By Ken Ryan
Carpet padding is not the sexiest product in the flooring market and may be the last thing most consumers think about when they make a purchase decision. Rebond carpet padding, which is constructed mostly of several different foam particles fused into one piece of padding, is not likely to enthrall too many dealers.

But that may change when Royalty Carpet Mills introduces its Nubond/Super Rebond product at Surfaces.

The dealers who have seen the product marvel at the look and feel of Nubond/Super Rebond. More importantly, they see the potential to boost margins through the sale of it. “Pads aren’t really exciting but this is the most interesting one I have seen in years,” said Steve Coles of Coles Carpet in San Diego. “It’s chopped fine, it looks cleaner; and let’s face it, our customers are ladies, and they want a cleaner look.”

The features and benefits of the product include a long list of “no mores” as in: no more hard spots, no more change in side-to-side feel, no more change in density from roll to roll, and no more hard plastics, metals or wood in your rebond carpet cushion.

Nubond/Super Rebond features Microban antimicrobial treatment and DuPont’s Hytrel, a one-way breathable moisture barrier. Paul Engle, vice president of marketing at Royalty, said the company is positioning Nubond/Super Rebond as the pad of choice for a “safe, clean, healthy, environmentally friendly, consistent carpet cushion that promises great resiliency for the life of your carpet.”

He called the product “revolutionary” and added, “This new type of rebond cushion is definitely a game changer and puts us in a different class.” Engle said the reaction so far from the largest dealers in the U.S. “has been overwhelmingly positive. They have made huge commitments to buy this cushion in trailer loads when it is available.”

Coles said Royalty is being careful with distribution of the product, which is probably a smart idea for something so unique in the market, he noted. “We’re here for the profits, and I do really well with high-end pad. Anytime I can get something unique and exclusive, I can do well with it. That is the case here. In this product, the clean look equals value. This product has me excited.”

Add Phil Raby, president of Raby Carpets, Albuquerque, N.M., to that list. Raby said he has been impressed with the pad and plans to carry it in the first quarter after he clears existing inventory. “It’s a great product. Royalty has taken rebond to a completely different level. It’s a real upgrade.”

Traditional cushion is produced by grinding recycled flexible polyurethane foam into small particles and bonding them together, and the Nubond/Super Rebond product features a smaller grind, which Raby said is what provides the upgraded look and feel. “We’re going to do well with it.”