All: I am making the final decisions for the flooring of my new home. The carpet I have chosen is a Mohawk brand. The builder wants to charge me $900.00 to upgrade the pad throughout the 2000 Sq ft house. Obviously, not all 2K feet is covered in carpeting. I think this is high. Could there be a good reason to spend this money? What type of padding should I be getting for my $$$? Thanks in advance.
My neighbor did ALL of the carpet in my house. I bought all the carpet and padding and materials, myself. I bought the BEST (Thickest, Spill Resistant, etc.) Padding, and it was about $600 for 2,200 sq. feet. (upstairs and basement). It IS "Noticeable" when you walk on the carpet!:bglasses: The carpet is a lot "softer" with the Thicker Padding underneath! You just kind of sink in to the carpet. Similar to yours, I have Ceramic Tile in some areas, so I didn't use Padding in "all" of the house, either. Your estimate seems a little high, I agree. Do you have a Flooring Express near you, Dave? They are more like a carpet "wholesaler", so you'll get a better price.:Smarty: Call around to compare prices, before you just "accept" the first estimate.:TU:
Unfortunately, the builder decides what to charge. Much like buying a new car, you pay the what the dealer charges. Either you pay for it, or you do without.
If that's true, David, then, unfortunately, it sounds like you may not have much choice. Although you make think it's a little high, think about what kind of use the carpeting will get: Floor Traffic- People walking on the carpet DAILY will break down the padding over time. The Thicker the Pad, the LONGER that it will LAST!:Smarty::TU: Spills (Kids, pets, etc.)- Liquids ABSORB into carpeting, but depending on how GOOD your PADDING is, underneath, the liquid can be VACUUMED up!:Smarty: The padding that I used in my house has a Thick "Plastic" sheet on the top of it, for that reason! When the liquid goes through the Carpet, it gets STOPPED by the Top Padding Layer, meaning that it will ONLY stay in the CARPET LAYER!:bglasses: I think it's referred to as "Grade 5" Padding, as the "BEST" available.o No: It's Definitely WORTH using the "upgraded" padding, that will last for YEARS!:TU: Speaking from experience, and from taking advice from a "carpet expert" (my neighbor), I hope you will choose to use the Best Padding, as you may regret it later, if you don't.:TU: Let us know what you decide. It will work out, though.:TU:
Pad it is! Sounds like I need to bite the bullet and spend the $$$. The unfortunate part is, most of the carpeting will get little use. Dining room, living room, and spare bedrooms won't get touched. However, I don't want the stairs and family room to look crummy soon after I move in. The part that bugs me is once you become a customer, a builder will tell you how cheesy the base options are. Gee, why didn't you mention that in your brochure? IMO, there are three levels of comfort when spending big $$: 1) Comfortable 2) Moderate 3) Squeemish So long Moderate........next stop, Squeemishville! Thanks for the opinions!:TU:
That should be another option, then, too, Dave, to save cost, put the BEST Padding only in the "High Traffic" areas (Family Room, Basement, Stairways, Hallways), and use a "GOOD" Pad in the "extra" rooms (Spare bedrooms, Dining Room). Just because you don't want to SPEND a lot of money does NOT mean that you're "Cheap", it means you're PRACTICAL!:Smarty: Let the Builder KNOW that. Explain to him WHY you don't "NEED" the "BEST" Padding in the WHOLE house, only in the "Most Used" areas! If he's really concerned about keeping his "Customer" happy, and not just about making a Profit (at your expense), then he should Listen to what YOU want in YOUR house, and get it done that way!:TU: Something to consider: If you don't want the carpet to "Look Crummy", as you say, If you DON'T put a Good Pad underneath it, I guarantee that you will be able to SEE the "Wear Marks" (from where people WALK on the carpet) in a short time, as the Padding "breaks down" and will need to be replaced, anyway!:Smarty: I'm not trying to sound like a "carpet salesman", but you asked for help, and I'm just trying to help you Understand that whatever decision you make about it NOW will affect you LATER, in time. If you go "cheap", then EXPECT "cheap results"! Otherwise, spend a Little extra for the "Better" stuff, and don't worry about it!:TU:
