Why do I need new carpet underlay?

Buying underlay is the most overlooked aspect of purchasing a new carpet. You may even consider using your existing underlay to keep your costs down and save money! Which of course you can do but bear in mind the newer the underlay the better and more comfortable the carpet will feel. Believe it or not your new carpet needs to be supported to help it looking good over the years to come. If an old underlay is used it may have already flattened or lost its soft bouncy feel. Old underlay also harbours dust and may have ridges and furniture indentations, all of which will detract from the appearance of your new carpets so we consider it may be false economy not to look at new underlay.

The below are other considerations as to why underlay is important:

• Sound Insulation: The installation of underlay reduces sound not only in the room itself but also the transference of sound to the room below.
• Heat Insulation: By using carpet underlay you are providing an additional layer of insulation, which reduces the heat loss through floorboards and also reduces under floor draughts.
• Dust Insulation: The underlay acts as a barrier by reducing the flow of air, thereby reducing the dust particles carried by the air.
• Comfort: Carpet underlay produces an extra softness to the feel of the floor, regardless of the quality and thickness of the carpet.
• Appearance: The carpet underlay absorbs all the wear and tear keeping your carpet looking better for longer.
• Carpet fitting: The majority of domestic carpets are fitted using a method whereby the carpet is stretched onto carpet grippers. The use of underlay is therefore practical as it raises the level of the floor in line with the gripper pins, which enhances the finished look of the fitted carpet.
• Minimises furniture indentations: Underlay supports a carpet and therefore helps to prevent furniture from spoiling the look of your carpet.
Carpets are installed on a wide variety of underlays and whilst we know that in the majority of cases an acceptable performance of carpet and underlay may be achieved, careful choice of underlay can actually enhance the performance of the carpet.

Pro’s and con’s of felt back (free underlay) carpets The main advantage for felt back carpets is there is no need to buy an individual underlay therefor keeping down the costs of your project. This underlay acts as a shock absorber between your new carpet and the floor with minimum fuse and easy installation as you do not need to stretch fit you carpet onto gripper in the traditional method.

Pro’s:
• Good cost advantage
• Easy to install
Con’s:
• Smaller portfolio of products
• Longevity of the carpet compare to traditional methods
We have a huge range of carpets to buy online, pick yours today.
View our carpet underlays for the carpets we supply.