carpet underlayGetting the right underlay will act as an insulator and could save you money on your energy bills!

Underlay acts as a cushion between the carpet and the sub-floor; choosing the correct underlay for the correct installation is important. There are many benefits from using an underlay, read on …!

Provides sound insulation

Adding an underlay to your floor can reduce the noise within the room by up to 30%, with the added benefit passed to any rooms below. Sound insulation is much desired for dwellings where the reduction of sound is required such as apartments, allowing you to continue with everyday life without the worry of disturbing the people below.

Extends the lifespan of your floor

A high impact underlay will add extra protection to flooring across high footfall areas of your home such as stairs and hallways. By acting as a layer of shock absorption it helps retain the spring of your carpet meaning you get the bounce-back sensation for longer.

feet on carpet

Improved appearance

A good underlay will help to preserve the appearance of your carpet for longer. There are lots of reasons why new underlay is vital.

  • The all-important feeling of comfort underfoot
  • The foundation your carpet needs to preserve its appearance for longer
  • The way it is great at insulating your home
  • The way it reduces those noisy footsteps

There are different types of underlays and we’d like to ensure that you make the right choice for your home:

Quality

We only supply the best underlays. You may pay a little more, however for the above reasons we think you will think that it is worth it!. the product, the more travel of compression there is, which makes the product feel more comfortable and gives better heat insulation.

Density

Underlays of varying densities. Density is measured in Kg/m3 and refers to how firm or soft a product is. It is a personal preference to how soft or firm or thick or thin you like your underlay, but hopefully, we can help you make a more informed decision on what underlay is the best underlay for your needs.

Thermal Insulation

Heat loss through the floor can be up to 15% – underlay will reduce heat loss through the floor, but some underlays are better than others. Thermal Insulation is measured in ‘Tog’ – think duvets – for reducing heat loss, a high Tog rating is good!

Underfloor Heating

Still measured in ‘Tog’, but this time we do not want to insulate the floor, we want to allow the warm air to be able to pass through the underlay, so the lower the Tog rating, the better.
We do not recommend an underlay with a tog rating greater than 1.5 Tog over underfloor heating systems.

Different ways of fitting underlays

Underlay for Carpet Stretch Fitting

This is where the underlay is laid on the subfloor, cut to the gripper around the edge of the room and the joints of the underlay are taped to form one piece of underlay, then the carpet is loose laid onto the underlay and stretched onto gripper and the carpet is put under tension.

Double Sticking

This is where the underlay is fixed in place with a tackifier adhesive, which holds the underlay in place on the sub-floor, without completely sticking it. The carpet is stuck to the underlay with a permanent adhesive, which allows the carpet and underlay to be removed in one piece. The benefits are that they can be uplifted to gain access to ducting and then refitted; ideal for wheeled traffic; ideal for border and inlay work; no rucking or stretching and superior underfoot comfort and feel compared to direct stick with no underlay.

What is PU Underlay?

PU stands for Polyurethane which is a type of foam. The seating and cushions for the car, aviation and furniture industry are made from PU and any left-over foam that used to go to landfill is shredded and made into Carpet Underlay!

The main differences between underlays are the Quality, the Thickness and the Density.