Have you walked on to someone’s exhibit carpet and your feet say “wow” this feels amazing. Well that effect is done in one of two ways.
First: You can use a less dense padding and just put two layers under the carpet. This is what we call “double padding”. It is done with 3/8″ or 7/16″ Rebond padding to keep the height down. It provides a real squishy effect under the carpet. Many clients use this technique to attract customers and make their exhibit staff happy.
So what is Rebond? Rebond is broken up pieces of Urethane Foam bonded together to make a roll of padding – hence the name “Rebond”. Basically it is a recycled product that uses scraps of high density urethane foam from furniture and things like auto seats. It is very popular as it is less expensive compared to solid urethane foam.
There are a few things to consider when using Rebond.
- Rebond takes up a lot of space when rolled up which will increase your dimensional shipping costs.
- Rebond only comes in 6′ rolls so it is more labor intensive to install.
- Rebond is much harder to cut and shape then solid padding.
Second: To create the “wow” effect is to use solid urethane foam padding. It is much denser then Rebond and will hold up a lot better and help the carpet last longer. Granted, it is not as squishy as Rebond but it does last longer and protect the carpet better.
Here are some things to consider when using solid Urethane Foam:
- It can be purchased in 10′ rolls to match the carpet size.
- It can be cut easily with a razor knife.
- It is very dense and will last much longer.
- Even though it weighs more it will take up less space for shipping.
- It can be rolled together with the carpet in the same bag.
- It is great for 10 x 10 applications for the do it yourselfer. Think about it – (one piece of padding and one carpet together in the same roll)
The two most common mistakes when ordering padding are to get rolls that are too soft or too thick. We recommend the solid urethane padding for many reasons. It costs a little more but with all the benefits I just mentioned we feel it is well worth it as you will save in the long run.
As always, please respond with your questions or comments and let others know about EXHIBITOR LOUNGE.COM. We will see you next week. Until then, I am your host Michael Gray telling you to RELAX in the Exhibitor Lounge.