Underlay4u Blog

If you’re laying new carpet or laminate and your concrete subfloor surface is uneven, it’s worth taking the time out to level out any of the marks, scuffs or even dips and imperfections. The best product to use for levelling a concrete floor is a Floor levelling compound. That’s because it will help you to achieve a smooth and even surface. It’s fairly easy to do when you use the right tools and equipment. That’s where this guide come in. We are going to show you exactly how to level out your concrete floor ready for laying your new underlay and carpet or laminate. We also give you tips on preparing the area and how long you need to wait before using the area for walking on or placing the furniture. Not sure which underlay you need either? Don’t worry. We have you covered on underlay too - simply head over to our Best Underlay FAQ’s page or our product pages to read more...

First question: Is it easy to fit carpet yourself? If you take on the challenge to fit carpet yourself for the first time, it’s important you have a full understanding of the tools needed, the tasks required and any potential pitfalls. This article gives a clear overview of the requirements when laying your own carpet. Let’s dive right in. Here’s another recommended article that will help you with the planning How to measure carpet for stairs and landing Here are the essential steps you need to take to get the job done - click the links to go straight to each section   Carpet Laying Tools Needed How to remove your old carpet how to remove your old underlay How to lay the grippers How to lay your underlay How to fit your carpet (on Concrete or Wood)     Carpet Laying Tools Needed Carpet Fitting Kit Knee pads Broom Heavy duty gloves 8mm thick...

If you're thinking of laying  laminate flooring yourself, a bit of planning will go a long way. For example, where do you want it to go - which room(s)? Do you want the room to look wider or longer? Will you have a floating, glued or nailed floor? In this post, we will address the key questions related to planning, removing, buying and fitting your laminate flooring. We also give advice on which laminate underlay you will need. But first, here's how to plan the look of your floor in different rooms.   Laying Laminate in the kitchen or lounge There are things to be aware of when laying laminate in the kitchen. Firstly, do you use the kitchen as an in-out room to the garden - i.e. is your back door leading straight into the kitchen? If that's the case, then you probably want to choose a dark coloured floor. That way, you won't see all the marks as the family are traipsing dirt in...

If you’re unsure about how much you should be paying for your underlay, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we are giving you both an overview and more detailed insights into how much you should expect to be paying for underlay. That way, you can make a better decision as to which product to purchase. We will address subjects such as Cost per square metre Delivery costs Good Underlay - is it worth it? Specific Brand Comparisons We also have a specially designed room calculator on each product page that will help you work out the total square meter of your rooms   Underlay Cost Per square meter Underlay per square meter should cost you between £3 and £8 per square meter, including delivery. The actual price per square metre depends on a number of variables, but you should expect to see prices per square meter of underlay that range between £3 and...

When you’re decorating or renovating your home with wood floor, choosing the right products is a huge decision. With so many options on the market and thoughts on ‘what’s fashionable’ evolving all the time. How do you make the correct choice yourself? That’s where this article comes in. It’s super important that you read this before making your big decisions. This article will take you through the detailed insights when choosing engineered wood flooring. First, we look at what it is and how it compares to laminate. Then we take a dive into the potential costs and available materials/finishes. As well as showing you how your decision can impact the resale value of your home. Third, we explain the important decisions about when engineered wood flooring should and shouldn’t be used. At the end, we give you a few tips on fitting the same style of product in all your rooms and...

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...