Underlay

Craig Sargeant and the team at Sargeant Carpets Bognor Regis are carpet underlay specialists and we stock a full range of products to choose from.  We offer a free upgrade on one of our stock underlays too, an increase of 2mm on the standard thickness, which delivers more comfort underfoot for the same price.

Underlay is a key component of your flooring as it provides many benefits.

What are the benefits of underlay?

Underlay offers many benefits, including

• A better comfort underfoot.
• Reduced flattening which improves the carpet’s appearance.
• Absorbing pressure caused by foot traffic which reduces wear and tear.
• Better heat insulation, therefore providing warmth.
• Noise reduction by up to 30%, depending on the thickness and quality.
• Smoothing out imperfections in the sub floor, therefore creating a flatter floor.
• Long lasting, and a good underlay will last for the lifetime of your carpet.

If you have poor quality underlay, your floor will feel much harder and the lifespan of your carpet will be reduced.  Carpet fibres will break down much quicker and you will notice wear spots and wrinkling.

We offer a range of different underlay product, mainly from the major UK manufacturers including Interfloor’s Tredair and Duralay brands plus Ball & Young’s full range which includes the popular Cloud 9 Underlays.  We have recently also started using Wilsons Underlays and QA’s Next Generation Natural Underlay.

Our team is always available to help choose which one is right for your floor and budget.

What are the benefits of underlay?

Underlay offers many benefits, including

• A better comfort underfoot.
• Reduced flattening which improves the carpet’s appearance.
• Absorbing pressure caused by foot traffic which reduces wear and tear.
• Better heat insulation, therefore providing warmth.
• Noise reduction by up to 30%, depending on the thickness and quality.
• Smoothing out imperfections in the sub floor, therefore creating a flatter floor.
• Long lasting, and a good underlay will last for the lifetime of your carpet.

If you have poor quality underlay, your floor will feel much harder and the lifespan of your carpet will be reduced.  Carpet fibres will break down much quicker and you will notice wear spots and wrinkling.

We offer a range of different underlay product, mainly from the major UK manufacturers including Interfloor’s Tredair and Duralay brands plus Ball & Young’s full range which includes the popular Cloud 9 Underlays.  We have recently also started using Wilsons Underlays and QA’s Next Generation Natural Underlay.

Our team is always available to help choose which one is right for your floor and budget.

Domestic Carpet Underlay

The most common used domestic carpet underlays include polyurethane foam, sponge rubber &  crumb rubber which all deliver the most comfortable, bouncy surface.  They act as a superb shock absorber to lengthen the life of your carpet, as well as keeping it looking like new by preventing the pile from flattening.

We usually recommend a depth of 9mm but offer a range of thicknesses up to 12mm and various densities to choose from.  Our free PU underlay upgrade gives you an extra 2mm (9mm thick for the price of a 7mm) at no additional cost, making it even better value. (please for further details)

Our most popular underlay for domestic carpets is Tredaire’s Soft Walk product which is made from polyurethane foam and is suitable for most standard residential installations.  We recommend the Willow Green and New Supreme products from Tredaire for customers who’d prefer the waffle rubber type of underlay.  Another popular manufacturer is Ball & Young, and we sell a lot of their Cloud 9 Cirrus underlay, which is another PU foam product. 

Commercial carpet underlay

Commercial settings usually experience heavy footfall so we would recommend using a heavy duty product such as ultra high density PU foam or crumb rubber underlay to give the best protection.  We recommend all commercial carpet installations that use an underlay to have the double stick underlay method.  During fitting we stick the underlay to the floor first, then stick the carpet to the underlay which is a good choice as it will secure the carpet in high traffic locations and extend the life of the carpet.

Our popular commercial underlays are Duralay’s Durafit 500 & 650, their System Ten and Treadmore products.  Ball & Young’s Cloud 9 Contract underlay is also a great option for commercial settings. 

Commercial Carpet Underlay

Commercial settings usually experience heavy footfall so we would recommend using a heavy duty product such as Ultra high density PU foam or crumb rubber underlay to give the best protection.  We recommend all commercial carpet installations that use an underlay to have the double stick underlay method, this is where during fitting we firstly stick the underlay to the floor then stick the carpet to the underlay, this is a good choice as it will secure the carpet in high traffic locations and extend the life of the carpet.

Our popular commercial underlays are Duralay’s Durafit 500 & 650, their System Ten and Treadmore products.  Ball & Young’s Cloud 9 Contract underlay is also a great option for commercial settings. 

PU Foam Underlay

Polyurethane foam underlay is the most popular underlay and is typically manufactured from recycled foam offcuts.  There are many different thickness and density options, which deliver excellent insulation with high TOG ratings, noise reduction and comfort.  It is extremely durable as the foam rebounds after use and keeps its original shape.

