Although it may seem obvious, many people place rug pads in the wrong direction. A rug pad positioned incorrectly may not provide the protection you expect. It could also be a danger to those living in your house.
This post will show you how to place a rug under an area carpet correctly.
What is the role of a rug pad that has been installed correctly
A rug pad’s main purpose is to create a barrier between your area rug and a less-than-soft floor or surface. This is done for both aesthetic and practical reasons. It prevents damage to the bottom of the carpet or flooring beneath the rug. The area rug will also stay in a better position for longer.
How to install a rug pad
You should remove all furniture and other items from your workspace before installing a rug pad. Remove any dust or dirt to avoid creating a slipping surface for the newly installed rug pad.
It is important to consider the overall layout of your room and your needs in terms of comfort, protection, and cushioning. This can be done by removing furniture.
Installing your rug pad correctly (or down) is the next step.
The type of rug pad that you’re installing will determine the way it should be laid. We’ve listed below the most popular types of rug pads and how they should be laid out.
Rug pad made of jute. In most cases, the rug pad is rubberized on the bottom to prevent slipping. The rubber layer adds extra padding for floors. This is why a jute pad should have the rubber backing pointing down at the floor.
Rug pad A felt rug pad has two sides: a stiff and a softer side. To provide the best protection for your hardwood floors or carpeted areas, it is best to place your felt rug pads soft side down.
Rug carpet — a rug carpet pad has a rubber and a soft side. The rubber side of a carpet rug pad should be facing up, and the softer surface down.
Rubber rug pads. Most rubber rug pads or natural rubber pads have a soft side that is obvious and another side with a gripper pattern. You guessed it: the rug gripper pattern is on the top, and the soft side is down.
Rug pad — treat PVC pads similarly to rubber rug mats. You can determine which side of the rug pad is soft and which has a rug gripper pattern. Then you can face it in that direction, the soft side down and pattern up.
A memory foam rug mat, as used for carpet flooring or other hard surfaces, will have a side that is visible, and sometimes it won’t. Some memory foam rug pads have a rubber or felt pad on the underside. In this case, face the felt side down. Memory foam rug pads can also be made entirely of memory foam. You can install your rug pad any way you want if you find that it is constructed entirely of memory foam.
Future rug pads care
Rug pads require little maintenance. Rug pads can require some TLC.
Pay attention to the care instructions for your rug pad. Each rug pad is unique, so its care instructions will help you maintain it.
As a rule of thumb, you should vacuum the pad about every three months and straighten any edges that may have curled over time. If it doesn’t look or smell great, give it a quick washing in your washing machine using the gentle cycle.
How to choose the best rug pad for your job
Selecting the best rug pad for your needs is another great way to make sure it performs well. This will ensure that your floors are protected and will take away the stress of trying to figure out which way a rug pad is laid.
All our rug pads are rubber-backed, except for some felt and memory pads that have a multi-directional backing (in other words, they do not have an upside or downside). It is easy to know which side of our rug pads you should lay them on. All of our rug pads except for our carpet pad, which requires the rubber side to be facing up, should be laid down, with the rubber backing facing downward.
Here are some of the best rug pad options for various types of flooring.
Superior-Lock
The superior-lock pad combines the plush cushioning from recycled felt and rubber with a unique, high-performance checkered natural rubber back. This unique design offers superior grip and anti-skid protection, making it an ideal choice for areas with high traffic.
Superior-Lock, made in the USA, can be used to secure any rug and prolong its life. This unique design grips rugs in all sizes and shapes to create a soft landing for tired feet.