So, you’ve just got yourself an imported carpet from Persia with your lottery win and want to make sure that it holds it serves its function properly.
Even if you have bought a carpet from a nearby store for your bedroom, you will want to make sure that it functions correctly. How can a carpet function incorrectly? With a lack of bedroom carpet underlays. Keep reading to learn more.
Advantages of Bedroom Carpet Underlays
As the name suggests, underlays for bedrooms are materials that are placed underneath a carpet to help it hold its value in your home. But too often, the importance of laying an underlay is overlooked by homeowners, causing issues with heat, cleaning, and the appearance of their brand-new carpets.
So, before getting onto what you should look for in a carpet underlay, what are some of the key advantages that this simple layer can offer to you, your home, and the longevity of your carpet?
Energy
OK, so when it comes to having a home that is energy-efficient, a key area is preventing heat from warming systems escaping. It saves you money on bills too!
Most carpets (even the Persian ones!) are backed with hessian, which is a great shock absorber but has holes weaved into its design. Installing carpet underlays acts as a secondary insulator for your home, keeping the heat in and the cold out.
In a bedroom that has young children, a baby, or even an elderly person, that is a real advantage for their comfort and health without breaking the bank by heating the room.
Carpet Longevity
Unsurprisingly, if you place an underlay under your carpet, the carpet will not only last longer, but it will look better too!
A common theme in many homes with carpets is the appearance of dents on the surface of the carpet, due to the weight of the furniture. This pressure can cause difficulty aesthetically when rearranging a room and can cause tears.
By fitting an underlay, not only does it put a literal spring in the step of anyone who walks across the carpet, but it prevents these dents too. It also prevents damage caused by children and pets by increasing the thickness of the carpet, making it harder to tear or chew.
Noise reduction
In a living or dining room, you are unlikely to need sound reduction from the lower floor. Unless you have a very active basement!
But when fitting a carpet underlay in a bedroom, the room is instantly muffled against the sounds of downstairs, making it easier to sleep and relax in. This can prove invaluable if you have a baby that is a light sleeper!
What to Consider
So, now that you know all of the benefits of not laying a bare carpet (who does that?), what are the things to consider when you are buying underlay for your carpet?
Well, there’s a bit more than you may think and the top 4 are below. Enjoy!
Hard Or Soft?
OK, so when you have decided that underlay for your home is what you need, you will need to consider the rooms that the underlay is placed in.
As an example, a living room is likely to have a fair amount of foot traffic and would therefore most likely benefit from a hard underlay to protect the carpet. In a bedroom, however, there is likely to be less walking about and so you could probably have a softer underlay fitted without issue.
When looking for softer or harder underlays for your bedroom floor, look at the materials that the underlay is made from.
Tog Rating
Many people associate tog ratings with pillows and duvets, but yes, even underlays have tog ratings!
When it comes to choosing the tog rating for your carpet underlay, if you have a traditional heating system in your home (such as central heating), you will want an underlay with a higher rating.
This is due to the lack of underfloor heating and how heat escapes from rooms. As tog ratings with carpet underlay start from 1.0 and go to 4.0, so aim for 2.5 or above when choosing an underlay for your carpet.
Should you be fortunate enough to have underfloor heating, however, a lower tog will help your heating systems perform correctly; 0.35 tog or lower is recommended in these instances.
Also, consider the material that your floor covering is made from; if you have laminate flooring, for instance, and want to fit an underlay, aim for a 1.0 tog.
Underlay Materials
Are you looking for an underlay that is spongy but warm? Or are you looking for an underlay that is firm but airy?
When choosing a carpet underlay, it is important to recognise the properties of the different materials that the underlay is made from to determine if it is right for your needs. For instance, a rubber underlay is great for protecting against noise in other rooms but lacks the ability to allow heat to escape. Not great for homes with underfloor systems!
If you aren’t sure which underlay materials suit your needs, talk to our team.
Cleaning
If you have children or pets, chances are that at some point, your carpet is going to need cleaning.
And unless you have the ability to physically pull up your carpet to clean the underlay separately, it is important to consider how washable your underlay is and how it can affect the carpet’s cleaning.
Underlays made from foam, sponge, or a combination of the two are more likely to absorb and hold onto water for longer. So, these types may be more suited to bedrooms or rooms with less foot traffic, so when the carpet is cleaned, it can dry without too much disturbance. A dehumidifier is also recommended for drying these underlays to prevent dampness.
Underlays made from felt or other organic materials tend to be better at releasing water droplets. And so, if you are going to be steaming or cleaning your carpet once a month, these will be the most suitable types to place under your carpet.
They are not as luxurious or springy, but they are tougher and less likely to cause problems with dampness or mildew.
Next Steps For Your Carpet
Remember, when choosing an underlay for your carpet, it is important to pair it with the rooms level of foot traffic, noise muffling and cleaning requirements of the carpet it is supporting.
Did you find this article on bedroom carpet underlays helpful? Head over to our blog page for more information on carpets and cleaning.
