You may order a rug pad an discover that it needs to be trimmed. Well, although the ideal rug pad will arrive perfectly cut to the size of your area rug, we do know that this is not always the case.
The difficulty level of trimming a rug pad can vary depending on the type of rug pad you have. The thinner, non slip waffle type of rug pads can be cut with scissors. The solid, more dense felt rug pads may need a carpet knife.
Measure and draw a line
The first thing you need to do before cutting your rug pad is to measure the exact size and draw a line across your pad. This is the line you will follow for cutting. If your rug measures 7’10″x9’10″, then your rug pad should be slightly smaller at 7’8″x9’8″. Make this measurement line on the rug pad for each dimension and draw the line on the rug pad.
Cutting with scissors
If your rug pad can be cut with scissors, then carefully cut along the drawn line. Make sure not to harm the floor underneath, if you are cutting on a wood floor.
Cutting with a carpet knife
You will need to place the rug pad on a concrete floor or on something that will not get damaged if your knife cuts into it. Here, again, take the knife and cut along the line you marked on the rug pad. Some felt rug pads may not be completely cut through with the knife and in this case, follow the knife cut with another scissors cut to clean the cut.
