I have a Pergo laminate floor and I want to buy a jute backed rug to put on part of the floor. Do I need a rug pad (and what kind) or can I just lay the rug without ruining the laminate flooring.

Jute backing is slightly abrasive. Carpet will look better and last longer if u use padding.

Fiber padding will work best. Rubber or foam will break down over time and stick to flooring.

Chuck

Pergo floors need to float and expand and contract. Now that the warning is in a Jute back carpet is installed only three ways.

1. It is glued down
2. The other is a tackles with a foam padding Or
3. A carpet padding under it and installed as tacked

The whole reason Jute back is made is it's a better stronger thicker remnant. A foam back is cheaper to do it all in one and they ware out quicker. The rule of thumb is spend more on a quality padding for the jute back.

Is this going in tackles. Meaning tack strips on the sides to install. Also all carpets of any standard room size MUST be stretched to install properly. A carpet kicker is not a carpet stretcher. Need to rent a carpet stretcher to install Jute back because its to hard to get tight with a carpet kicker.

Hi Boat21

Poster stated ''part of floor'' which would indicate an area rug.

1. Jute is rarely glued down. Can not use padding or stretch carpet. As u stated, carpet will wear faster if padding is not used.

2. Foam padding is made with air in it. After a few years, starts to break down and stick to floor. Rubber padding will also break down over time and stick to floor. "Hair" padding will also break down, but the residue it leaves is basically a dust.

3. Tack installation was used before tackless method came about. Have not seen this in many years.

A carpet power stretcher is not an easy think to use. If stretched too much will tear jute backing. A carpet kicker does stretch the carpet and is less likely to tear the jute back.

Chuck

Hey chuck,
I work in a flooring store and we use tack strip everyday. You said you haven't seen it in many years, but its out there. That's all our installers use and the surrounding installers. Unless it's a glue down.

Hi 88 sunflower

Using tack strips is called a tackless installation.

I said a tack installation is old hat. This is when the carpet is stretched and nailed down with carpet tacks. The padding is cut about 1'' short of wall and carpet is folded into this space and nailed.

Chuck

Yep your right. So sorry I was reading it the wrong way. Pay attention! Lol

Not a problem. Have done that myself. LOL

Chuck

Creahands I don't see anywhere where an Area rug was mentioned which is a throw rug. The area is going to be carpeted period. The poster was wanting to cover part of the finisded floor to brake it up and use jute back carpet. Since there is already a finish floor there and not a plywood sub floor this seems to explains the question about padding or not since the poster mind is already stuck on that there is already a finish floor down. If he was looking at a ply floor then the application here would be padding under the Jute back carpet that's done all the time and the question probably wouldnt' be here.

Tacking down carpet is still done today in very small areas especially rental property's. Its basic. Tack one edge use a kicker and while kicked tack the other edge. Been installing carpet for 30 years... also install resilient flooring

To clear this all up a jute back should have foam padding under it and that is tacked down. The Jute back over that installed as "tackles" meaning not tacked all over the floor areas. Foam carpets are a sensitive to a carpet stretcher and that is why there is an adjustment on the kicker so the steel pins grab just enough to hold. ALL carpets of normal room size should have a carpet stretcher to install. If not when it stretches out later you will get wrinkles in it and it will wear out faster. A kicker is also used in tandem with a carpet stretcher.

The biggest confusion people have and it happened here is "Tackles" means to use "Tack strips" The reason for this confusion is because the carpet in the old days was "tacked" tacked down in the whole area.

So the inventor reversed those tacks and put them in a strip. It a head wrap around thing here. Kind of the near sited far sited thing

21boat

The poster is worried about damage to laminate floor. Tacking down padding and carpet would damage floor. Foam padding will break down over time and damage floor.

If the jute carpet is not wall to wall, the edges will have to be bound for looks and to resist unraveling.

U install wall to wall carpet without tackless (tack strips)?

If carpet does not go wall to wall, no matter the size, it would be an area rug. Oriental rug is one type of area rug.

A throw rug can be easily moved from one space to another because it is small in size. Size. An example would be carpet in bathroom or front door.

I think our terminology may be different because we do not live in same area.

I also have been installing carpet for many years.

Chuck

Hi creahands I'm laughing because here we are all going on about this and that and what's missing here as it happens so many times. Wheres the person asking the question on the get go?.

I posted this question. I am talking about an area rug approximately 8' X 10' in a room approximately 16" X 20". It will not be tacked down. Sorry for the confusion.


The room is approximately 16' X 20' not inches.

Hi Michael...

I would install a NON- SLIP padding for this application. It will protect the floor AND it will keep the carpet from sliding/slipping... see image... sold at most carpet stores and some home improvement stores... ;) Have them cut it so it is 1" shorter in width and length so the pad will not peek through the edges when the carpet is laid down over the pad.

All I use on my area rugs.

MARK

Attached Images

 

MassPlumber

What is this padding made of e.g. foam, rubber etc. Thanks for your help.

This padding comes in various styles... vinyl, foam, etc. Check out this link for more info.:

Google Image Result for http://www.wundergrip.com/images/Wundergrip.jpg

You can find the vinyl type in almost all carpet stores.. available in many different sizes.

MARK