Benefits of Underlay
The right good quality underlay cushions and supports a carpet ensuring it wears evenly as well as keeping in warmth and insulating against sound. A good quality underlay can prolong the life of a carpet by as much as 40 percent and it is essential for carpets without a felt backing.
Skimping on underlay will affect the durability of the carpet so it makes sense to buy new underlay for a new carpet. A good underlay will improve the feel underfoot of all types of carpet.
Reusing old or poor underlay is a false economy as it will feel hard and unwelcoming. Reduce the life of your new carpet by causing the fibres to break down quickly.
Types of Underlay
The most common types of underlay are:
- Sponge rubber, this is the most popular type, it comes in flat or waffle patterns and different weights for different uses. The most well known brands are Tredaire and Duralay.
- PU (polyurethane) Foam. This is the product we use most. It is typically made for recycled foam offcuts. It has good performance and lots of thickness options. It is lightweight, plus it can be recycled time and again after use. The brand we use is Cloud 9 made by Ball and Young.
- Felt is the traditional (but eco friendly) underlay made from recycled wood, jute and synthetic fibres. It creates a dense firm pad, which makes it excellent for heavy traffic commercial areas.
- Wood / laminate underlay – this smooths out any imperfections in the subfloor and improves the sound proofing of the product.
- Underfloor heating underlay. If you home has underfloor heating you will need an underlay with a low tog rating of less than one needs to be used. If you use normal underlay it will act as barrier to the heat transfer.
Generally we use Cloud 9 Foam underlay by Ball and Young for carpets, that are stretch fitted on gripper.
Where we need make sure the carpet does not move, for example in offices with chairs on wheels will be used and we will recommend a product like Durafit. Other situations where we will recommend alternative underlays are for Natural flooring and for Axminster carpets or commercial applications we will recommend a felt underlay.
Engineered Wood and Laminate flooring will also require underlay. This reduces noise and provides a protective barrier for any small amount of moisture in the subfloor. It should be noted that wood or laminate products should not be fitted on a damp floor. A good retailer will test for damp and should refuse to install a wood floor where the subfloor is not acceptably dry.
