Although they are not visible at all at a glance at the floor, the underlays actually significantly improve the properties of carpets and other floor coverings:
extend the life of floors
improve walking comfort
increase sound and thermal insulation
They can also effectively compensate for minor unevenness of the substrate and create a stable base for the floor covering itself.
What types of floor underlays exist?
The underlays can be installed under different types of floor coverings, but above all it makes sense in the following cases:
- wall-to-wall carpets (where soft tread or increased insulation function is important)
- rugs (where it is necessary to solve so that the rugs do not move out of place)
- floating floors (where increased sound and thermal insulation properties are required)
- woven vinyl (where their task is to extend the life and increase walking comfort)
- vapor barrier underlays (where a special membrane against moisture and mold is required)
Underlay sandwich system
A very effective method of leveling the substrate is the Floorfixx sandwich system - it consists directly of two layers of MDF boards, the bottom with the substrate (XPS foam or perforated polyethylene, depending on the type of substrate). Everything is in one piece, there is no need to lay each layer separately, which greatly speeds up the installation - it is the most time-saving solution on the market today.
Advantages of Floorfixx underlays:
- They also work where it is not possible to use conventional leveling (for example for raised floors).
- Installation is very quick and easy, there is no need to lay each layer separately.
- The Floorfixx sandwich system meets load classes 31-34 (depending on the type), so it is also suitable for heavily loaded industrial spaces.
- Thanks to several layers, it has good sound and thermal insulation properties.
Where do underlays pay off?
Although underlays for carpets or other floor coverings are not very popular in our region, their use is common in Western European countries and in America. These are mainly hotels, representative premises and installations, where the carpet or other covering itself was a considerable investment, and the underlays will ensure that its service life is even longer.