We recommend Tredaire’s Softwalk 9mm and Dream Walk 11mm underlays, as well as Ball & Young’s Cloud 9 Cirrus 9mm and Cumulus 11mm products.

Sponge rubber underlay

Sponge rubber underlay is a traditional underlay which comes in a flat or waffle pattern.  It is great for noise reduction and possibly the most comfortable underlay underfoot.  There are specialist versions available for underfloor heating and hard flooring.

The most popular sponge rubber underlays are Tredaire’s Colours Green and Colours Red, and Duralay’s Duralay King and Duralay Heat Flow.  We also stock Ball & Young’s Roma Underlay. 

Sponge Rubber Underlay

Sponge rubber underlay is a traditional underlay which comes in a flat or waffle pattern.  It is great for noise reduction and possibly the most comfortable underlay underfoot.  There are specialist versions available for underfloor heating and hard flooring.

The most popular sponge rubber underlays are Tredaire’s Colours Green and Colours Red, and Duralay’s Duralay King and Duralay Heat Flow.  We also stock Ball & Young’s Roma Underlay. 

Crumb Rubber Underlay

Crumb rubber underlay is also a recycled product, and is manufactured from used car tyres which are shredded and bonded together.  Crumb rubber underlays have superb noise reduction properties, even for airborne noise, reduce impact and are durable.  This type of underlay doesn’t tear or stretch easily which gives it a long lifespan, ideal for heavy traffic and large spaces.

Duralay are our most popular manufacturer for crumb rubber underlay and we recommend their Treadmore, System 10, Durafit 500or 650 and Super Duralay MK3 products. 

Felt underlay

Felt underlay is another traditional product but is environmentally friendly because it is made from recycling fibres such as hair, jute, wool and synthetics.  This type of underlay is sometimes used with woven carpets and offers a firm base with great thermal insulation properties.

Suppliers like Texfelt produce a range of felts and felt combinations which have excellent eco credentials.  Their Envirolay underlay boasts ultra-low CO2 emissions and its manufacturing process conforms to the UK flame retardancy standards without the use of chemicals.

We also recommend Culpeck’s Natural Hair & Wool Mix (42oz weight) underlay for customers who prefer a felt underlay. 

Felt Underlay

Felt underlay is another traditional product but is environmentally friendly because it is made from recycling fibres such as hair, jute, wool and synthetics.  This type of underlay is sometimes used with woven carpets and offers a firm base with great thermal insulation properties.

Suppliers like Texfelt produce a range of felts and felt combinations which have excellent eco credentials.  Their Envirolay underlay boasts ultra-low CO2 emissions and its manufacturing process conforms to the UK flame retardancy standards without the use of chemicals.

We also recommend Culpeck’s Natural Hair & Wool Mix (42oz weight) underlay for customers who prefer a felt underlay. 

Combination Felt Underlay and Crumb Rubber Felt Underlay

A combination felt underlay is a crumb rubber base with a felt top layer, which delivers on comfort, durability and protection.  Some carpets have a seamed top coat and a combination felt underlay allows the seaming to bed into the top layer.

Crumb rubber felt underlay is an environmentally friendly product as it is made from recycled rubber tyres and plastic bottles.  For example, the Tredaire Kensington Deluxe is a high quality product made from 55% recycled car tyres and 25% plastic bottles.  The recycled materials are combined with a polyester felt backing to provide an underlay which delivers on noise reduction by 30dB and has a 1.7 tog rating to keep your room warm and cosy.

Some of the manufacturers we use for combination and crumb rubber felt underlay are Ulsters for their Axfelt product, Penthouse for their Eco Felt Underlay, Tredaire for their Kensington Deluxe Underlay, John Palmer Carpets for their Serenity Carpet Underlay and Culpeck for their Felt Lux (73oz weight). 

Waffle Rubber Underlay

Waffle rubber underlay is popular for domestic carpets and is ideal for living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms where traffic is light.  It is available in a number of weights, with the 130lb weight giving the most comfort underfoot.

We use manufacturer Tredaire for waffle rubber underlays, and recommend their Willow Green, New Supreme, Colours Green and Colours Red products. 

Waffle Rubber Underlay

Waffle rubber underlay is popular for domestic carpets and is ideal for living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms where traffic is light.  It is available in a number of weights, with the 130lb weight giving the most comfort underfoot.

We use manufacturer Treadaire for waffle rubber underlays, and recommend their Willow Green, New Supreme, Colours Green and Colours Red products. 

Double Stick Underlay

Double stick underlay is used in domestic and commercial settings where the carpet needs to stay in place securely.  This is especially important in areas of high traffic, for example a staircase or hallway.  It prevents damage to the carpet and will extend its lifespan.

