Underlay is a fundamental part of a new carpet or floor and should never be overlooked. It is an integral component that determines how your flooring feels, looks and more importantly, how it wears.

It’s recommended to buy new underlay whenever you replace your carpet or flooring, rather than using the existing underlay. It is massively important when purchasing new flooring to consider which underlay is best for your needs and requirements. The correct underlay will improve the comfort level of your new flooring and increase its lifespan by up to 50%. 

A good quality underlay will provide thermal insulation, reduce noise and make your new flooring feel softer underfoot. We like to use the example of a car without suspension, it would rattle itself to pieces in no time at all. In the same way, underlay acts as a shock absorber to your carpet or flooring and will absorb impact, preventing premature wear.

If your underlay has only been down for a short time then you can get away with reusing it, but older underlay is more likely to show signs of wear, especially in busy areas of the home. To reuse old broken-down underlay can cause ridges in your carpet and this could lead to uneven wear. Overtime the cells in the underlay will break down and can harbor dirt and bacteria so should be replaced when installing new carpets and flooring.