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Carpet adhesive and padding © Daniel Friedman Carpet Padding Asbestos, Mold, Odors, IAQ
Identify & Cure These Carpet Worries

Carpet padding types, properties, uses: this article explains carpet padding, cushions, and underlayment as well as antique carpet liners, and we address questions about carpet asbestos or mold hazards.

This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction (Steve Bliss, J Wiley & Sons) , by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Asbestos or Mold Hazards in Rug or Carpet Padding?

Carpet Padding © Daniel Friedman

Carpet padding, carpet cushions, and carpet underlayments, used to improve carpet durability, prevent carpet movement, and for other purposes, can also be a source of hidden mold or other building contaminants.

Some readers have also asked if carpet padding is likely to be an asbestos hazard in buildings, as we discuss and illustrate here.

Question: Does asbestos flooring or carpeting underlayment resemble foam?

Does asbestos flooring or carpeting underlayment resemble foam? Is it a paper like product? - D.G.

Carpet Padding © Daniel Friedman

Reply: No. normally residential carpet padding does not contain asbestos. We have not found any reports of foam carpet padding specifically made of asbestos nor paper.

Sorting Out Reports of Asbestos-Contaminated Carpet Padding in Western Australia

An exception of asbestos-contaminated carpet padding has been reported in Australia[3], creating a public stir, but a subsequent investigation by Jim Dodd, Director of Environmental Health, reported that the possibility of asbestos fibres being in carpet underlay was very low.

People most at risk were those working in the bag recycling industry[4] when hessian (burlap or jute) bags used to transport asbestos material were recycled. Western Australians concerned about possible asbestos in their carpet underlay should first identify the type of carpet padding used: for example if it is a foam product it was not made from recycled bags.

Quoting from "Asbestos in Carpet Underlay", from the Western Australia DOH,

There is a slight possibility that some older hair felt-style underlay manufactured and installed prior to the early 1970s may have incorporated material sourced from hessian bags that were used to transport raw asbestos from mine sites to processing plants.

... believed to have been installed prior to 1970 ... in Perth homes. ... Of the 12 homes tested, one has proved positive for asbestos. ... Of the 12 homes tested, one has proved positive for asbestos.

It has been ascertained that the carpet and underlay in the affected home was installed in the early 1950’s. Further testing of underlay, carpet and dust from rooms in the home in which the affected underlay was situated indicates that the asbestos fibres remained within the underlay.

It therefore appears that the risk of fibres becoming airborne and presenting a health risk is very low provided the carpet and underlay remain undisturbed.

The DOH offered this good advice for removing old carpeting and carpet padding or underlay:

... it is advisable to wear a Class P1 or P2 disposable facemask (available at most hardware outlets) and disposable overalls if you are intending to remove old carpet with hair felt underlay (pre 1970).

This will provide protection against inhaling dust and other allergens as well as any asbestos fibres in the unlikely event they are present. The carpet and underlay should be carefully, removed to minimise release of dust and particulates. It is advisable to lightly wet down the underside of the carpet and underlay prior to and during removal. This will help to suppress dust.

Owners concerned about possible asbestos in their fiber-based carpet underlay should contact an accredited asbestos testing laboratory.

List of Carpet Padding Materials

Normally carpet padding is constructed of man made or natural fibers, rubber, or urethane foam products.

Unlike the backer on some resilient flooring products or sheet flooring, carpet padding would not normally contain asbestos. Carpet padding materials are typically felt carpet padding (photos above), foam carpet padding (photos below), or synthetic fabric bonded to a foam underlayment.

Fiber carpet cushions or pads

(above) may be made from natural fibers (such as jute, felt, or even horsehair), synthetic fibers (acrylic fibers, nylon fibers, polyesters, propylene fibers), or recycled textile fibers that may be a mix of natural and synthetic materials.

Bonded Synthetic Fabric & Foam Carpet Padding

Our photos below illustrate a durable carpet cushion that combines a dense synethetic fabric with a urethane foam cushion.

Carpet Padding © Daniel Friedman

While this material is sold for use under wall-to-wall carpeting, we also use this padding cut to size for placement under area rugs where we want a firm walking surface and an anti-slip property to prevent the rug from moving.

Carpet Padding © Daniel Friedman

Bonded Urethane Foam "Rebond" Carpet Padding

The carpet padding photographs below show a bonded urethane foam product also referred to as "rebond" because it is made of chopped or shredded foam that has been re-bonded together to form a sheet.

Carpet Padding © Daniel Friedman

Above you can also see the bonded coated backing of the carpeting itself - the white-coated carpet bottom at the right side of the photo.

Our second rebond padding photo (below) shows us exposing the subfloor below the padding in an area where the homeowner had already made carpet and padding cuts to inspect for water leakage.

Carpet Padding © Daniel Friedman

Here you can see that the rebond carpet padding is also reinforced with synthetic fibers.

Carpet padding © Daniel Friedman

Because some rebond, especially made in the U.S. before 1985, may contain butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), this padding type can cause yellowing of olefin and some nylon carpets and is not recommended below those products.

Two other foam carpet padding materials are prime urethane foam and mechanically-frothed urethane foam.

Rubber carpet padding materials are typically seen in one of two forms: waffled sponge rubber and a more firm flat sponge rubber. Flat sponge rubber is used below commercial and berber carpets.

Wanamaker's Sanitary Carpet Lining - Antique & Historic Carpet Underlayment, Lining, Padding

In older homes and some historic properties where very old carpeting remains, you may find paper-based Sanitary Carpet Lining that was sold by The Wanamaker Store (photographs below).

Antique Sanitary Carpet Lining Wanamaker Store © Daniel Friedman

We are uncertain of the composition of this material, but you are highly unlikely to encounter it except in an antique building. Wanamakers, a Philadelphia PA store, began 1880, selling carpets and carpet liners in 1880.[2]

Antique Sanitary Carpet Lining Wanamaker Store © Daniel Friedman

Note: The John Wanamaker Store in King of Prussia, PA. has been cited by some asbestos-exposure and mesothelioma websites as a source of asbestos exposure to workers. We have not [yet] located a description of how that exposure occurred or what products were involved.

Exception: Case Report of Asbestos-Contaminated Carpet Padding in Australia

Watch out: in older homes in Australia, carpet padding may have been produced by recycled bags used by James Hardie corporation to transport asbestos fibers, creating an unexpected potential asbestos hazard in those homes. Also in Australia, both driveways and garage floors of some homes built in the 1970's may have contained asbestos waste from James Hardie.[1]

There were however many other that used asbestos paper such as HVAC duct wrap and asbestos backing on sheet flooring. Please keep in mind that no one can assure by email that your property has no asbestos present. If the property age or other conditions raise an asbestos concern, you should have a professional inspection and tests performed.

See our articles on visual identification of asbestos products in buildings, beginning

at ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS

Also see CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION and

see information about the James Hardie company

at JAMES HARDIEPLANK® FC SIDING.

Moldy or Smelly Carpeting & Carpet Padding Odors

Moldy carpet stains © Daniel Friedman

Carpeting that has been wet usually is removed along with its padding and disposed of, though we have found a few cases in which carpet that was reported to have been wet was dry, un-stained, and clean at the time of our inspection.

We attribute this last odd case to occupant reporting errors. It's generally the case that a soaked carpet will also leave water marks on the subfloor below.

No water clues were present in the "clean carpet" case.

Excepting that odd occasional case, wet carpeting and carpet padding can become moldy in just 48 hours or so, depending on building temperatures and extent of water intrusion

. If you trace a moldy odor or smell to the carpeting or its padding beneath, chances are that it is or was moldy.

See SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE

Carpets or Carpet Padding & VOCs or MVOCs

As we discuss at CARPET MOLD / ODOR TESTS, mold may be visible on the surface of carpeting or mold may be hidden in carpeting or in the padding or carpet cushion below.

