality rubber blend and topped with felt. This will ensure your rug is well anchored to the floor without damaging it.
Laminate Floors – For laminate flooring it’s important to choose a rug pad that prevents staining and stripping of the floor and finish.
Stone and Tile Floors – Use a rug pad that has a strong grip and extra cushioning. This may mean a thicker rug pad but it’s worth it for the extra comfort it provides underfoot.
Sizing and Thicknesses
Similarly to choosing an area rug or runner for your space, choosing the right size and thickness of rug pad is extremely important.
In general, choose a rug pad that is one inch less than your rug size on all four sides. For an 8’x10’ area rug, this means using a rug pad that is 7’10”x9’10”.
As for the thickness of the rug pad, this depends on the thickness of the area rug or runner that it’s being used beneath. For a thick rug, use a pad that is between a quarter inch and a half-inch thick. For smaller runners, look for something that is 1/16” to 1/8” in thickness.
We recommend not using thick rug pads with thin or flatweave rugs or in high traffic areas.
How To Select a Rug Pad for Your Space
The key to selecting the right rug pad for your space is combining all of the above information in a way that is relevant for you.
Firstly, examine which type of rug pad is suitable for the type of flooring you have in your space. You may need to purchase different types of rug pads for different areas of your home if you have differing floor types.
Then you’ll need to work out the correct sizing for your rug pad based on the rug or runner you have, and choose the right thickness too.
Use the information in the above sections to choose the right rug pad for your space.
Where possible always choose a rug pad that has been made from natural sources and materials.
Comfort Grip Rug Pad
This rug pad is suitable for hard surface floors to help protect the floors surface and prevent area rugs from moving around.
RugPadUSA 0.5" Rug Pad
This 0.5″ thick rug pad from RugPadUSA is suitable for all hardwood floors! Perfect for using throughout the home.
RugPadUSA 0.1" Rug Pad
A thinner rug pad from RugPadUSA, this one is suitable for multiple floor types and would work well under runners.
Rug Pad
Another fantastic option is this rug pad that is suitable for all floor types! Including hardwood, LVT, lVP, laminate, and tile!
