Our Guide to Understanding Carpet Underlay

So, you’ve taken the plunge and decided to re-carpet your home. The perfect carpet has been picked out, the room’s been measured and you’re ready to go — but what about underlay?

From why it’s an essential component to how to choose the best underlay for your individual rooms, here’s our guide to understanding carpet underlay.

Underlay isn’t just crucial for comfort underfoot, but it also drastically helps maintain your carpet as well as providing extra protection against moisture. It is also a great shock absorber, meaning it’s ideal for reducing noise from things like footsteps, voices or moving furniture.

In general, carpets without underlay have a much shorter lifespan and are more at risk of rapid wear and tear. Underlay is especially important if you’re planning on laying carpet over concrete as it will help make walking across the room much more comfortable.

Aside from the obvious comfort benefits, UK carpet underlay manufacturer Ball & Young, have shared some lesser known benefits; Many people don’t know that good quality underlay can actually save you money, with a reduction in heat loss resulting in lower energy bills. Furthermore, underlay can play a role in reducing noise transfer, which results in an overall reduction of noise levels. Underlay is also critical in protecting the carpet pile, which in turn, makes cleaning easier and leaves your home more hygienic.

In short, if you’re looking for longevity, luxury feel and want your carpet to last, always ensure your carpet is fitted with a quality, new underlay underneath – carpets fitted without underlay may also invalidate your guarantee or warranty, so it’s a wise investment long-term.

Yes, just like carpets, underlay comes in a range of different types. These include:

Foam underlay – Typically made of PU foam, this is one of the most versatile types of underlay. It’s soft and lightweight as well as being good for insulation and noise reduction. Foam is also a very easy underlay to fit, making it fantastic for difficult areas like staircases or hallways.

Sponge rubber underlay – Sponge rubber underlay is very durable and great for sound reduction which makes it one of the best carpet underlays for concrete floors. It’s also the best carpet underlay for underfloor heating as it allows heat from the underfloor panels to escape into the room efficiently.

Felt underlay – This is a more traditional form of underlay that provides excellent cushioning as well as a reasonable level of noise reduction and warmth. Felt underlays are typically made of wool, making them cheaper and easier to lay.

Crumb rubber underlay — This form of underlay is made mostly from recyclable materials that are densely packed together. It’s great for rooms with heavy furnishings as it will protect your carpet from indentations.

Just like duvets, carpets and underlay also have tog levels which refer to their ability to retain heat. Typically, the higher the tog rating on your underlay, the better it will be at insulating your floor. If you opt for, or already have underfloor heating, be sure to add the tog rating and the carpet together to get a combined rating – especially if you’ve got the luxury of underfloor heating, or if you’re thinking of investing in it. You should be looking for a combined tog rating of less than 2.5 for your carpet and underlay for underfloor systems to operate efficiently.