3 tips to help you make sound choices regarding wood floor underlay.

1. 3 tips to help you make sound choices regarding wood floor underlay. Trade Flooring

2. Introduction • Wood floor underlays are very useful. They provide peaceful living and working environments by curtailing sounds such as footsteps from travelling through the floor. Besides sound insulation, these underlays also provide you with a number of benefits. Firstly, they make each step softer and more comfortable – a trait that is very helpful for the elderly or anyone with joint problems. They are also environmentally friendly as most of these underlay are made from recycled material. With so many benefits, it’s indeed a wise idea to have one installed in your home too and the following 3 tips will ensure you choose the right underlay.

3. Material of a wood floor underlay • Underlays can be manufactured from a number of different materials. These can include foam, rubber, cork, polythene, fiber, etc. Different materials provide different benefits. Foam is lightweight, comes in varying thicknesses, provides decent dampness protection and is suitable for almost all types of wood floors.

4. Footfall levels • The type of wood floor underlay you use also depends on the amount of foot traffic. For bedrooms, attics and other low footfall areas, a basic underlay should do the job. However, in living rooms where you can expect more foot traffic, go for a more advanced underlay. If you are installing it for an office, it’s best you go for a top-of-the-line underlay.

5. Type of wood floor. • The type of wood floor you have also determines the kind of underlay you should opt for. Solid and engineered wood floors are very different and an underlay that is suited for one will not necessarily be suited for the other. Due the nature of its construct, engineered floor takes well to different types of underlay. You could choose polythene, fiber or any sound insulating underlay. With engineered floors, you have a wider range of choice.

6. Reviews. • Besides these 3 tips, if you are going to install the floor and underlay yourself, remember to look for a self-sticking underlay. This will be easier to install. • Also pay attention to the cost – different underlays have different price points. If you want to save money, try and install more affordable underlay in lower footfall areas and better underlay where there is higher footfall. • The thickness of the underlay is another important factor to keep in mind when choosing your wood floor underlay. For a better idea, just speak to a flooring company, they should be able to guide you in the right direction. We hope this article has been helpful. Good luck and all the best!

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