Carpets may not actually be mold contaminated but can smell moldy if the carpeting or padding have absorbed Mold-related volatile organic compounds or MVOCs. In this case we suspected that the visible carpet mold was the "tip of an iceberg" of hidden mold below.

Research on Asbestos in Carpet or Carpet Underlayment

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2018-08-20 by (mod) - some carpet glues or mastic adhesives contained asbestos

Some mastic adhesives contained asbestos. Search InspectApedia.com for ASBESTO in MASTIC ADHESIVE to see details

On 2018-08-20 by joe

i pulled a old carpet from the 60s i wandering if the glue or underlay has asbestos ?

On 2017-08-22 by (mod) - was I harmed by pulling up old carpeting?

Pam

I cannot make a reliable guess from just the information in your message.

I'd consider the age of the home, possible age of flooring, appearance of the adhesive - and also I'd look for other sources of white "substance" under a carpet such as efflorescence from water leaks or powdery debris from a deteriorated carpet padding.

On 2017-08-22 by Pam

We pulled up carpet and padding in our house. In one of the rooms, there is a lot of glue and also some type of white substance, kind of like an underlayment or fibrous filter material. Could this be asbestos?

We have been removing old carpet that had 2 kinds of padding underneath.

One was solid foam, the other must have been about 40 years old and is made of what looks like glued together foam particles that had turned to heaps of dust in some areas. I did not think to wear a mask and am coughing like mad now. Did I inhale asbestos?

On 2014-08-02 by (mod) -

Amy,

Use the email found at our CONTACT link at page bottom to send me some photos and I will comment further.

If padding that's missing has straight-cut edges it was most likely cut-out, perhaps as soiled, damaged, moldy, peed-on.

If carpet padding that's missing is in irregularly shaped tears, perhaps the carpet and padding was previously pulled-up from the floor in a condition in which some padding segments were stuck to the floor - also from one of the problems or conditions just cited.

On 2014-08-02 by Amy

Hi- I just purchased a house, and found that in the basement bedroom, some of the carpet padding is missing- any idea what might have caused this? It is missing in small sections- a few square inches each. I have a picture, but can't figure out how to post it here. No mouse droppings around. Thanks for your help!

On 2014-06-01 1 by Anon

Ok, so it is not likely to be in an old throw rug that does not have a backing then?
It was mostly just in the backings and not in the fabric itself?

ok, so it is not likely within the actual carpet fibres but in the backing? We have an old throw rug but it does not have any backing.

On 2014-06-01 by (mod) - depending on age of manufacture, asbestos was used in some carpet backings.

Yes Anon, depending on age of manufacture, asbestos was used in some carpet backings.

On 2014-05-31 by anon

Are there any carpet products likely to contain asbestos?

On 2013-03-29 by (mod) - did my mom's carpet contain asbestos?

Lorraine,

No one but should pretend s/he could tell you by email if a product contains asbestos or not.

But being somewhat foolish I'll add that if the carpet padding or backing is itself a yellowish foam it would be no surprise if deteriorated foam was producing a yellow powder.

On 2013-03-28 by Lorraine

I began removing a carpet from my mothers apartment and found that the padding was in a powder form with a yellow orange color. Could this powder contain asbestos.

Today I am coughing. I did wear a mask but it was a this nurses mask.

On 2013-03-22 by (mod) - Old asbestos bags woven into carpet pads

Joan

Use the search box found at the top or bottom of this page to search InspectAPedia for

ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION

for an extensive library of articles, photos, references on that topic, including in carpet padding

On 2011-06-18 by Joan Patton

Pretty interesting stuff. Glad to hear there is not much asbestos around in the carpet padding area.

Old asbestos bags woven into carpet pads in some areas though? That's pretty wild. Great research here. I have refurbished homes for years and you really never do know what you'll find lurking around an old house that might produce harm to humans.


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