Underlay4u Blog

Carpet Backing is one of those things that can cost a lot of money, but once the it is down - you won't even see it. So is it worth being picky over which backing to choose and use? This article will take a detailed look at the different types of carpet backing and help you decide which backing really is best for your floors. The first question is... Does Carpet Backing Matter? If you're going looking for new carpet in the choosing carpet in the stores, then this is a very important question to know the answer. That's because we've witnessed salesmen trying to put the price up based on the backing and therefore make it sound like that's what you should be interested in. In reality, most carpets will do the job of making your carpet look good in your home. Captain Carpet claims that the backing is guaranteed to be fine 99% of the time, but there's a couple of things to be aware of....

When you think of a concrete subfloor, your first thought might be that it’s going to feel cold and hard. So you immediately want to buy a thick, insulating underlay but that’s not always the best type of product to go for. There are more factors to consider that make buying the best underlay for concrete a little bit more complicated. As well as potentially being cold and hard, concrete subfloors can also cause moisture which can be problematic for certain types of flooring. In this blog post we’re going to talk through a number of scenarios which include: laminate, carpet and underfloor heating so you can find the best underlay to suit your needs. We are also going to explain how to check and prep a concrete subfloor ready for new flooring. Laminate Underlay for Concrete with Moisture Barrier Carpet Underlay for Concrete Subfloor Underlay for Concrete Subfloor with Underfloor...

Choosing a carpet isn’t easy, after all it’s a big investment that’s hopefully going to last years. You want to make sure that you get it right, which is why we’ve written this useful Guide to Carpets. Not only will we cover the different types, materials and styles but also which carpet is right for which room too. We will end the post by explaining the different types of carpet underlay which will ensure you get the most out of your new investment.   A guide to carpet types, materials, colours and style Types of Carpet Carpet Materials Styles of Carpet How to Choose Carpet by Room Best Carpet for Stairs, Hallway and Landing Best Carpet for Bedroom Best Carpet for Lounge How to Choose Carpet Underlay Best Carpet Underlay for Stairs, Hallway and Landing Best Carpet Underlay for Bedroom Best Carpet Underlay for Lounge Best Carpet Underlay for the Whole House...

Laminate was originally designed as a cheaper alternative to wood but as technology develops, the benefits go beyond price. As well as looking extremely lifelike, laminate is also very durable, easy to maintain and it’s also straightforward to install. But as laminate has grown in popularity – so has the number of options available. Laminate can mimic almost any type of wood as well as concrete, tiles and even marble. This, along with the practical factors such as thickness, durability and method of installation, can make choosing laminate flooring difficult. A Guide to Laminate Flooring and Underlay To help make the decision process a little easier, we've put together this useful guide to laminate flooring that will cover type, style, thickness, colour and finally, underlay. Types of Laminate Flooring Construction of Laminate Flooring Explained How to Choose Laminate Flooring...

The cold is beginning to seep into our homes and as the Christmas decorations go up, so do the heating bills. People are always trying to come up with ways of retaining heat to keep their homes cosy and the cost of heating bills down. Some of these methods have been proven to work, so here we’ve compiled what we think are the best ways to keep your property warm this winter – without cranking the thermostat!   Make your radiators more efficient Starting with our craftiest suggestion, cover a sheet of card in tin foil and place it behind your radiator. Once your DIY reflector has been correctly placed, it will effectively return the heat emanating from the back of the radiator into the room. If you don’t feel confident in your abilities, you can purchase foil insultation which can be used instead. Make your own draught excluders too. If you’ve already been wrapping foam...

As consumers we have grown ever more cynical. Everything from air travel to pet insurance incurs a hidden fee, and we now almost expect it. Yet when it comes to buying a house, there are a whole host of other unexpected costs. Purchasing a new home presents an abundance of disguised fees – and that’s not including the ones that catch buyers in the early stages! Stamp duty, valuation fees and estate agent fees are all hidden costs of buying a home that are discovered early on and can be prepared for with savings. But what really trips up first-time homeowners is often the expense of running a property – the bills that no one budgets for once they’ve moved in. Let’s explore them.   Hidden Costs of Essential maintenance work To a certain extent, unnecessary maintenance work can be avoided. Provided that the survey conducted at the buying stage picks up on any leaks or...

                  Owning a Buy-to-Let (BTL) property doesn’t always provide you with the instant ‘armchair landlord’ lifestyle you’d hoped for. A number of things can be a barrier, including that seemingly never-ending period when tenants are moving out. A way around this is to ensure your property is the very best that it can be, so that existing tenants will want to stay as long as possible – and you’ll experience no difficulty attracting new ones. Here we will go through a few quick fixes that will add value to your Buy to Let property: Increase storage to keep tenants happy If your property is essentially a few empty rooms, your tenants may find themselves outgrowing the space, and the idea of purchasing storage items can be off-putting to potential residents too. One idea is to place multi-functional storage units in the...

