Carpet Underlay {car•pet un•der•lay}
Noun: something placed under carpet, to support, protect or raise it
Noun: material placed under carpet flooring to create comfort, durability and insulation
Carpet Underlay (or carpet underlayment) refers to a layer of cushioning material –typically about 6-11mm - made from sponge rubber, foam, felt or crumb rubber that is laid beneath carpet flooring to provide underfoot comfort, to protect the carpet, to make the carpet last longer and to provide insulation of sound, heat and noise. In general, carpet underlay is the layer that sits between your carpet and the floor, thus carpet underlay.
There are many types of carpet underlay to choose from - including foam underlay and rubber underlay – and at AllAboutUnderlay.co.uk we stock the best brands at the lowest prices – and make it simple to find the right underlay for you and your carpet. It is very easy to overlook the importance and benefits that carpet underlay has – and just like you wound not buy a new car with old tyres, it is advised that you do not lay new carpet with old underlay. It may even invalidate any complaint that you may have with the carpet manufacturer if old or no underlay has been used with your carpet installation.
Why buy new Carpet Underlay ?
Statements such as “Underlay doesn’t make a difference”, “I already have underlay for my carpet”, “My carpet has built in underlay”, "Carpet underlay costs too much” are all readily said when buying a new carpet – but the reality is very different:
- New underlay adds luxury and superior comfort underfoot to your carpet.
- New underlay reduces wear and tear on your new carpet by working like car shock absorbers.
- New underlay reduces noise and aids sound proofing.
- New underlay makes your carpet look better for longer.
- New underlay lowers energy costs by reducing drafts and keeping more of the warmth in the room.
- New carpet may have a thin felt backing but this is no substitute for proper underlay.
- New underlay makes your new carpet last longer.
Often old underlay holds on to dust, dirt and mites which seep through a new carpet making it appear dirty. Old underlay also often cracks, crumbles and collapses making your new carpet appear uneven.
Why buy carpet underlay online ?
Carpet underlay is often sold by the large high street carpet retailers as part of a package which includes the carpet, the delivery, the accessories, the fitting and the underlay. However, the carpet underlay is from a limited range and is often highly priced to subsidise the cheap cost of the carpet. Here are AllAboutUnderlay.co.uk we can deliver the right carpet underlay fast to your door at trade prices.
What about Carpet Right ?
Carpetright is one of the largest high street retailers of carpet and underlay – so why wouldn’t you buy their underlay at the same time as buying a carpet from them ? The answer is simple really, the underlay from All About Underlay is the same quality product but at much cheaper prices – often up to 70% cheaper than you can buy in a Carpetright shop. We also have the added benefit that as well as saving you money, we can deliver the underlay direct to your door to save time and transportation.
But how can you trust that you are getting the same quality underlay product ? The answer again is quite simple really – Carpetright stock the same product but rename it so it looks exclusive to them and therefore you will not find the same carpet underlay online – apart from themselves. Some examples are Tredaire Dreamwalk Carpet Underlay is called Royale at Carpetright, Tredaire Softwalk is called Super Realm at Carpetright, Treadaire Cosywalk is called Majesty at Carpetright, Tredaire Brio is called Monarch at Carpetright and Duralay Treadmore is called Elegance at Carpetright – and all are around 70% cheaper at All About Underlay.
The more specialist underlays designed for underfloor heating and soundproofing are not always available on the high street or Carperight – so you may not always get the underlay you need or deserve.
For a start, there is no ‘best’ carpet underlay - they each have advantages and disadvantages. Sponge rubber underlays are the traditional type of carpet underlay. It can be very confusing when you are presented with several choices in a carpet or underlay shop – but the real question is not which is the best underlay, but what you want your carpet underlay to do. There are two main types of carpet underlay – foam underlay and rubber underlay. Foam underlay is usually cheaper and more lightweight, but the top end can offer noise reduction and luxury. Rubber underlay is usually thicker and offers more comfort and durability. So, if comfort or noise reduction is the most important thing, buy a really good sponge rubber textured flat underlay. If warmth or a light weight is the most important things, buy a good PU foam underlay. And if durability, the ability to withstand very heavy furniture, the ability to withstand lots of foot traffic (including things like scooters and wheelchairs) or being able to stick the carpet underlay down are the most important things then buy a good crumb rubber. But as well as asking what you are looking for your underlay to do, it is also important to ask which is the best carpet underlay for my room, as different rooms require different types of underlay.
Foam Carpet Underlay
Foam carpet underlay is easy to cut and fit, relatively light to move around, and much liked by carpet fitters. Because it is usually made from recycled materials, it is often one of the cheaper carpet underlays that you can buy and is usually available in 7mm, 9mm and 11m. PU foam is a newer type of carpet underlay, made from recycled and new foam pieces which are formed into a sheet. They are less dense than sponge rubber underlays, but are slightly more durable and are the best insulators for warmth. They weigh a lot less than a traditional sponge rubber underlay, and so are easier to handle if you are fitting them yourself. One of the best-selling, noise-reduction and luxury underlay ranges is the Tredaire Seventh Heaven range, with brands such as Dreamwalk, Cosywalk and Softwalk.
Rubber Carpet Underlay
Rubber carpet underlay is available in a wide range of qualities and prices and comes in three main types – waffle rubber, sponge rubber, dense rubber – and is graded by their weight per 15m2 roll and by its thickness. The higher the weight, the more durable and hardwearing the carpet underlay is, giving your pile extra support and a longer life – especially in heavy traffic areas. Crumb Rubber carpet underlays are made from recycled car tyres and are reasonably comfortable, especially the thicker ones, but the main thing about them is that they last forever. They can withstand heavy furniture, lots of foot traffic, and are fantastic if you have mobility vehicles such as wheelchairs and scooters moving back and forth. They can be stuck down instead of stretched over carpet gripper, which means they will not ruck up or move at all. It is the usual preferred choice of larger carpet retailers, but often this is because they can charge much higher prices to offset the lower cost of their carpets. However, these can be bought online from All.AboutUnderlay.co.uk much cheaper. One of the best-selling and durable underlay ranges is the Duralay Durafit and Tough-By-Nature ranges, with brands such as System 10 and Treadmore.
Does thickness matter ?
Yes, but the thickness of the carpet underlay isn’t the whole story. In general, the thicker the underlay the comfier it will be, the warmer it will be, and the more it will protect and extend the life of the carpet. However, the density makes a difference too. A thick but low density underlay is as good as the thinner but higher density underlay. An underlay can be too thick. Most carpet underlays are stretch fitted, which means that carpet gripper is fitted around the edge of the room and the carpet is stretched over it. Carpet gripper is only a few millimetres thick, so any carpet underlay over about 11mm thick could make it hard for the gripper to hold onto the pile.
Are all your underlay A grade ?
All of our carpet underlay are A grade. We do not, and never will, sell anything less than A grade underlay.