I am often asked if a rug pad could also help insulate against sound and cold and my answer is yes, the right rug pad can do this. There are plenty of rug pads available that will provide some sort of protection such as non slip or protecting your floor and rug. Taking things a step further, there also are a few rug pads that provide sound insulation as well as adding warmth to your floor.
The first thing to know about choosing the best insulating rug pad is that it needs to be a solid pad, not one with holes that are readily available. Under area rugs, the choice for a solid pad should include a recycled jute material. There are two rug pads that contain recycled jute. One is 100% recycled jute and since it does not contain rubber, should only be used under rugs that do not tend to slide. This is excellent for your room size rugs or rugs that have furniture on them. The other pad is a combination of recycled jute and a real layer of solid rubber. It is important to make sure the rubber is actually rubber and not a sprayed on latex or imitation rubber since these can break down and harm your floors.
The recycled jute pad is available in a few quality weights and the best at protecting rugs, floors and providing insulation is a 40 ounce weight. This means that there are 40 ounces of fiber per square yard of pad and this results in a dense pad that will reduce noise and cold. The recycled aspect brings with it a mold and mildew resistant quality as well as a pad that does not contain any odor. It is also hypoallergenic and safe for all floors.
Now, if your rug tends to slide, then the recycled jute and solid rubber rug pad is for you. This pad is quite dense and the combination of jute and rubber insulates well. The added protection with this pad is that it provides a non slip function, providing safety with rugs that could slide. The rubber is real rubber, not to be confused with a latex spray, and is completely safe for all hardwood and hard floor surfaces.
While rug pads were originally intended to prolong the life of area rugs, they also possess qualities such as floor protection, comfort and sound and weather insulation. Investing on the proper pad now could prove to save lots of money and frustration later by prolonging the life of your rug and being safe for your floor.