Your guide to Underlays

Good quality underlay is a vital part of the floor and carpet buying process, affecting almost every aspect of a carpets effectiveness. At Carpets And More we have years of supplying flooring and carpet to the public, and a common question people ask us is which type of underlay they should buy. In this post we explore why you should fit an underlay, and what types are available.

Why fit underlay

When people buy carpet, there are many factors that influence their decision. Comfort, noise insulation, heat insulation, lifespan, all of these things are important to us when choosing a carpet, and all are hugely affected by your choice of underlay! Making sure that not only you fit an underlay, but choose the right one could make an enormous difference to the effectiveness of your carpet in insulating heat, sound, or keeping ti in good condition for longer. A good quality underlay will do four things:

• Improve the comfort of your carpet
• Insulate heat and noise better
• Reduce the impact of an uneven sub-floor
• Prolong the life of a carpet 

Which underlay should I choose?

There is an array of different types of underlay available to purchase. Even at Carpets And More we stock a range of different brands, widths and use cases. Underlay tends to come in a few different sizes, with most carpet underlays ranging between 8mm and 12mm. Which one you choose is a matter of preference, a thicker underlay while more expensive will be more effective in insulating heat and noise etc. At Carpets And More our best sellers are the following:

• Diamond 10mm Luxury Underlay - This underlay is perfect for those with no special requirements such as underfloor heating. Our most popular underlay, the Diamond 10mm is a perfect balance between price and effectiveness, prolonging the life of your carpet and providing a great level of heat and noise insulation. It is also available in an 8mm version
• The Cloud 9 collection - Containing a range of products from 7mm-11mm, Cloud 9 is a well known and respected brand of underlay. A British manufacturer, all Cloud 9 products are guaranteed to perform well in your home and under any carpet.
• Tredaire Dreamwalk 11mm - With an impressive 11mm thickness, the Tredaire Dreamwalk is a great choice for those looking for a thick underlay to maximise the comfort of their carpet.

What if I have underfloor heating?

For those with underfloor heating, unfortunately you can't just buy any old underlay. Underfloor heating requires an underlay with a low TOG rating, which means it will allow heat to rise up through it. A great choice for this and the one we recommend to all our customers is the Duralay Durafit 650. This dense rubber underlay has all the benefits of standard underlay, while being specially designed for areas with underfloor heating. Due to its heavy contract rating, it is also suitable for areas with heavy traffic - both domestic and commercial.

At Carpets And More we can deliver any of our underlays alongside your order, and we are happy to help you with any questions you have regarding flooring, carpet or their accessories via email or phone. We can also deliver Gripper with your order if necessary.