Underlay for carpet and hard flooring like laminate and engineered wood added value to every floor. Once an underlay benefit are understood customers will make sure that every penny they invested in buying an underlay for their flooring is worth.
The Carpet Foundation and its Consumer Code of Practice approved by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) recommend that new carpet underlay is bought with every new carpet.
Many consumers are now aware of the benefits of underlay but more needs to be done to provide information about the different types available and their suitability for different areas of the home.
A Good underlay will…
• Improve underfoot comfort
• Increase appearance retention, reducing flattening
• Absorb the pressure of foot traffic and reduce wear
• Improve thermal insulation and warmth
• Increase sound insulation
• Smooth out sub-floor imperfections
• Last the lifetime of the carpet
Poor or old underlay will…
• Feel hard and unwelcoming
• Reduce carpet life
• Cause wrinkling and premature wear spots
• Cause carpet fibres to break down more quickly
• Not meet British Standards
How Thick Should You Go?
We would recommend for a carpet underlay thickness to be between 8mm and 11mm but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with low density may not perform well. Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it will need to be.
Carpet Underlay Types
PU (polyurethane) foam:
This is now the market’s most popular underlay and is typically made from recycled foam offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance levels with lots of thickness options and densities and provides great insulation – and its light weight helps handling.
Sponge rubber:
A more traditionally manufactured underlay available in flat or waffle patters in a wide range of weights for different applications. It performs well for comfort and has a durable spring retention.
Crumb rubber:
Flat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall – offering maximum protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings).
Combination:
A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpet with seaming to bed into the top felt.
Underfloor heating underlay
If you have underfloor heating, make sure to buy the right underlay. Underlay and carpet with a combined tog rating of 2.5 can be used – which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0.
Felt
This traditional (but environmentally friendly) underlay is made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad with excellent thermal insulation. Still a very popular choice among contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets.
Carpet Underlay Types
Laminate underlay
It is a good choice to have underlay with laminate flooring, to improve the acoustic performance of the floor and helping the boards float above any imperfections in the sub-floor.
LVT Underlay
This provides a smooth surface on which you can glue down immediately. If there is a time or acoustic issue or a problematic underfloor, a stable, smooth dual underlay system will provide the best solution.