Why to Use Carpet Underlays?

Most of the carpets are installed on top of underlays that may tend to overlook because it is unseen and its benefits are not clearly understood.

Let's see why underlays are so useful. The first is wearbility. What actually causes wear is the movement (invisible) of it as football grinds against the hard sub-floor. With each turn of footstep the pile is skewed one way or the other, commonly in the same direction. The skewing of pile is the start of wear and at minimum causes unsight shading. The main purpose of underlay is to provide the carpet with extra wear during its lifetime.

Also underlays provide:

• Stability
• Comfortable Step
• Additional acoustic and thermal insulation
• Generally extends the life of your carpet

Underlays come in several types:

Felt: Made of natural fibers like jute waste material and wool or a combination of fibers. It provides a dense and firm underlay.

Rubber waffle underlay: This is considered of good quality although it can be the most expensive. It comes in different degrees of softness but what you're looking for should feel firm not soft. Its cellular construction allows air to circulate within the material, reducing dampness and condensation under the carpet. Choose one that is not only strong and durable but also provides high resilience and firm support. While rubber waffles can come in various thicknesses and weights, as a guide, the heavier the better.

Urethane and bonded urethane: Also known as foam underlay, this type of material is recycled from waste products of old furniture and is popular with homeowners because of its environmental factor. Its quality is determined by the foam density which is expressed in pounds. A foam density between 5 to 8 pounds will give you a quality, long lasting underlay. Choose higher density foam for areas with high amounts of foot traffic.

How to choose underlays?

Location of use: Where you intend to lay your carpet and the amount of traffic it will experience must be considered when choosing underlay. You will  need sturdy and firm material for high traffic areas or a softer feel for the feet in the bedroom or living room.

Right thickness: Most people make mistake of choosing underlays that are too thick only to find that too thick ones can stretch the carpet and cause it to wear quickly. The underlay should be thick enough to act as a shock absorber - as a guide, the heel of your shoe shouldn't be able to feel the floor under the carpet.

Test several: Getting the right feel means trying our several choices under the carpet before buying the underlay.

Lexmark Carpet recommends the underlay which you can find on the following web site: http://www.lpurethane.com/commercial-products.asp?seg=commercial