A well-restored period home is a marvel to look at. The work that goes into the restoration of certain structural elements can really drive the value of the home up, far outweighing the house renovation costs. And the properties themselves present a ready-made canvas for those that are new to development to learn their trade. However, there’s a certain expectation when working on a period home. Aside from the legal implications of altering a listed property, the home must look a certain way in order to be considered a satisfactory restoration. With this in mind, we’ve provided the four steps to your own successful renovation project.   Invest time in surveying the property If your property is listed that means it is legally protected against unauthorised modifications. Therefore it falls down to you, in the early stages of surveying the building, to research its history and...

  Peace and quiet isn’t the only thing you gain when your children finally leave home – you’ve got a spare room too. It’s very easy for it to become a dumping ground or a ‘junk room’ but why not transform it into a room you love instead? If you’re looking for some inspiration, we’ve got plenty of spare room ideas to share with you. Turn your spare room into a home office Perhaps the most obvious thing to do with your spare room is turn it into a home office. At the moment, your computer might be in the corner of the dining room or maybe you find yourself working on your laptop from the sofa instead. Even if you don’t work from home regularly, having a dedicated space where you can do ‘life admin’ and store your important files and documents can make a huge difference. The Decoist have written a fantastic article on how to create a healthy and relaxing home...

This article gives a clear, balanced and comprehensive review of a variety of popular Tredaire products. The Tredaire brand is one of the most versatile, high quality and recognisable laminate & carpet underlay ranges available, and is manufactured by Interfloor in the UK. Interfloor products are used in homes, hotels, businesses, restaurants and other buildings all around the world. The materials used are environmentally-friendly, with plenty of treated and recycled materials being used. Here at U4U we stock a range of the most popular Tredaire products, with something for every part of the house. In this article we review the key specifications and measurements that you need to take into account when choosing underlay, and then take a closer look at each of the different Tredaire products. The Most Purchased Tredaire Product Important Tredaire Specifications There are a handful...

A lot of our customers here at Underlay4u regularly ask for our advice on how to fit their own underlay in order to save a bit of the costs and time associated with DIY projects, and do things on their own schedule. We get it – life is busy these days. DIY jobs need to get done when they get done, and not at a time that will disrupt the rest of your life. Wouldn’t it be great if instead of having to be at home to let the carpet fitters in, or arrange for a relative to drop round in the middle of the day with the spare keys to open up, you could just do it in the evening after work, or on Sunday when the kids are at football? In this post we’d like to go through the steps you can take in order to fit your own underlay quickly and easily, and also how to make the most of the process in doing up your home. Actually laying the underlay is quite an easy task once you have everything...

This article will give you clear and thorough guidance into the different cloud 9 carpet underlay or laminate/ wood flooring options, that are currently available from Ball & Young manufacturers. Ball & Young is a company that’s dedicated to manufacturing their products in the UK. The foam underlay from Ball & Young is known to have good compression recovery properties and often a good degree of comfort depending which product you choose. Top products from Ball & Young... cloud 9 cumulus 11mm Cloud 9 Cirrus 9mm   Before looking at the full range of products, let’s take a look at the important specifications, how to choose the right Cloud 9 products and where to find the best prices. We’ll also address one of the most common questions – 9mm vs 11mm.   Important Cloud 9 specifications There’s a few specifications to look out for when choosing...

Can you use carpet underlay for a rug? There’s a lot of people wondering whether it’s good or bad to use underlay under a rug and if there are any benefits of doing so. The short answer is that many people have found good uses for carpet underlay beneath their rug, however a few important considerations need to be understood first. In this post we’re going to look at how to decide which is the best underlay for your rug and what to consider when making your buying decision. First, here’s the improvements that it can give your rug. Improved cushioning The first reason people add carpet underlay to their rug, is because it gives a nice cushioning. This is particularly true for hard floors, usually laminate or wood. By adding a rug with cushioning, they find it much more comfortable on the feet or for relaxing on.   Thickening up the rug Making the rug look thicker is also a...

  Tog ratings are the most important factor for many customers who are looking to purchase an insulating underlay. A higher tog rating means that the underlay will do a better job at keeping a room warm. An underlay with a high tog rating can make a huge difference to a cold concrete subfloor or draughty floorboards. Not only will it prevent warm air escaping – it will also act as a barrier to cold air trying to get in. Best Carpet Underlay for Insulation Carpet underlays can be thicker than those used with laminate flooring, so they have a higher tog rating because they are naturally more insulating. Carpenter Midas 12mm Underlay – 3.26 Tog Rating The Midas 12 is the number one underlay for insulation. It’s a luxury feeling product with a very high tog rating of 3.26. As well as keeping your home that little bit warmer, the Midas 12mm also has great sound insulation. The...