We’ve had several calls lately (specifically in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh) concerning rug pads and how long they typically last. So I thought it would be prudent if I made a blog post on the subject. While there’s not a set in stone answer to how long a good quality rug pad will last, there is a normal timeline that we consistently keep seeing with customers.
The best range to give is around 20-25 years. However, that really depends on the amount of traffic and also the “type” of traffic that goes across the rug and rug pad. For an example, if you have a room that sees very little foot traffic like a formal dining room, that rug pad will last considerably longer than the rug pad that is being used in the main living room. Logic deems that more foot traffic will wear out the pad faster than a pad that sees very little traffic.
We had a lady in Durham recently that hadn’t had her rug cleaned in about 3 years, so she called us to set up a pickup time. When we arrived at her house I checked under the pad and it had started coming apart and was leaving a “sandy” substance on her floor. It was the rug pad coming apart and acting like sandpaper on her floor. We caught it quick enough so it didn’t make a big enough mess. Unfortunately, we had a lady in Chapel Hill who didn’t catch it quick enough and now she’s got an 8’x10’ outline of where her floor has been scratched. There was also a gentleman in Raleigh who’s rug pad lasted 23 years and he moved the rug pad and heard it start making a “tearing” noise. Another individual that found it at the right time and purchased another quality rug pad from us to take him another 20-25 years.
My biggest tip to all of our customers is to rotate their rug every six months so that the rug gets equal “foot traffic” time, and also check the rug pad to make sure it is still operating properly. A quality rug pad is one of the best investments rug owners can make, but the owner still needs to check to make sure it hasn’t outlived its time.
