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Many people invest a lot of time into researching the best carpet for them, but have you given any thought to the stuff that goes underneath - the underlay?

Carpet underlay, although a floor-covering's boring older brother, can often be the unsung hero in getting the best performance and value for money from your carpet. Good quality underlay will extend the life of your carpet by reducing wear and tear, provide thermal and acoustic insulation and should help your carpet sit flat without 'bubbling', creating a nice even finish.

If you don't know much about underlay, it helps to avail yourself of the information about different types of underlay out there. Typically you will find that carpet underlay can be made out of felt, rubber or foam (unless you happen to live in the dark ages when people use old newspapers or - eek! - nothing at all!). Each have their pros and cons.

Foam underlay is generally:

• cheaper
• readily obtainable
• easy to install

however some find it is not as soft and comfortable underfoot as felt underlay, and can deteriorate quicker than rubber. Once the foam starts to disintegrate it will lose its shape which will result in uneven wear and tear on your covering carpet, shortening its lifespan.

Rubber underlay is generally:

• hard wearing and long lasting
• thermally and acoustically insulating
• sourced from a natural resource

however it also may not be as soft as felt. Some cheaper rubber underlays will also stick to the floorboards after a number of years, making them difficult to remove.

Felt underlay can be made from recycled textiles, jute (a natural plant fibre) or a combination of jute and hair. Here at Tontine FIbres we manufacture both types.

Felt underlay is generally:

• recyclable and biodegradable
• thermally and acoustically insulating
• soft and comfortable underfoot

however it is not as well known as its two other cousins.

The choice of underlay is up to you however, like everything else, you get what you pay for. So get the best quality you can afford and it will be cheaper in the long run when your covering carpet is still plush and fresh for years to come.

The Tontine Team

For information on our entire range of 'clean and green' underlays, please see our Carpet Underlay Page.

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