Carpet padding (- or floor cover, carpet cushioning, carpet underlay), is one of the most overlooked and underappreciated features of any floor. When choosing a carpet, most people concern themselves with colours, patterns, and materials, but few stop to consider at any length their underlay requirements. However, carpet padding plays a fundamental role in protecting your carpet from wear and tear, as well as offering a variety of alternative benefits.

Carpet Cushioning Extends the Life of Your Carpet: The clearest benefit of carpet padding is the way in which it extends the lifespan of the carpet, by protecting against wear and tear. Carpet padding will leave you carpet looking newer for longer, and reduces wearing. It acts as a shock absorber, taking the brunt of the pressures of foot traffic, and means that the carpet will bounce back to its original dimensions with each step taken, or each item of furniture placed and removed.

The exact type of carpet padding needed will vary according to the carpet, but in general, the thicker and the springier the underlay, the better it is for the carpet.

Carpet Padding Will Save You Money on Your Heating Bills: Carpet padding has insulating properties, and as such, will conserve heat within the room. It will keep the room at an even temperature, so if you have central heating, or if you have air conditioning, it is much easier to control. In winter, you will not need to use as much energy to heat the room as you would were you to neglect to purchase underlay; and, in fact, you can save as much as £200 a year by insulating all the rooms in your home with underlay.

Carpet Padding Increases Comfort: The carpet underlay will provide an added dimension of comfort. The springiness and the added thickness will make it so much more comfortable to walk on a carpet, than it would with a carpet without underlay.

You may assume, given the many benefits of carpet padding, that it is excessively expensive, but cushioning costs a fraction of the price of the carpet.