Imagine getting in your car without the springs and shock absorbers in proper working order. Driving to the grocery store would be a very different experience, indeed.
That’s what a carpeted floor would feel like without proper suspension. The experience would be rocky, hard and uncomfortable. And yet, many think that a carpeted floor doesn’t really require a good carpet cushion to suspend, distribute and cushion the weight of walking on it. They believe that just because the face of the carpet is soft and luxurious, whatever they put (or don’t put) underneath it doesn’t really matter that much. That’s like buying a car with plush, comfortable seats but with lousy leaf springs on the axles.
For a floor to be correctly installed, perform at its best and look beautiful for years, think of the entire floorcovering surface as a total “flooring system.” For example, a floor isn’t just the carpet roll or tiles of carpet you see on the surface. It’s also the subfloor (the concrete slab or OSB or plywood deck), the proper adhesive (in some cases), the correct suspension (the carpet cushion matched to the carpet type), and the quality engineering of the carpet itself (the primary and secondary backings, the synthetic or natural yarn and any treatment additives such as stain resistance or odor-retarders).
The entire flooring system must be carefully considered not just for the particular aesthetics it brings to a space, but also the resiliency and performance characteristics that have been correctly aligned to the needs and conditions it will be subjected to, day-to-day. For instance, is it a high-traffic area? Will kids and pets play on it constantly? Is it a home office set-up that receives concentrated wear from equipment and roller chairs? Note that if anyone of the components fail because it is miss-matched to its conditions, then the entire flooring system fails to deliver on any or all of the expectations for beauty, safety, comfort, performance, wear, or maintenance.
Poor or inadequate carpet cushion will have an adverse ripple effect to the entire flooring system. A cheap carpet pad product (while providing some “suspension” quality in the beginning) will quickly breakdown under the normal stress and impact from high levels of foot traffic and family activity. This, in turn, will compromise the carpet installation effectiveness; the potential for wrinkles and lumps in stretched carpet and accelerated wear areas. Cheap carpet padding will also lack antimicrobial protection, so mold and mildew growth can go completely unchecked from beneath, in a subfloor with moisture mitigation issues. The life and comfort of the carpet, as well as the health of the home’s occupants, are needlessly compromised.
The best suspension for a beautiful, well-functioning carpet flooring system is a genuine carpet cushion—not a carpet pad. The difference is readily apparent. Rather than gluing chunks of reclaimed foam together, the Healthier Choice® carpet cushion is made with visco-elastic frothed polyurethane foam. This is a patented process that provides a uniform level of comfort underneath the entire carpeted surface. It also resists crushing and mold and mildew growth. Plus, homeowners and installers can custom-match the right thickness of the cushion to the carpet, thanks to the Healthier Choice range of sizes.
Installing the right carpet for your home is easy once you understand the system. And the right flooring system always has the best suspension. Otherwise, you could be in for a rough ride.