What You Need to Know About Underlay

Carpet underlay helps to protect your carpet. When you buy a new carpet, you will want it to last as long as possible in as pristine a condition as it arrived. Underlay will help you to do this. It has other benefits, too. So, let’s take a closer look at this wonderful material and teach you exactly why you should use it when you buy a new carpet.

What Are The Advantages of Using Underlay?

There are many advantages in using underlay, here are just a few:

1.       Underlay is a fantastic insulator. This means that it helps to prevent ambient air from leaving the room. In summer, it helps to keep the room cool and in winter, it helps to keep the room warm. This in turn means that you save money on your household bills, because you will have lower energy needs. The only exception to insulated underlay is those intended for use with under floor heating. If you have under floor heating, then you need to use a special underlay that does not insulate, but instead conducts.

2.       As well as being a great insulator in terms of temperature, it is also a sound insulator. It acts as a soundproofing barrier, which prevents outside noises from getting in, and inside noises from getting out. You can even buy specialist acoustic underlay for those of you who love to create as close to a perfect sound as possible. Acoustic underlay is used in sound studios, theatres and cinemas because it increases the quality of sound.

3.       Underlay makes carpets feel more comfortable. Different types of underlay are better at this than others are. Generally, the best underlays are those made from polyurethane foam, such as Cloud 9 Underlay. Cloud 9 underlay creates a springiness underfoot, which as the name suggests, makes it feel as if you are walking on cloud 9.

4.       Underlay helps to extend the life of the carpet. The underlay absorbs pressure from furniture and foot traffic. This means that the carpet has less force applied to it with underlay than without underlay. The carpet will look better for longer and will take a longer time to flatten out. It is particularly important with thick piles, which will flatten quickly without the right underlay.

What are the Various Types of Underlay?

There are several types of underlay, but you will tend to encounter three: polyurethane, rubber, and felt. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages:

Rubber: rubber is a fantastic insulator and moisture barrier. It tends to be thin, so provides less comfort. It is good at preventing wear and tear.

Polyurethane foam: this is the most luxurious of the three, in terms of comfort. However, it is less dense, and so provides less protection against wear and tear than the other two types of underlay. Nonetheless, it is ideal for homes, because they tend to see relatively little foot traffic.

Felt: felt underlay is the workhorse of the three. It is the heavy-duty underlay used for carpets that see a lot of footfall. It is favoured by offices, schools, and other public spaces. It is less comfortable, so people tend to avoid it for use in their homes.

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