Padding Density

In the On the House column by Morris and James Garey (“When Buying Carpet, Select Proper Padding,” April 1), there was a question about carpet padding. The answer was misleading, if not erroneous.

First of all, the carpet padding is commonly called rebond and not rebound. They described the 5-pound pad as a force of 5 pounds per square inch. No rebond pad can resist a 5-pound force for every inch of material. Besides the unit “pounds per square inch” is a unit of pressure and not of weight.

The correct description of a 5-pound pad is that the number 5 is really the density of the pad in pounds per cubic foot. It means that a 1-by-1-by-1-foot rebond pad (volume) should weigh exactly 5 pounds. It then follows that a 6-pound is heavier than a 5-pound padding. In the industry, however, it is generally accepted that we describe the density of the pad by 5 or 6 pounds or other weights when in reality it is really the density of the pad that we are referring to.

ARIS SARROCA

Gardena

Sarroca is plant manager of Reliance Upholstery Supply Co. Inc.