Talking to a homeowner in Phoenix changed how I see carpet padding

Last month I was doing a bedroom in a house in Phoenix and the owner kept watching me work. He was an older guy, retired contractor maybe. He asked why I was using the standard 7/16 pad when I could go thicker. I told him it was what the job called for. He said that's fine but 90 percent of the time people just grab whatever pad is cheapest and call it done. He pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of his old carpet that had worn through in just 3 years because of thin padding. I never really thought about how much padding matters for longevity. I always just used what the supply house had on hand. Now I actually ask customers if they want to upgrade and explain the math on it. Has anyone else had a customer change your mind about a basic material like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler8541mo ago

Did you notice a difference in how long carpet lasts after switching pads?

wren6381mo ago

Oh man, nobody's talking about how the pad actually affects the carpet's backing over time! I used a cheap pad once and it had this weird rubber texture that basically started eating away at the carpet's latex backing after like two years. The carpet itself looked fine on top but when you pulled it up the backing was all crumbly and falling apart. Never had that problem with a good quality bonded urethane pad. Switched to a thicker felt and rubber combo pad on my last install and the carpet's backing is still solid as ever four years later. It's like the pad is either protecting or slowly destroying that bottom layer depending on what you pick.