What Do Carpet Padding Colors Mean?

Pad Color

• A carpet pad's color does not signify any particular quality, density or specification. According to the World Floor Covering Association, even though you have selected a pad of a certain color, the pad you receive may be a different color. This does not mean you received the wrong pad. Carpet pads are not color-coded like electrical connections. The actual color has no importance because you cover the pad with a carpet in any case.

Varieties

• Carpet pads come in a variety of materials, including urethane, felt and rubber, each with its own advantages. Urethane comes in two varieties, prime and bonded. The bonded variety has small pieces glued together. Both types resist insects, dampness and heat, but they have less resilience than rubber. Rubber padding comes in plain or waffle design. It has good resilience, but the resilience declines over time. Rubber padding is not affected by mold, mildew, moths or beetles. It doesn't cause allergies, but it deteriorates from heat exposure. A felt pad is made of jute, hair or a combination of fibers. A 100-percent hair pad has the best resilience and longest life. Because a felt pad collects dust and sometimes mildews, it causes allergies in susceptible people.

Thickness and Density

• The thickness of the carpet pad affects the carpet's wear. Carpets wear out faster with a too-thin pad, but too thick a pad causes a carpet to wrinkle. Use a thicker pad in rooms that are used seldom and a thinner pad in rooms with heavy use. For most home use, the Carpet and Rug Institute recommends a pad between 1/4-inch and 7/16-inch thick and with a density rating of 6 pounds. For a Berber or large-loop carpet, choose a pad with maximum thickness of 3/8 inch and 8 pounds density. In any case, follow the recommendations of the carpet manufacturer.

Chemical Concerns

• Chemicals in carpet padding and adhesives cause odors and affect sensitive people. Some manufacturers attach special labels to padding and adhesives with the lowest level of chemical emissions. If you have chemical concerns, look for the Green Label or Green Label Plus on carpet padding. Ask your installer to use the specially-labeled adhesives for glue-down installations. After your carpet is installed, increase the ventilation for two to three days until the chemical odor dissipates.