We offer a range of double stick underlays, the most popular being Duralay’s Durafit 500 or 650, the Duralay System 10 underlay, as well as Ball & Young’s Cloud 9 contract, Silver Lining contract and Radiance products.  For commercial double stick installations we would recommend Duralay’s Durafit 650. 

Underfloor heating underlay

Choosing the right underlay for underfloor heating will improve the comfort of your flooring and enhance the effectiveness of the heating.  The underlay should act as a thermal conductor and have a low tog rating, ideally under 0.8, to allow heat to transfer into your home through the carpet.  Sound insulation is also important, so check the decibel rating to reduce any noise from your flooring.  The underlay should be durable and able to withstand the heat from the heating system.

We would recommend the Duralay King and Duralay Heat Flow underlay products, as well as Ball & Young’s Roma and Radiance underlays. 

Underfloor Heating Underlay

Choosing the right underlay for underfloor heating will improve the comfort of your flooring and enhance the effectiveness of the heating.  The underlay should act as a thermal conductor and have a low tog rating, ideally under 0.8, to allow heat to transfer into your home through the carpet.  Sound insulation is also important, so check the decibel rating to reduce any noise from your flooring.  The underlay should be durable and able to withstand the heat from the heating system.

We would recommend the Duralay King and Duralay Heat Flow underlay products, as well as Ball & Young’s Roma and Radiance underlays.

Eco Underlay

Many of our underlay products are eco-friendly as they are made from recycled materials and are also recyclable at the end of their life.

If you’re looking for an underlay with a low carbon footprint then Springbond is an eco-engineered product with 85% of it being made from recycled PET plastic bottles and other single use plastics.  This video shows how Springbond use plastic which has been removed from the oceans and turn it into underlay.

Ball & Young have great eco accreditations and we offer their Nimbus, Cirrus and Cumulus products which have A+ energy ratings.  Their underlays also offer Ultrafresh protection which protects against fungi and bacteria and has a built-in deoderiser to keep your underlay and carpet fresher for longer.

Crumb rubber underlays are environmentally friendly as they are made from recycled tyres.  Manufacturer Duralay’s tyre plant recycles an astonishing 3 million car tyres a year and their underlays can be recycled at the end of their life.

PU foam underlay is also made from 100% recycled materials including scraps of foam offcuts from furniture manufacturers and the automotive industry. 

Fire retardant underlay

If you require an underlay with fire retardant ratings then we offer a number of options.  Fire resistant underlays slow down the progress of fires and include a combustion modified core which meets the highest levels of fire retardancy.

Treadaire produce a number of fire retardant underlays, including FR7, Counterflame and Flamecheck.  Ball & Young’s Cloud 9 range includes their contract FR8 flame retardant underlay.

Fire Retardant Underlay

If you require an underlay with fire retardant ratings then we offer a number of options.  Fire resistant underlays slow down the progress of fires and include a combustion modified core which meets the highest levels of fire retardancy.

Treadaire produce a number of fire retardant underlays, including FR7, Counterflame and Flamecheck.  Ball & Young’s Cloud 9 range includes their contract FR8 flame retardant underlay.

Acoustic Underlay

Although all standard underlays offer acoustic benefits, specialist acoustic underlay is an option where extra sound reduction is required, from noisy footsteps for example.  Locations such as multi-use properties would benefit from acoustic underlay, where soundproofing between floors is of utmost importance.  This type of underlay reduces airborne sounds as well as other vibrations, echoes and impact noise.  Acoustic underlay is suitable for both domestic and commercial locations and has a decibel rating which measures its sound reduction effectiveness.  40dB is a typical rating for an acoustic underlay.

We offer specialist acoustic underlay from Acoustilay and QA Flooring Solutions, particularly QA’s E Board Timber and E Board Concrete products.

All of our standard underlays have an acoustic rating, but some of the best ones are Spring Bond, Tredaire’s Colours Red rubber waffle and Ball & Young’s Cloud 9 Cumulus 11mm. 

We are here to help

With such a wide choice of underlay, Sargeant Carpets offers over 30 years of experience to help you decide which underlay would work best in your home.  We can work within your budget to find the best solution which delivers on comfort, warmth and durability.

If you are interested in discussing underlay then please call Craig Sargeant on 01243 868888 or email sales@sargeantcarpets.co.uk.

We are here to help

With such a wide choice of underlay, Sargeant Carpets offers over 30 years of experience to help you decide which underlay would work best in your home.  We can work within your budget to find the best solution which delivers on comfort, warmth and durability.

If you are interested in discussing underlay then please call Craig Sargeant on 01243 868888 or email sales@sargeantcarpets.co.uk.