The Importance of Quality Rug Pads For Your Home!

As we are still in the process of making our new home 'ours', (new home tour pics coming soon!) I definitely have an ever-growing wish list of items I want to add to our space to personalize and give a more 'lived in' feel reflective of our personalities, but we've definitely filled in the home so far with the essentials: furniture & rugs. Rug pads were always something didn't use or skimped on in the past. Until we actually got our First and 'Forever Home', I really didn't consider rug pads an essential. But after educating myself on the importance of quality rug pads, I won't have a single rug down on my hardwood floors now without one.
If you don't use rug pads on your hardwood floors, or if you use a cheaply-made rug pads, you could be causing serious damage to your floors! -- 90% of all rug pads come from overseas and they are chemically rich and toxic breeding grounds for odor causing bacteria and VOC emissions. Additionally, the petrochemical oils in pvc pads often dissipate into the floor, permanently marring and discoloring your floor finishes over time. (This is why you can find so many discussions posted on threads and forums in regards to hardwood floor damage that occur with cheap rug pads).
Most consumers typically don’t want to shell out money for a quality rug pad because a. nobody sees it, and b. because they (usually) just spent a lot of money on their rug. This was totally my mode of thinking before as well. But because of this, manufacturers produce rug pads with the cheapest materials at the cheapest price. This means rug pads are often manufactured overseas using cheap chemicals and materials. This is why when you open the packaging of plastic padding, it typically has a really bad odor. The outgassing that occurs from these plastic pads, aside from the environmental impacts from having these products in your home, has another bad effect. Sometimes, the out-gassing from the pads reacts with the chemicals in your floor finish, causing permanent staining, marring, or discoloration. Here is a picture of what this damage can look like:

Another way manufacturers will cut costs is by using clay fillers in their pads, these clay fillers will break down over time and end up all over your wood floors. Most consumers will often not notice this issue because of how infrequent customers look under their rugs. While most rug pads look good 'point of sale', the vast majority will not produce at a desired level. The reason for this is that manufacturers will cut costs, adding cheap fillers and materials that won't last more than a few years. They do this for a number of reasons -- 1. Customers rarely look underneath their rugs, 2. Rug pads almost never come with a warranty, which protects you if your floors get damaged, and 3. A typical consumer cannot tell the difference in quality.

The reason certain types of pvc rug pads can off gas and end up damaging and discoloring the floors is because they cannot absorb and release moisture. So on hot and humid days, or with glossy floor finishes, the oils can react with the floor finish and cause permanent damage. Eek!

Here is a picture of a pvc rug pad:

The problem with pvc is they can’t breath and end up sticking to certain floor surfaces. They also will stain certain floor finishes and can’t be used in hot and humid climates. Most, not all, will outgas and can cause floors to change colors.

So all this being said, I can't stress the importance of not skimping on this item for your home. For eco-friendly, quality-made rug pads, go to RugPadUSA.com and you will find your peace of mind and perfect product to fit whatever flooring or carpeting you have. I use their rug pads myself after bad luck with cheap rug pads and would definitely not go to any other company now. Their rug pads are the highest quality I've ever seen or felt and they are also eco-friendly!

Their pads are made from 100% natural rubber -- the safest material to use on all floors. While pvc pads “stick” to floors, natural rubber will “grip” floors. Natural rubber has very low VOC’s and comes directly from real rubber trees, thus out-gassing and floor staining is never an issue. Aside from its performance benefits, natural rubber is made using real 100% natural rubber tree sap and as such it is very eco-friendly. Their rug pads also contain a layer of 100% recycled felt. These two components provide an easy to clean and vacuum product, that is anti-microbial, will never mold, mildew, or smell. Here is a picture of our new rug pad:

Unlike other cheap rug pads I've used in the past, the rug pads from RugPadUSA provide an extremely comfortable, thick cushioned underfoot that also helps prolong the life of your rugs -- by alleviating stress on your rug. In addition, it keeps the rug properly anchored which facilitates much easier vacuuming (dirt is the #1 cause of rug degradation!)

What is so important to me though, having two little crazy people running around the house all day, is that their rug pads WORK. They keep the rug in place like no other, the kids don't ever slip on the rug, no matter how crazy they're being, and it also prevents the rug from bunching up at the corners which in the past has caused both me and my crazy kids to trip over. RugPadsUSA lives up to their strong reputation and offer rug pads that will not stain, mar, damage, or discolor your floors or finishes, AND they are made with materials that will not out-gas after long term use -- A quality rug pad like the ones from RugPadUSA will keep your rug from slipping for many many years, as compared to only a couple of years from cheaper, lesser-quality companies. The last thing I will say about their rug pads is that they truly made the room look so much nicer, more polished, and put together. Instead of rugs bunched up and all out of alignment, they are beautifully placed, and they keep in place. They make my rugs feel richer, thicker, and so much softer and more cushioned to walk on, all the while providing the best protection possible for our beautiful hardwood floors. And the final icing on the cake? As you can guess from their company name, they are made here in the USA, and they also come with a 20 year warranty.
I really hope you guys will go check out this amazing company and get rid of those cheap rug pads you might have and order a quality, eco-friendly rug pad from RugPadUSA.com today, I promise you will be so happy. And you can use promo code "pr15off" at checkout to receive 15% off your entire order!!!  Happy home-making and happy floors :)