Carpet Cushion Can Add A Useful Life To A Carpet

A common misconception made about cushion is that you can save money by increasing the pile weight of a carpet and eliminating the cushion. Actually, a cushion may result in more useful life in some carpet applications than slightly heavier unprotected carpet can offer.

Carpet is seldom replaced because it "wears" out. It is usually changed because it "uglies" out—or loses its fresh, new appearance. By reducing pile height loss and pile crushing, cushion can help keep a carpet “new” looking—and therefore stretch its usable life span.

A carpet installed over separate cushion can be more economical Separate cushion can prove to be the most economical installation over a period of time.

In wear resistance tests done by Independent Textile Testing Service, a variety of cushion types added to the wear resistance of carpet.

And in a test to determine loss of pile height, which gives the appearance of wear, carpets without cushion showed a 19.3% loss in thickness. Carpets with cushion may suffer only 5-10% pile height loss. So an installation with cushion can be more economical since most carpets without any form of cushion may need to be replaced sooner. The fibers of a carpet installed without cushion can become compacted more easily, and the “new” look of the carpet may disappear more quickly.